EPSO digital skills test: format, pass mark and practice

The EPSO digital skills test assesses your practical command of everyday professional digital tools and habits: 40 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes, taken in your language 2.

It covers the 5 domains of the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp), from information literacy to solving technical problems.

The test is eliminatory: below 20/40, the application stops there, whatever the rest of the competition.

Which competitions include this test

Among the EPSO competition notices currently published, the digital skills test only appears in the generalist administrators competition (AD 5). Candidates for specialist or linguist competitions do not need to prepare it.

The table below shows the exact parameters of the test in each competition concerned, as published in the Official Journal.

What it really measures — and what it does not

The format in detail: the 5 official domains

The competition notice explicitly ties the test to the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) and lists five domains. Every question in the test belongs to one of them.

Information and data literacy

Searching, filtering and evaluating digital data and content; judging the reliability of a source; organising and retrieving information.

Communication and collaboration

Interacting and collaborating through digital technologies; choosing the appropriate channel; sharing while respecting usage rules and your digital identity.

Digital content creation

Creating and editing digital content; understanding copyright and licences; integrating existing content.

Safety

Protecting devices, personal data and privacy; recognising risks (phishing, weak passwords) and responding to them.

Problem solving

Diagnosing a common technical problem; identifying the right tool for a given need; addressing your own digital skills gaps.

Domains as listed in the official competition notice (full reference at the bottom of the page).

Try questions from the test

The questions below come from our practice bank, in the format of the real test: one question, four options, a single correct answer — with the full explanation.

Common mistakes and method

The costliest mistake is neglecting the test because you "use a computer every day". The questions target precise good practices — licences, data protection, source-reliability criteria — that daily use alone does not formalise.

Second trap: time. At 40 questions in 30 minutes, you have less than a minute per question; scenario questions (a context, then the question) are best read by first spotting what is actually asked.

Finally, the test is taken in your language 2: the digital vocabulary in that language (licence, backup, authentication…) must be acquired before the day, not discovered during it.

How Erudiam trains this module

Every question in the bank is mapped to one of the 5 official domains: your dashboard shows, domain by domain, where you lose points.

Spaced repetition (the FSRS algorithm) automatically reschedules missed notions at the right moment, instead of making you rework what you already know.

The readiness index (ERI) aggregates coverage, regularity and success rate to tell you whether you are ready — on this module as on the other tests of the competition.

Frequently asked questions about the digital skills test

How many questions does the EPSO digital skills test have, and how long is it?

40 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes, according to the official competition notice (reference at the bottom of the page).

What is the pass mark of the digital skills test?

20 points out of 40. The test is eliminatory and its score counts for 25% of the final mark used for ranking.

In which language is the digital skills test taken?

In your language 2, the one declared when applying to the competition — not in your main language.

Is the digital skills test part of every EPSO competition?

No. Among the notices currently published, only the generalist administrators competition (AD 5) includes it. Checked notice by notice — the up-to-date list is in the table on this page.

Which framework is the digital skills test built on?

The European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp), cited by the competition notice, with five domains: information and data, communication and collaboration, content creation, safety, problem solving.

How should I prepare for the EPSO digital skills test?

Work domain by domain rather than chaining full tests: identify your weak domains with a diagnostic, then train them separately before testing again under real conditions.