Notice of open competitions
Date: 2013-05-08
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: EPSO, assistant, competition (EU)








CA2013131EN.01000101.xml










8.5.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 131/1






NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS

(2013/C 131 A/01)
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising two open competitions, based on qualifications and tests, to constitute a reserve from which to recruit assistants (AST 3) (1).

EPSO/AST/127/13 — PROOFREADERS WITH GREEK AS THEIR MAIN LANGUAGE (EL)


EPSO/AST/128/13 — PROOFREADERS WITH PORTUGUESE AS THEIR MAIN LANGUAGE (PT)

The purpose of these competitions is to draw up reserve lists from which to fill vacant posts in the institutions of the European Union, and in particular in the Publications Office of the European Union in Luxembourg.


Before applying, you should carefully read the Guide to open competitions published in Official Journal C 270 A of 7 September 2012 and on the EPSO website.




This guide is an integral part of the competition notice and will help you to understand the rules governing the procedure and how to apply.


CONTENTS






I.



GENERAL BACKGROUND











II.



DUTIES











III.



ELIGIBILITY











IV.



ADMISSION TESTS











V.



ADMISSION TO THE COMPETITION AND SELECTION BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS











VI.



OPEN COMPETITION











VII.



RESERVE LISTS











VIII.



HOW TO APPLY





I.   GENERAL BACKGROUND













1.



Number of successful candidates sought per competition







EPSO/AST/127/13 — EL = 12


EPSO/AST/128/13 — PT = 12












2.



Remarks






This notice refers to two competitions. You may not apply for more than one of these competitions.
You must make your choice when you apply online and you will not be able to change it after you have confirmed and validated your online application form.
These competitions are intended for candidates who have a perfect command, both written and spoken, of the language of the competition (mother tongue or equivalent knowledge). If you do not have such a command, we would strongly advise you not to apply.




II.   DUTIES
Proofreaders are responsible for the correction of non-legislative and legislative texts adopted by the European Union (EU) institutions or EU information in terms of language and typography, on paper and using software tools. This involves:
Processing of manuscripts:






—


prepare and clean manuscripts in terms of language, terminology, style rules, etc., on computer or paper,










—


prepare texts to be published in the Official Journal,










—


prepare manuscripts in the original language before adoption,










—


prepare manuscripts with regard to typography, page make-up and also in terms of structure (using XML editors) by checking if these are consistent with the original language,










—


copy-edit at the request of the author.




Proofreading of proofs:






—


compare the proof with the manuscript or previous proofs,










—


check table of contents.




Communication with the production agent
Quality control:






—


check if the published paper and/or electronic versions are uniform and compliant,










—


check the linguistic quality for other services,










—


check corrections made by external proofreaders,










—


correct tests of candidates for proofreading support staff.




Development and updating of the Interinstitutional Style Guide
Improvement and maintenance of software tools:






—


participation in the development of functional specifications and the testing of software tools,










—


participation in the development and updating of word lists for automatic correction.




Archiving of unit documentation
III.   ELIGIBILITY

On the closing date for online applications, you must fulfil all the following general and specific conditions:













1.



General conditions














(a)


You must be a citizen of one of the Member States of the EU.










(b)


You must enjoy your full rights as a citizen.










(c)


You must have fulfilled any obligations imposed on you by the laws on military service.










(d)


You must meet the character requirements for the duties involved.















2.



Specific conditions









2.1.




Qualifications:






Either (a)



A level of education corresponding to completed post-secondary studies attested by a diploma in a field related to the duties in question.





or (b)



A level of education corresponding to secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to higher education, followed by at least three years' professional experience in a field of activity of relevance to the EU institutions at a level equivalent to that of the competition.

NB: These three years will not be counted towards the number of years' professional experience required below.





2.2.



Professional experience:
At least three years' professional experience in the field of proofreading, editing or producing publications intended for the public.
Such professional experience is relevant only if acquired after the diploma giving access to the competition was obtained and in the language of the competition.





2.3.



Knowledge of languages (2)



Following the judgment given by the Court of Justice of the EU (Grand Chamber) in Case C-566/10 P, Italy v Commission, the EU institutions must state the reasons for limiting the choice of the second language in this competition to a small number of official EU languages.




Candidates are therefore informed that the second language options in this competition have been defined in line with the interests of the service, which require new recruits to be immediately operational and capable of communicating effectively in their daily work. Otherwise the efficient functioning of the institutions could be severely impaired.




It has long been the practice to use mainly English, French and German for internal communication in the EU institutions and these are also the languages most often needed when communicating with the outside world and dealing with cases. Moreover, where candidates for competitions are free to choose their second language, these three are by far the most common choices. This confirms what is currently expected of candidates for EU posts in terms of their level of education and professional skills, namely that they have a command of at least one of these languages. Consequently, in balancing the interests and needs of the service and the abilities of candidates, and given the particular field of this competition, it is legitimate to organise tests in the three languages so as to ensure that all candidates are able to work in at least one of them, whatever their first official language.




