COM/AST/109/2026 is the Commission's 2026 internal competition for assistants at AST3. Applications closed on 31 July 2026, the reserve list is for 70 candidates, and stage one is the same adaptive cognitive assessment used in the AD5 and AD7 competitions. One detail sets it apart, and it comes from the staff union's own briefing: the eligibility line is reported at the 40th percentile rather than the 60th.
The threshold
The slides from the free briefing a Commission staff union ran with its training partner on 10 July 2026 describe the AST3 cognitive assessment as the same exam as AD5 or AD7 with a lower threshold, and put the line at the 40th percentile: score above it and you are eligible for the next stage. EU Training, separately, notes that the AST3 notice carries its own thresholds, timing and pass marks. We have not seen the notice and nobody outside the process publishes it, so treat the figure as reported and check yours.
If it holds, the arithmetic is kinder than for the administrators: you need to score better than 40 per cent of the benchmark population rather than 60 per cent. The test itself is no different. It is still adaptive, still 24 questions in 36 minutes, still numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning in the interactive format candidates describe.
Who could apply
- Officials and temporary agents in the AST or AST/SC function groups, and contract agents in function group IV, as reported in the briefing.
- At least a year in the Commission, of which the last six months in one of those categories. Contract agents need 36 months of Commission service in total.
- Relevant professional experience in line with the tasks in the notice, which the briefing stresses you must explain rather than take as given.
- Language 2 from English, French or German, different from your language 1 in Sysper. The briefing's blunt advice: check Sysper, and ask for a correction early if it is wrong.
When the test is sat
EU Training's August 2026 rundown expected the AST3 testing to follow the AD5 round in late September or early October. Candidates report an assistants' sitting on Monday 28 September 2026. HR is reported to have committed to at least two weeks' notice before each test, so the date on your own invitation is the one that counts.
The stages after the cognitive test
The stage list reported for AST3 mirrors the AD5 competition: an EU knowledge MCQ, a written test, a final eligibility check and an oral, with AST3-specific pass marks in the notice. The AD5 guide sets out that structure and the marks reported for it; do not assume the AST3 numbers match.
If your sitting is days away
- Learn the mechanics of every interactive item type today. The question types guide lists them with the traps the briefing warns about.
- Sit one full-length timed test, so the 90-seconds-a-question pace is familiar rather than a shock. The first one here is free.
- Read the exam-day checklist: calculator, paper, pre-drawn grids, a mouse rather than a touchpad, and a browser other than Edge, all from candidate reports.
- Answer every question. No negative marking is reported, and the briefing's advice was to finish rather than leave blanks.
- Clear your browser's cache and cookies the day before, and have a second browser installed. Several candidates on 21 September could not start until they had.
- On the day, take the practice offered beside the exam. Candidates report it uses the real interface, where some information stays hidden until you click for it. Write each person's conditions down the first time you see them. There is more on what candidates report.
Sources: a Commission staff union's briefing slides for COM/AST/109/2026 (10 July 2026) and its free conference page; EU Training's July and August 2026 rundowns, read 26 September 2026; candidates who sat the September 2026 rounds. The Commission has not published the notice.
Free timed test
Sitting soon? Do one full run first
The free test is full length and timed, so ninety seconds a question feels familiar before the day.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AST3 cognitive test easier than the AD5 one?
The staff union's briefing describes it as the same exam with a lower threshold: the 40th percentile rather than the 60th. The questions are reported to be the same adaptive assessment. Check your notice for the figure that applies to you.
Can contract agents apply for COM/AST/109/2026?
The briefing lists contract agents in function group IV, with 36 months of Commission service in total on top of the general condition. The union has published separately on how restrictive the quota rules for contract agents are. Your notice is the text that binds.
When do AST3 candidates get their cognitive assessment results?
Nothing has been published on timing. For the AD5 round, an indicative timeline reported by EU Training puts the next tests in October, which implies results within weeks of the sitting. Treat that as a pattern rather than a promise.
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