Notice of open competitions — EPSO/AD/315/15 — Finnish-language (FI) translators (AD 5) — EPSO/AD/316/15 — Hungarian-language (HU) translators (AD 5) — EPSO/AD/317/15 — Latvian-language (LV) translators (AD 5) — EPSO/AD/318/15 — Polish-language (PL) translators (AD 5) — EPSO/AD/319/15 — Portuguese-language (PT) translators (AD 5) — EPSO/AD/320/15 — Slovak-language (SK) translators (AD 5)
Date: 2015-07-30
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: EPSO, administrator, competition (EU), information profession, translation








CA2015249EN.01000101.xml










30.7.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 249/1





NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS
EPSO/AD/315/15 — Finnish-language (FI) translators (AD 5)
EPSO/AD/316/15 — Hungarian-language (HU) translators (AD 5)
EPSO/AD/317/15 — Latvian-language (LV) translators (AD 5)
EPSO/AD/318/15 — Polish-language (PL) translators (AD 5)
EPSO/AD/319/15 — Portuguese-language (PT) translators (AD 5)
EPSO/AD/320/15 — Slovak-language (SK) translators (AD 5)
(2015/C 249 A/01)


Deadline for registration: 1 September 2015 at midday, Brussels time


The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising an open competition, based on tests, to draw up reserve lists from which the European institutions will recruit new members of the civil service as 
‘translators’
 (function group AD).
This Notice of Competition, together with the General Rules governing Open Competitions published in 
Official Journal of the European Union C 70 A of 27 February 2015
(
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2015:070A:TOC
), forms the legally binding framework for these selection procedures.
Number of successful candidates sought per competition and option:







 



Option 1




Option 2






EPSO/AD/315/15 — FI



20


9





EPSO/AD/316/15 — HU



15


10





EPSO/AD/317/15 — LV



20


5





EPSO/AD/318/15 — PL



23


2





EPSO/AD/319/15 — PT



32


4





EPSO/AD/320/15 — SK



17


3





Please note that the posts which may be offered to successful candidates will in principle be based in Luxembourg, except for the Finnish and Portuguese language competitions for which posts may be offered either in Brussels or in Luxembourg.

This Notice contains six competitions, each with two options. You may only apply to one competition and one option. You must make your choice when you apply online and you will not be able to change it after you have confirmed your online application form.

WHAT TASKS CAN I EXPECT TO PERFORM?


AD 5 is the grade at which most 
graduates and young professionals
 begin their careers as administrators — linguistic or other — in the European institutions.
The principal role of linguistic administrators (translators) is to deliver high-quality translations by the deadlines set and to provide linguistic advice so as to enable the institution or body for which they work to fulfil its mission. Duties include, amongst others, translation from at least two source languages into their main language, revision of translations from those languages, and terminology research.
Please see ANNEX I for more information about the typical duties to be performed.

AM I ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

You must meet ALL of the following conditions when you validate your application:






General conditions








—


Enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State of the EU










—


Meet any obligations under national laws on military service










—


Meet the character requirements for the duties concerned








Specific conditions:
languages



Option 1







—


Language 1: minimum level — C2 of the competition language,










—


Language 2: minimum level — C1 in English, French or German,










—


Language 3: minimum level — C1 in English, French or German, must be different from language 2.





Option 2







—


Language 1: minimum level — C2 of the competition language,










—


Language 2: minimum level — C1 in English, French or German,










—


Language 3: minimum level — C1 in one of the 24 official EU languages, must be different from language 1 and not English, French or German.










—



For details on language levels, see the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
(
https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr
)









Specific conditions:
Qualifications and work experience








—




At least 3 years’
 completed university studies attested by a diploma










—



For details on diplomas see Annex I to General Rules governing Open Competitions
(
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2015:070A:TOC
)











—


No professional experience required








The second language chosen must be 
English, French, or German
. These are the main working languages of the EU institutions and, in the interests of the service, new recruits must be immediately able to work and communicate effectively in their daily work in at least one of them.
Please see ANNEX II for additional information on languages in EU competitions.

HOW WILL I BE SELECTED?

1)   
Computer-based multiple-choice MCQ tests


If you validate your application form within the deadline you will be invited to sit a series of computer-based MCQ tests in one of EPSO’s accredited centres.











Tests






Language






Questions






Duration






Pass mark






Verbal reasoning


Language 1


20 questions


35 min.


