EPSO Digital Skills: The 5 DigComp Fields Explained (With Study Tips)

Digital literacy is now an official part of becoming an EU official

Starting with the 2026 AD5 competition, EPSO tests digital skills as a separate, scored component. This is new territory for many candidates — and that makes it an opportunity. While everyone has been preparing for verbal reasoning and EU knowledge for months, the digital skills test is where focused study can give you an edge.

The test is based on the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp 2.2), developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. It is structured around 5 competence areas with 21 specific competencies. Here is exactly what each area covers and how to prepare.

The test at a glance

This is not an IT exam. EPSO is testing whether you can function as a digitally competent administrator — someone who makes sound decisions about data, communication, security, and tools in a professional EU context.

Field 1: Information and Data Literacy

What it covers: Finding, evaluating, and managing digital information and data.

This area tests whether you can distinguish reliable sources from unreliable ones, understand how search engines rank results, and organize digital information effectively.

Key competencies:

• Browsing, searching, and filtering data and information
• Evaluating data, information, and digital content
• Managing data, information, and digital content

What questions look like:

• How to verify the credibility of an online source
• What metadata is and why it matters
• How to use Boolean operators in search queries
• Recognizing bias in algorithmically curated content
• Best practices for file naming and digital organisation

Study tip: Focus on source evaluation criteria (authority, accuracy, currency, purpose) and understand how algorithms influence what information you see. The EU institutions deal with enormous volumes of data — EPSO wants to know you can navigate that responsibly.

Field 2: Communication and Collaboration

What it covers: Interacting, sharing, and collaborating through digital technologies.

This area tests your understanding of digital communication tools, online etiquette, and collaborative work practices — exactly the skills you will use daily in any EU institution.

Key competencies:

• Interacting through digital technologies
• Sharing through digital technologies
• Engaging in citizenship through digital technologies
• Collaborating through digital technologies
• Netiquette
• Managing digital identity

What questions look like:

• Choosing the right communication channel for different situations (email vs. instant message vs. video call)
• Understanding version control in shared documents
• Digital etiquette in professional settings
• Managing your digital footprint and online reputation
• Understanding how participatory platforms work (e.g., EU public consultations)

Study tip: Think about professional context. The EU institutions use collaborative platforms extensively — questions will test whether you understand the principles behind shared workspaces, permissions, and professional digital communication.

Field 3: Digital Content Creation

What it covers: Creating, editing, and integrating digital content while respecting intellectual property.

This is not about graphic design or video production. It is about understanding how digital content is structured, how licensing works, and how to create and modify documents responsibly.

Key competencies:

• Developing digital content
• Integrating and re-elaborating digital content
• Copyright and licences
• Programming (basic concepts only)

What questions look like:

• Understanding Creative Commons licence types
• What happens when you embed content vs. copy it
• Basic understanding of how structured data works (spreadsheets, databases)
• What an algorithm is (conceptually, not coding)
• Understanding file formats and when to use which one

Study tip: Copyright and licensing questions are almost guaranteed. Know the difference between Creative Commons licence types (CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC, etc.). Also understand basic concepts like what an API does, what structured vs. unstructured data means, and how templates improve consistency.

Field 4: Safety

What it covers: Protecting devices, personal data, health, and the environment in digital contexts.

This is one of the most practical areas — and one where EU institutions are particularly demanding, given their handling of sensitive policy data.

Key competencies:

• Protecting devices
• Protecting personal data and privacy
• Protecting health and well-being
• Protecting the environment

What questions look like:

• How two-factor authentication (2FA) works and why it matters
• What phishing is and how to recognize it
• Understanding GDPR principles (data minimisation, right to erasure, consent)
• Password management best practices
• Recognizing social engineering attacks
• Digital environmental impact (e.g., data centre energy use, e-waste)

Study tip: This is the area where candidates with practical awareness do best. Know the GDPR principles at a conceptual level — you do not need to cite articles, but you should understand consent, data minimisation, purpose limitation, and the right to be forgotten. Also study common cyber threats: phishing, ransomware, social engineering.

Field 5: Problem Solving

What it covers: Identifying needs, making decisions, and solving problems using digital tools creatively.

This area tests your ability to think critically about technology — when to use it, when not to, and how to troubleshoot when things do not work.

Key competencies:

• Solving technical problems
• Identifying needs and technological responses
• Creatively using digital technologies
• Identifying digital competence gaps

What questions look like:

• What to do when a software application crashes or behaves unexpectedly
• Choosing the right digital tool for a specific task
• Understanding cloud computing vs. local storage trade-offs
• Recognizing when a task could be automated
• Identifying when you need to update your own digital skills

Study tip: Think in terms of professional decision-making. If a colleague asks how to share a large file securely, what would you recommend? If a system is running slowly, what are the first diagnostic steps? These are the kinds of scenarios EPSO builds questions around.

How to prepare efficiently

The digital skills test rewards breadth over depth. You do not need expert knowledge in any single area — you need solid foundational understanding across all five.

Total: approximately 12-17 hours of focused study can prepare you well for this component. That is a remarkably efficient investment for a test that counts towards your final ranking.

This is one of the most learnable parts of the entire exam

Unlike verbal reasoning, which requires weeks of technique-building, digital skills content can be absorbed relatively quickly. The DigComp framework is public, the topics are practical, and most candidates already have everyday experience with many of these concepts.

The key is structured coverage: make sure you have touched all five fields, with particular attention to safety (GDPR, cybersecurity) and content creation (licensing). These are the areas where EPSO questions are most specific.

You can master this component in under 20 hours. Join the EU-Now waitlist for DigComp-aligned practice questions verified against official sources, field-by-field study guides, and adaptive training that focuses on your specific weak areas across all five competence areas.