Candidates who took the online exam last month to become EU translators were informed on Thursday that in May They will have to repeat the test because of “configuration defects” exam carried out by the European Office for selecting HR (EPSO).
EPSO is a career gate in the EU civil service. Organizes recruitment to institutions such as the European Commission, the European Parliament or the EU Council.
“Everything I can say is that EPSO is completely incompetent And it is not suitable for his goal, “wrote one of the members of the group on Facebook for the exam candidates.
Defective online system – configured by an external contractor – meant that the candidates could choose more than one option in an online one -choice online test.
“This led to the fact that a large number of candidates sent more than one answer, despite the clear mention in the instructions that there is only one correct answer,” we read in an e-mail to candidates. “EPSO understands the impact of this worthy of regret and he wants to apologize on behalf of his external contractor” – added.
Candidates are furious that they have to face the exhausting test again.
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“It's madness,” wrote one of the candidates on the Facebook group. “So those of us who are able to follow the instructions (you might think that this is a sought -after feature for an EU official), they must go through the whole procedure again, take days at work, etc. How to be unfair to absolutely all at once, lol.”
“How can EPSO bear such a failure every time?” – another wrote.
“Another Fiasko”
This test was intended for candidates who wanted to get a job as translators working in one of the eight EU languages. 9,663 people took part in it
One of the candidates who received an e-mail on Thursday said that for several weeks she spent an hour a day, preparing for tests that include language knowledge, verbal and numerical reasoning.
“I don't have children, I don't study, I just have a tiring job, which means that returning to mathematics in the evening was difficult,” she said. – But for people who have children, families and very demanding work, returning home and learning is absolutely terrible. I talked to my friend who received this notification and just gives birth, so it probably won't be in the best shape in May.
jorisvo / shutterstock
European Union flags in front of the building of the European Commission in Brussels
A spokesman for the committee said that “information between EPSO and an external contractor in relation to the financial implications of this situation is still underway.”
This is not the first time EPSO tests were under fire. The Commission also receives calls to annul the last exams for current employees for promotion, In connection with complaints about inconsistent questions and messy formatting.
“Another failure can not remain unanswered,” said the U4U employees' trade union in an e-mail to the head of the Human Resources Department Stephen Quest.
The commission is in the “transitional phase” with a new IT tool, which it began to use this year, answered the spokesman Balazs Ujvari in an e-mail, adding that “some controlled use of artificial intelligence was used to strengthen the general pool of questions, from which tests were then derived.”
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
