EU Knowledge

Master EPSO EU Knowledge

Practice with questions covering EU institutions, treaties, policies, and decision-making processes — the knowledge section of the EPSO CBT.

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What is the EPSO EU Knowledge Test?

The EU knowledge section tests your understanding of the European Union: its institutions (Commission, Parliament, Council, Court of Justice), decision-making procedures (ordinary legislative procedure, co-decision), treaties (TEU, TFEU, Lisbon Treaty), policies (cohesion, CAP, trade), and the EU budget. It also covers the EU's role in global affairs and current policy priorities.

Unlike verbal or numerical reasoning, this section rewards preparation. The questions are factual — you either know the answer or you don't. This makes it the most 'studyable' section of the EPSO CBT, and the area where targeted practice yields the highest return on investment.

Test Format at a Glance

questions

minutes

options each

Factual knowledge questions

Top 5 Tips for EPSO EU Knowledge

Start with the institutions

Know the roles, composition, and powers of the 7 EU institutions. This is the most frequently tested topic and forms the foundation for understanding everything else.

Learn the legislative procedures

Understand the ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision), consent procedure, and consultation procedure. Know which institution proposes, amends, and approves legislation.

Focus on key treaties

The Treaty on European Union (TEU) and Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) are the two foundational treaties. Know what each covers and the key changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty.

Stay current on EU priorities

EPSO increasingly tests awareness of current EU priorities: the Green Deal, digital transformation, enlargement, strategic autonomy, and Next Generation EU recovery. Read the Commission's annual work programme.

Use spaced repetition

EU knowledge is memorisation-heavy. Use spaced repetition (reviewing material at increasing intervals) to lock facts into long-term memory. EPSO Genius automatically schedules your reviews.

Sample Question Format

EU knowledge questions are straightforward factual questions. Here's an example of the format.

Example format

Which EU institution has the exclusive right to propose new EU legislation?

AThe European Parliament

BThe Council of the European Union

CThe European Commission

DThe European Council

The European Commission has the exclusive right of legislative initiative. Answer: C.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many EU knowledge questions are on the EPSO exam?▼

The EPSO CBT includes 30 EU knowledge questions to be completed in 40 minutes. This is the largest section by question count, making it the biggest single contributor to your overall score.

What topics are covered in the EU knowledge section?▼

The main topics are: EU institutions and their roles, decision-making and legislative procedures, EU treaties and legal framework, key EU policies (internal market, cohesion, CAP, trade, foreign affairs), the EU budget and financial framework, and current EU priorities and challenges.

Is the EU knowledge section the same for all EPSO competitions?▼

The core EU knowledge section is similar across most AD (administrator) competitions. However, specialist competitions may include additional domain-specific questions. Always check the competition notice for the exact syllabus.

Where should I study EU knowledge?▼

Start with the Europa.eu official website for authoritative information. EPSO Genius provides 2,000+ practice questions covering all major topics, with detailed explanations that reference the relevant treaty articles and institutional rules.