174,900 Candidates Believe in an EU Career — And So Should You

The numbers are in — and they prove how desirable an EU career is

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) closed applications for the AD5 Graduate Administrators competition on 10 March 2026. The final count: 174,922 candidates — the largest group of aspiring EU professionals ever assembled.

To put this in perspective: the previous record was approximately 51,000 applicants in 2010. This year's total is more than three times that peak. An EU career has never been more attractive.

1,490 candidates will earn a place on the reserve list — and data shows that preparation is the biggest factor in who makes it.

Why now? Seven years of pent-up demand

The AD5 generalist competition — the main entry route to becoming a permanent official at the European Commission — hadn't been held in seven years. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is focusing on bringing in a new generation, with many senior officials approaching retirement.

The result: an entire generation of graduates who had been waiting for this moment finally got their chance — and they showed up in force.

Who applied? A continent united by ambition

The geographical distribution reveals the depth and breadth of motivation across Europe:

Italy alone accounts for nearly half of all applicants — a testament to how strongly Southern European professionals value the opportunity an EU career represents. EU institutions offer up to €6,758/month at AD5 entry level, which represents a significant step up from typical salaries of €1,500–2,000 in Southern Europe.

Greece, with 2.3% of the EU population, contributed 5.8% of applicants — showing that smaller countries produce highly motivated, ambitious candidates.

Germany (18.6% of EU population, 6.7% of applicants) and France (15.2% of population, 6.3% of applicants) are underrepresented, which means candidates from these countries face proportionally less competition from compatriots.

What you can prepare for right now

The AD5 selection process is entirely online, conducted on EPSO's new TAO platform:

Verbal Reasoning carries 35% of the final ranking score, followed by EU Knowledge (25%), Digital Skills (25%), and the essay (15%).

The preparation advantage

According to data cited by Euronews, candidates who invest in structured preparation are 40% more likely to pass than those who don't. Those who combine multiple preparation resources score, on average, 9 points higher out of 60.

With structured preparation, your chances improve dramatically. That's because the EPSO exam rewards specific, learnable skills — not innate talent or luck.

As one preparation expert put it: "Once you understand the logic and practise on real questions, you'll walk into the test with confidence — and that confidence shows in your scores."

What this means for you

With 174,900 motivated professionals entering this competition, the AD5 2026 rewards preparation above all else. The candidates who will earn their place on the reserve list are those who:

1. Understand the test format before exam day
2. Practice under timed conditions consistently
3. Study EU knowledge systematically, building confidence week by week
4. Master the TAO platform tools to gain an edge most candidates never unlock

The tests are expected to take place in Q3–Q4 2026. That gives you a 3–8 month preparation window — more than enough time to build a winning strategy.

You are part of the largest group of aspiring EU professionals in history. That's something to be proud of. And with the right preparation, you have every reason to believe you'll be one of the 1,490 who succeed.

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EU·Now gives you adaptive EPSO preparation with questions verified against official sources, in the same TAO-format interface you'll face on test day. Sign up for early access at eu-now.com.