COM/AD/108/2026 is the Commission's 2026 internal competition for administrators at AD5. It was published on 29 May 2026 with a deadline of 30 June, aims at a reserve list of 100, and opens with an adaptive cognitive assessment that removes everyone below a reported 60th percentile before any other test is sat. This page gathers what has been reported about it in one place.
Who could apply
- Temporary agents in function group AD, officials or temporary agents at grade AST3 or above, or contract agents in function group IV.
- At least a year in the Commission, of which the last six months in one of those categories. Contract agents additionally need 36 months of Commission service in total, consecutive or otherwise.
- A degree of at least three years, or an equivalent certification or vocational training at that level. No professional experience is required, which is the main difference from the parallel AD7 competition.
- Language 1 at C1 and language 2 at B2, with language 2 chosen from English, French or German. Every test is sat in language 2.
All of this is as reported by a Commission staff union and by prep providers. The notice itself reaches eligible staff through internal channels and is not published on EUR-Lex or in the Official Journal, so check yours for the wording that binds.
The five stages and their reported pass marks
| Stage | What it is | Reported pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cognitive reasoning assessment | Adaptive, computer-based, 24 questions in 36 minutes covering numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning. Run by an external provider. | At or above the 60th percentile of the benchmark population. Below it, you are out. |
| 2. EU knowledge MCQ | 30 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes on the institutions, the Commission's role, governance and policy. | 15 out of 30 |
| 3. Written assignment | Up to 90 minutes, drafting a briefing, letter or note from a set of documents. Sat online on the same day as the MCQ. | 30 out of 50, and a score among the highest 2.5 times the number of places |
| 4. Final eligibility check | Qualifications and service verified for candidates ranked within 1.5 times the number of places. | Documentary |
| 5. Oral test | Up to 60 minutes, online: a presentation on an EU topic plus a structured interview on five competencies. | 25 out of 50 |
The reserve list takes up to 100 candidates who pass the oral and score highest, listed alphabetically, and is reported to remain valid until 31 December of the second year after publication unless extended. Being on it gives you the right to be considered for AD5 posts. It does not hand you a job.
The timeline, as far as anyone has said
No official calendar has been published. EU Training reports an indicative timeline shared with candidates: September for the eligibility checks and the cognitive assessment, October for the EU knowledge MCQ and written test, and December 2026 or January 2027 for the oral. Candidates report that the AD5 cognitive assessment was sat on Monday 21 September 2026. The staff union's briefing adds that HR committed to announcing each test at least two weeks before it takes place.
If you sat on 21 September and are waiting for the outcome, the guide to what the 60th percentile means and what comes next covers the questions we hear most. If you are preparing for a later round, start with the assessment overview.
The stage that decides most
The cognitive assessment is an eligibility gate rather than a scored stage: clear the threshold and your result no longer matters; miss it and nothing else you prepared is ever assessed. It is also the stage the fewest people prepare for properly, because the interactive format is unlike the multiple-choice tests most Commission staff sat on the way in. What it is, which SHL product it appears to be and how to practise it are covered in the SHL G+ exam guide.
Sources: a Commission staff union's analysis of the notice (29 May 2026) and its June 2026 briefing slides; EPSOHQ's guide to COM/AD/108/2026 and EU Training's coverage of the competition and its August 2026 rundown, read 20 and 26 September 2026; candidates who sat the September 2026 round. The Commission has not published the notice.
Free timed test
Stage one decides who goes further. Rehearse it.
Sit one full timed test, free: 24 interactive questions in 36 minutes, in the format candidates describe.
Frequently asked questions
How many candidates pass the AD5 cognitive assessment?
There is no fixed number. The reported threshold is the 60th percentile of a benchmark population, so the cut depends on that population and on how you score against it. It is not a ranking against the other candidates sitting the same day.
Where is the notice for COM/AD/108/2026?
Internal competition notices are not published on EUR-Lex or in the Official Journal. Eligible staff find them through My IntraComm and the Single Candidate Portal, attached to the application.
Is COM/AD/108/2026 the same as EPSO/AD/427/26?
No. EPSO/AD/427/26 is the external AD5 graduates competition with the classic multiple-choice reasoning tests. COM/AD/108/2026 is internal to Commission staff and opens with an adaptive cognitive assessment of numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning.
Ready to try it? Take the free timed test