To ensure equal treatment for all candidates, everyone — including those whose first official language is one of the three — must take the test in their second language, chosen from among these three. Assessing specific competencies in this way allows the institutions to evaluate candidates' ability to be immediately operational in an environment that closely matches the reality they would face on the job. None of this affects the possibility of later language training to enable staff to work in a third language, as required under Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations.












(a)


Language 1







Main language:

perfect command of the language of the competition










(b)


Language 2







Second language:

satisfactory knowledge of English, French or German




IV.   ADMISSION TESTS
The computer-based admission tests will be organised only if the number of candidates exceeds a certain threshold. The threshold will be determined by the Director of EPSO, as the appointing authority, after the deadline for applications. This threshold can vary from one competition to another and you will be informed of the precise details via your EPSO account.
The selection board decides on the difficulty of the tests and approves their subject matter on the basis of proposals made by EPSO.














1.



Invitation to the tests






You will be invited to sit the tests if you have validated your application on time (see Section VIII).

Important:







1.


By validating your application you declare that you meet the general and specific conditions listed in Section III.










2.


You must reserve a date to sit the tests. This must be done by the deadline notified to you via your EPSO account.















2.



Nature and marking of tests






A series of tests comprising multiple-choice questions to assess your general aptitudes and competencies as regards:





Test (a)



Verbal reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 20.
Pass mark: 10





Test (b)



Numerical reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 10.





Test (c)



Abstract reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 10.




 


The aggregate pass mark for tests (b) and (c) is 10.











3.



Language of the tests






Language 1




V.   ADMISSION TO THE COMPETITION AND SELECTION BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS
1.   Procedure
Initially, a check for compliance with the general and specific conditions and the selection based on qualifications will be carried out on the basis of the information given in your online application.






(a)


Your answers to the questions relating to the general and specific conditions will be processed to determine whether you can be included in the list of candidates who fulfil all the conditions for admission to the competition.

If prior admission tests are organised, compliance with the general and specific conditions will be checked for each competition in descending order of the marks obtained, until the number of candidates defined by the appointing authority is reached who:







—




obtained the highest marks (and at least pass marks) in the admission tests, and












—




satisfy the eligibility conditions.







Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be included in the selection phase based on qualifications. Online applications of candidates below the threshold will not be examined.











(b)


The selection board will then screen the candidates who fulfil the conditions for admission to the competition on the basis of their qualifications to identify those whose profile (particularly their diplomas and professional experience) best matches the duties and selection criteria set out in this competition notice. This selection is carried out solely on the basis of the information provided in the ‘Talent Screener’ tab and takes place in two stages:






—


a first selection based on qualifications will be made solely on the basis of the responses ticked under the ‘Talent Screener’ tab of the online application form and the weighting assigned to each of the questions. The selection board will set the weighting (1 to 3) according to the importance attached to each criterion set out in point 3 below, before examining the applications. The online applications of the candidates who obtain the highest number of points will then go through to a second selection stage.










—


the number of files to be examined during the second stage will be approximately nine times the number of successful candidates sought that is indicated in this competition notice. The selection board will examine candidates' answers and will award 0 to 4 points for each answer. The points are then multiplied by the weighting for each question and added together to give an overall score.








The selection board will then draw up a list of candidates in the order of the overall scores awarded. The number of candidates invited to the assessment tests will not exceed three times the number of successful candidates sought (per competition) (3). This number will be published on EPSO's website (http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/eu-careers.info/).
2.   Verification of information given by candidates
Following the assessment tests, and in the light of the results, the information given by candidates in their online applications will be verified against the supporting documents they have provided; for the general conditions this will be done by EPSO, while for the specific conditions it will be done by the selection board. In assessing qualifications, supporting documents will be taken into account only to confirm the information already given under the ‘Talent Screener’ tab. If verification shows that the information given (4) is not borne out by the appropriate supporting documents, candidates will be disqualified.
Applications will be verified for candidates with the highest aggregate marks and at least pass marks in assessment tests (d), (e), (f) and (g), in descending order. These candidates must also have obtained pass marks in tests (a), (b) and (c). Verification will continue until the number of candidates who can be placed on the reserve list and who actually fulfil all the conditions for admission reaches the threshold. The files of candidates below the threshold will not be examined.
3.   Selection criteria

For the selection based on qualifications, the following criteria will be taken into consideration by the selection board:







1.


Professional experience, other than that required under Section III.2.1 and 2.2, in the field of proofreading publications in Greek or Portuguese.










2.


