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Preparation centre for european civil service examinations (CPCE)
Please note
Registration for the European competitive examination preparation centre at Sciences Po’s School of Public Affairs closed on Friday 20 February 2026.
About the Preparation Centre
The Preparation centre for European civil service examinations (CPCE) was established at Sciences Po in April 2007 as a response to the growing expectations and demand from students, alumni as well as other interested groups for a service to better prepare them for the competitive entry examination of The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO).
The European institutions employ more than 40,000 people from 28 member countries of the EU. The Office EPSO organizes "open competitions" to select staff for both permanent official EU roles and temporary and contract-based positions. The EU also welcomes interns, and manages databases of data experts specialized in specific areas.
The CPCE scheduling follows the calendar of examinations published by EPSO and prepares students aiming to become permanent officials for the Administrator-level examination.
As of 2008, CPCE set up a preparation programme for the AD5 administrator examination, beginning with the field of audit. From 2010, the CPCE has prepared students for all levels of the Administrator examination (AD5, AD7) including the generalist examination and the specialized units (audit, statistics).
European Institutions
The following is a list of the European Institutions, according to article 13 of the European Union Treaty:
- The European Parliament;
- The European Council;
- The Council of the European Union;
- The European Commission;
- The Court of Justice of the European Union;
- The European Central Bank;
- The European Court of Auditors.
The competitions organized by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) also provide access to establishments created during the construction of the European Community:
- The European Economic and Social Committee (established in 1957);
- The European Investment Bank (1958);
- The Committee of the Regions (1994);
- The European Ombudsman (1995);
- The European Data Protection Policy (2004);
- The European External Action Service (under formation).
- 51% of Commission staff (employees + temporary agents) are Administrators (grade AD);
- 54% of staff are female, but large differences exist according to the type of business and on levels of responsibility (59% of AD5 are women, 95% of AD16 are men);
- The average age of staff of the Commission is 47 years for men, 43 for women;
- The average age of heads of unit is 52 years and for the directors and directors generalist is 57 years.
Administrators have several operational missions:
- Policy development;
- Monitoring the implementation of EU legislation;
- Conducting analysis and providing guidance.
The career of an Administrator extends from AD5 to AD16.
- AD 5 is the entry level of university graduates;
- Selection and recruitment may also be made to AD 6/ AD 7 level for more specialized functions. In this case, several years of professional experience are required.
In general, to be eligible for the Administrator-level examination, a university course of at least three years is necessary.
There are four major types of activities within the Commission:
- the operational functions (definition and implementation of EU policies, management of European programs makes up about 51% of the personnel);
- the administrative support functions (human resources, security, etc. 22% of the personnel);
- the coordination functions (inter-institutional relations, communication, or 7% of the personnel);
- the specific functions to the Commission (translators / interpreters, audit, etc. 20% of the personnel).
Programme
The pedagogy used at Sciences Po's CPCE consists of applying to European competitive examinations the unique expertise developed by Sciences Po in the field of preparation for French public administration examinations. Sciences Po's approach to preparing for competitive exams is inspired by a simple idea: success depends on a perfect mastery of the format and specifications of the tests.
The preparation is adapted to the competitive exams and accompanies the students at each stage of the selection and recruitment process.
Preparation for the written tests
Preparation for the selection tests is provided by a team of competition laureates who work in the EU institutions. These teachers provide students with the benefit of both their competition experience and their professional experience within the institutions.
Languages
The preparation is offered in French and English.
Training programme
The training takes place in group sessions at Sciences Po for the preparation of the application file, the knowledge of the European Union, the written test and the final phase of the reserve list and recruitment.
On the other hand, preparation for the RVNA tests takes place in small groups depending on the language chosen (French or English) and the location (at Sciences Po or remotely).
Faculty
Nicolas Dross is an engineer (CentraleSupélec), a graduate of Sciences Po (SP 2001) and the College of Europe (2004). He has been an official at the European Commission since 2005 and currently works in DG Trade on trade defence policy. He has been teaching at the CPCE since 2006. He is the author of the book Préparer les concours européens (La Documentation Française) and Fiches de politiques économiques européennes (Ellipses).
At the European Commission since 2014, Luis Planas Herrera has worked in the fields of strategy, economic analysis and budget. He is currently Policy Assistant to the Director General for Environment, working in the field of international relations, strategy and human resources.
Estelle Elizagoïen is a graduate of the Master in Public Policy of Sciences Po and of the Grande École programme of HEC Paris. She is currently working at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment, in the unit in charge of sustainable production and consumption models, on the implementation of the European Action Plan for a circular economy.
Ninon Beillard holds a double Master's degree in Urban Policy from Sciences Po and the London School of Economics. She is currently working at the European Commission's Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), on the performance and evaluation of cohesion policy, as well as on the European Semester.
Clémence Malaret holds a Bachelor’s degree in Classics and a dual Master’s degree in European Affairs from Sciences Po and the Freie Universität Berlin (2003). She has been a civil servant at the European Parliament since 2016 and currently works at the European Parliament’s Office in France, in Paris.
This team of permanent teachers is supplemented by different professionals invited as speakers for classroom sessions.
Workbook of preparation for the European competition, written by the CPCE teachers:
Title: Préparer les concours européens : Volume 1 - Les tests de présélection sur ordinateur (in French)
Authors: Nicolas DROSS, Laure GAILLOCHET, Martin POULIOT, Sandra SORNIN
Admission requirements
The CPCE scheduling follows the calendar of examinations published by EPSO and prepares students aiming to become permanent officials for the Administrator-level examination.
The CPCE is open to anyone wishing to enroll, subject to available space and with respect to dates announced.
The stages of the competitions
European competitions comprise the following stages:
- registration: (creating a personal account on the EPSO website and completing the application form);
- selection: written tests;
- recruitment: inclusion on the reserve list followed by interviews with the institutions.
All the information is available on the EU Career website.
Language requirements
EPSO requires proficiency in at least two European Union languages. The competition notices specify the language arrangements permitted for the various tests.
The tests
The general competition comprises the following tests:
- Multiple-choice questions assessing verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning skills (RVNA)
- A test of knowledge of the European Union (EU knowledge)
- A written test consisting of a case study
- Possibly, a test assessing digital skills
Registration fees
Preparation for the written tests
- Sciences Po student: Included in tuition
- Sciences Po alumni: package €350
- Other: package €450
Contacts
For more information, please contact: information.cpce@sciencespo.fr