Introduction to the world of open competitions

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Introduction to the world of open competitions
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Contents
1. Notice of open competition
2. Selection procedure
3. Rules of the open competition
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1. Notice of open competition

• Organised by European Personnel Selection
  Office (http//europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm)

• Published in the Official Journal

• For example EPSO/AD/46-47/06 Various fields

• European public administration/human resources

• Law

• Audit

• Economics/statistics

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2. Selection procedure

• Reserve list

• Staff regulation

• Appointment and salary

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2. Selection procedure 2.1. Reserve list

• The list of successful candidates in the
  Official Journal

• According to fields and (usually max 4) merit
  groups, in alphabetical order

• Condition but not guarantee of recruitment
  (Notices of open competition Recruitment will
  depend on vacant posts and funds becoming
  available)

• Valid usually for 1.5-2 years, often extended

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2. Selection procedure 2.2. Staff regulation

• Rules applicable to EU officials

• Council Regulation 259/1968 as modified

• Contains conditions of recruitment nationality
  of a Member State, having performed all military
  duties, open competition, physical aptitude,
  knowledge of at least one official language

• May be asked in open competition questions!

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2. Selection procedure 2.3. Appointment and
salary

• According to Category, Grade and Step

• Categories AD (administrator), AD linguists
  (linguist administrators, AST (assistants)

• Grades (within categories) 1 (lowest) to 16
  (highest)

• Steps (within grades) 1 (lowest) to 8 (highest)

• Most open competitions Grade AD5, step1

• Grade AD5, first step EUR 3837,37

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3. Rules of the open competition

• General rules

• Rules on how to fill out the tests

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3. Rules of the open competition3.1. General
rules

• To bring with you invitation, ID

• Not allowed with you mobile phone/PDA/
  calculator, bags, agenda/newspaper,
  dictionary/book, correctors

• Forbidden to smoke, talk, leave during the tests

• if computer-based no break between EU/v-n
  reasoning

• domain specific test usually a few weeks later

• essay/summary of essay may be few weeks later

• oral exam many weeks later interview even
  more

• Practice

• Warning few minutes prior to end

• Invigilators

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3. Rules of the open competition 3.2. Rules on
how to fill out the tests

• Pens provided if paper-based / otherwise
  computer

• Pre-selection tests optical reader sheets -
  ticking boxes (but may be via computer!)

• There is only one correct answer

• All answers have the same weighting

• No penalties for incorrect or no answer

• Correction is not allowed

• Written test lined papers to write on

• Corrections allowed

• Anonim tests any distinctive marks are
  prohibited