Verbal + abstract combined: 15/30




Numerical reasoning


Language 1


10 questions


20 min.


4/10




Abstract reasoning


Language 1


10 questions


10 min.


Verbal + abstract combined: 15/30




Language comprehension


Language 2


12 questions


25 min.


6/12




Language comprehension


Language 3


12 questions


25 min.


6/12




The results of the numerical reasoning test will not be taken into account in the overall total score. However, you must reach the minimum pass marks in all tests in order to be able to qualify for the next stage of the competition.


Approximately 3 times, but no more than 4 times
, the number of successful candidates sought per competition and option will be invited to take the translation tests.
2)   
Translation tests:


If you meet the eligibility requirements according to the data in your online application, and if you scored one of the 
highest total marks
 for the computer-based MCQ tests, you will be invited to sit two translation tests in one of EPSO’s accredited centres.










Tests






Language






Duration






Pass mark












(a)


Translation test with dictionary






From language 2 into language 1


60 min.


40/80










(b)


Translation test with dictionary






From language 3 into language 1


60 min.


40/80













Weighting of the translation tests (specific competencies)


65 % of the overall mark





If you fail test (a), test (b) will not be marked.

You must score one of the 
highest total marks
 in these tests to qualify for the next stage of the competition.

Approximately 2 times, but no more than 2,5 times, the number of successful candidates sought per competition and option will be invited to take the tests at the Assessment Centre.
3)   
Assessment Centre


If you scored one of the 
highest total marks
 in the translation tests, you will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre for 1 day, most probably in 
Brussels
, where you will take tests held in your 
language 2.


Eight general competencies, each marked out of 10 points, will be tested at the Assessment Centre through 
three


tests
 (oral presentation, competency-based interview and group exercise) as described in the following matrix:
The marks for these tests will be combined with the marks already received for the translation tests to give candidates their overall score:









Competency






Tests












1.


Analysis and problem solving






Oral presentation


Group exercise










2.


Communicating






Oral presentation


Competency-based interview










3.


Delivering quality and results






Oral presentation


Competency-based interview










4.


Learning and development






Group exercise


Competency-based interview










5.


Prioritising and organising






Oral presentation


Group exercise










6.


Resilience






Oral presentation


Competency-based interview










7.


Working with others






Group exercise


Competency-based interview










8.


Leadership






Group exercise


Competency-based interview













Pass mark


40/80




Weighting of the general competencies


35 % of the overall mark




4)   
Reserve list


After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up 
reserve lists
 containing the names of the eligible candidates who performed best following the Assessment Centre until the number of successful candidates sought is reached per competition and option. Names will be listed alphabetically.

WHEN AND WHERE CAN I APPLY?

Apply online on the EPSO website http://jobs.eu-careers.eu by:


1 September 2015 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.




ANNEX I

DUTIES

AD 5 is the starting grade for a career as an administrator — linguistic or other — in the European institutions.
The principal role of linguistic administrators (translators) is to deliver high-quality translations by the deadlines set and to provide linguistic advice so as to enable the institution or body for which they work to fulfil its mission.
Their duties include translation from at least two source languages into their main language, revision of translations from those languages, terminology research, helping with training measures and the development of IT tools. The texts involved, which are often complex, generally deal with political, legal, economic/financial, scientific or technical subjects encompassing all the European Union’s areas of activity. Performing these tasks requires the intensive use of specific IT and related tools.
End of ANNEX I, click here to return to main text



ANNEX II

LANGUAGES

In the light of the judgment given by the Court of Justice of the European Union (Grand Chamber) in Case C-566/10 P, Italy v Commission, the EU institutions wish to state the reasons for limiting the choice of the second language in this competition to a small number of official EU languages.
Candidates are 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, English, French, and German are the most common second languages in the European Union and the most widely studied as a second language. This confirms what is currently expected of candidates for European Union 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 these three languages so as to ensure that all candidates are able to work in at least one of them, whatever their first official language. 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.
For these same reasons, it is reasonable to limit the language of communication between candidates and the institution, including the language in which applications are to be drafted. Furthermore, this ensures uniformity when comparing candidates and checking their application forms.
To ensure equal treatment for all candidates, everyone — including those whose first official language is one of the three — must take some tests in their second language, chosen from among these three.
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.
End of ANNEX II, click here to return to main text