Professional experience, other than that required under Section III.2.1 and 2.2, in one or more of the following fields:






—


editing or producing publications in the language of the competition,










—


translation using Greek or Portuguese,










—


teaching Greek or Portuguese, or producing teaching materials in Greek or Portuguese,










—


written journalism in Greek or Portuguese.














3.


A university diploma in Greek or Portuguese related to publishing, journalism or the study of those languages (e.g. linguistics, literature, or teaching Greek or Portuguese to native speakers or as a foreign language).










4.


A satisfactory knowledge of English, French or German (different from the second language chosen by the candidate) attested by a certificate, diploma or other proof (minimum level required: B2 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)).




VI.   OPEN COMPETITION















1.



Invitation to the assessment tests






If you are one of the candidates (5)







—


who, according to the information given in the online application, fulfil the general and specific conditions listed in Section III,

and











—


who obtained one of the highest marks in the selection based on qualifications,




you will be invited to sit the assessment tests, which will normally be held in Luxembourg over the course of one or two days
 (6).











2.



Assessment tests






You will undergo three types of assessment:






—


reasoning ability (if not already assessed by prior admission tests): tests (a), (b) and (c),










—


specific competencies: exercises (d) and (e),










—


general competencies: exercises (f) and (g).










—




your reasoning ability 
will be assessed by means of the following (7):






(a)


a verbal reasoning test;










(b)


a numerical reasoning test;










(c)


an abstract reasoning test.














—




your specific competencies
 in the field will be assessed by means of the following (7):






(d)


proofreading against manuscripts: a text (spelling and grammar) in the language of the competition (Language 1) and a number of printers' proofs (spelling, grammar and typography) in the language of the competition (Language 1) (+/– 3 hours);










(e)


a structured interview on your competencies in the field, based on the information provided in the ‘Talent Screener’ tab of your application;














—




your general competencies

 (8) will be assessed by means of the following (7):






(f)


a group exercise;










(g)


a structured interview on your general competencies.









These general competencies will be tested as shown in the following table:





 


Group exercise


Structured interview




Analysis and problem-solving


x


 




Communicating


 


x




Delivering quality and results


 


x




Learning and development


x


x




Prioritising and organising


x


x




Resilience


x


x




Working with others


x


 











3.



Language of the tests






Language 1 for exercises (a), (b), (c) and (d)
Language 2 for exercises (e), (f) and (g)











4.



Marking






Reasoning ability






(a)


Verbal: marked out of 20
Pass mark: 10










(b)


Numerical: marked out of 10










(c)


Abstract: marked out of 10
Aggregate pass mark for tests (b) and (c): 10




Tests (a), (b), and (c) are eliminatory, but the marks will not be added to the marks for the other assessment tests.
Specific competencies







Test (d)


:


marked out of 60
Pass mark: 30




Test (e)


:


marked out of 40
Pass mark: 20





Weighting: 65 % of the overall mark

General competencies (tests (f) and (g))
Marked out of 10 for each general competency
Pass mark:






 


3 for each competency and











 


an aggregate of 35 out of 70 for all seven general competencies





Weighting: 35 % of the overall mark





VII.   RESERVE LISTS













1.



Reserve lists






The selection board will place your name on the reserve list:






—


if you obtained pass marks in tests (a) to (g) and are one of the candidates with the highest aggregate marks in assessment tests (d), (e), (f) and (g) (9) (see number of successful candidates, Section I.1),










—



and if your supporting documents show that you meet all the eligibility requirements.















2.



Classification






Lists will be drawn up for each competition and names will be listed in alphabetical order.




VIII.   HOW TO APPLY













1.



Online application






You must apply online, following the instructions on the EPSO website and particularly in the online application manual.

Deadline (including validation): 11 June 2013 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.











2.



Submission of application files







If you are one of the candidates invited to the assessment tests, you will have to bring with you your full application file (signed online application form and supporting documents) when you attend the assessment tests (10).

Details: see point 6.1 of the Guide to open competitions.






(1)  Any reference in this notice to a person of the male sex must be deemed also to constitute a reference to a person of the female sex.

(2)  Please see the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages — minimum level required: Language 1 = C2, Language 2 = B2 —
(http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/hornav/Downloads/CEF/LanguageSelfAssessmentGrid.csp).

(3)  Candidates who are not invited to take the assessment tests will be sent the results of their assessment and the weighting applied by the selection board to each question.

(4)  This information will be verified against the supporting documents before the reserve list is drawn up (see Section VII.1 and Section VIII.2).

(5)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be invited to the assessment tests.

(6)  Depending on organisational constraints, the reasoning tests may be held in test centres in the Member States, separately from the other assessment tests.

(7)  The content of these exercises is approved by the selection board.

(8)  More information on these competencies can be found in point 1.2 of the Guide to open competitions.

(9)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be placed on the reserve list.

(10)  You will be notified in good time of the date when you have to attend the assessment tests via your EPSO account.