Are you planning on applying for an AST position in the European Union? One of the tests that you will face is the prioritising and organising test. In this article we will provide you with valuable information on this test, how to approach it and prepare yourself for this EU test.
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Topics Covered: EPSO Style Prioritising and Organising Tests
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In the EPSO test, you face 24 questions that need to be answered within a 30 minute timeframe. You are presented with information about one particular subject that requires strong organisational skills to answer such as using different modes of travel to get to a meeting on time. You are given a particular situation that you can only answer with the help of the data contained in the table combined with the information in the question. There are five different answer options available to you and you have to select the correct option. There is only one correct answer for each question.
The table below shows the times of trains between London and Newcastle. The journey time is 3 hours.
Monday-Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
---|---|---|
7:30 | 7:30 | 7:00 |
8:00 | 9:00 | 8:00 |
8:30 | 11:00 | 9:30 |
9:00 | 13:30 | 12:00 |
10:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
11:30 |
Question: You have a meeting 10 minutes away from Newcastle Station that is scheduled for 12:05 on Wednesday. What train do you need to take to get there on time?
A: 8:00
B: 8:30
C: 9:00
D: 10:00
C: 12:00
If we look at this question we have some different information to contend with. First of all we have to use the correct information in the text above the table, namely that the journey time is three hours. On top of this we also know that it takes to walk from the station to the meeting. Now we can use the table to find the correct answer. What do you think the answer is?
In this EPSO test there are two separate elements being tested. It is important to understand what these two separate skills are as this will help you answer the questions more quickly and more confidently. In the test there may be more than one correct answer to the question. However in reality the test only searches for one answer. Sounds confusing? It’s not really. Let us explain with the example above. Both the 8:00 and the 8:30 train arrive at the station in time, before 12:00. Therefore both of these answer options are correct. This is the organising part of the test. However, now we need to prioritise and decide: of the correct possibilities, which one should we select as the best choice, which one should we prioritise? This is the essence of the test.
There are a number of different skills being assessed in this EU test. They include:
As well as these skills, you are also being tested on how well you cope with time pressures put on you by other people. As an assistant, your job may well include tasks such as organising meetings for other people. You have to know how best to do this with the different resources available to you at the time. Moreover, this is done in a pressurised environment. For this reason there is particular emphasis for you to complete all the questions within the 30 minute time limit.
Although the pass mark for this EPSO test is only 50%, typically in order to be invited to the EPSO assessment centre you need to score at least 80% overall. This is one of the easier tests in the EPSO Computer Based Tests series and if you do well in this test, it gives you some leeway if you find other tests very difficult. Hence it is vital that you know what the test is about and that you are fully prepared for it when you come to take it for real.
We have learnt about the setup of the EPSO prioritising and organising test and gone through an example in order to give you a fuller understanding of the test. Only a very small percentage of applicants get through to the EPSO assessment centre. For this reason, it is very important that you produce the best possible performance in this test as you can. JobTestPrep's online practice tests that can be taken in a true test environment so ensure you do yourself justice when you come to take the EPSO tests for real!
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