The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) wishes to enter into framework service contracts to be able to continue with computer-based test delivery to candidates participating in open staff selection procedures for the EU institutions. The tender is divided into 4 lots.
Lot 1: delivery of computer-based tests (multiple-choice items):
Lot 1 covers the delivery of a series of MCQ tests in the test centre network provided by the contractor. Tests are delivered either in English, French or German or in all official EU languages. The length of the tests varies between 30 and 180 minutes.
The general requirements can be summarised as follows:
— the contractor shall provide a secure, highly reliable, professional, modern, comfortable and easily accessible network of test centres for computer-based testing,
— test centre equipment must be comparable across all test centres and be state-of-the-art,
— the test centre network is to be geographically balanced throughout the territory of the European Union and have at least 1 test centre per Member State (28), with a minimum of 2 test centres in large Member States (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom),
— test centres shall be available in locations outside the EU territory (these should cover Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America),
— a specific test centre ('EPSO Antenna') shall be set up directly within the EPSO building in Brussels; it should be equipped with 10–15 workstations. EPSO shall provide the suitable room,
— test content is provided by EPSO whereas the contractor needs to provide the technical platform to deliver such tests as well as the related support for testing events.
Lot 2: delivery of computer-based essay-type tests:
Lot 2 covers the organisation and delivery of essay-type tests. These are written exercises which are computer-based and delivered to candidates in contractor's test centres. The length of these exams varies between 90 up to 240 minutes.
The general requirements can be summarised as follows:
— the contractor shall provide a secure, highly reliable, professional, modern, comfortable and easily accessible network of test centres for computer-based testing,
— test centre equipment must be comparable across all test centres and be state-of-the-art,
— the test centre network is to be geographically balanced throughout the territory of the European Union and have at least 1 test centre per Member State (28), with a minimum of 2 test centres in large Member States (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom),
— test content is provided by EPSO whereas the contractor needs to provide the technical platform to deliver such tests as well as the related support for testing events.
Lot 3: audio-video computer-based testing:
Lot 3 covers the delivery of audio-video based tests: animated or video-based, situational judgement tests (MCQ or with replies on a given rating scale or to be typed on the screen) and tests with audio and video capture of the candidates. Audio-video based tests under this lot would be delivered in a Brussels-based test centre only.
The main objectives to be achieved by the contractor can be summarised as follows:
— provision of a secure, highly reliable, professional, modern and easily accessible test facility for audio-video based tests in Brussels (Belgium), ideally close to the EPSO premises where assessment centres take place. The test centre must be equipped to a very high standard and compliant with rules to accommodate candidates with special needs,
— test content is provided by EPSO whereas the contractor needs to provide the technical platform to deliver such tests as well as the related support for testing events.
Lot 4: Internet-based testing (IBT):
Lot 4 covers the delivery of an online testing platform for candidates. Internet-based testing will be used by EPSO for 2 different purposes: self-assessment of potential candidates and a preselection stage to sift out manifestly non-suitable candidates before the delivery of computer-based tests in a proctored environment.
Test content will be provided by EPSO. The following elements are the services to be provided by the contractor for this lot: a self-assessment tool and Internet-based testing (IBT) as a first preselection stage.
Self-assessment tool:
— provision of a powerful, flexible and user-friendly Internet-based testing platform, accessible 24/7 by candidates.
Minimum requirements for the online testing tool are the following:
— minimum capacity of 5 000 candidates being able to test at the same time,
— online testing tool compatible with all most commonly used Web browsers,
— capacity to deliver different types of MCQ tests, including multiple response MCQs (such as situational judgement tests). All tests are timed.
Internet-based testing (IBT) as a first preselection stage:
— provision of a powerful, flexible and user-friendly Internet-based testing platform, accessible 24/7 by candidates.
Minimum requirements for the online testing tool are the following:
— minimum capacity of 10 000 candidates being able to test at the same time,
— online testing tool compatible with all most commonly used Web browsers and delivered in a secured environment (https). Each candidate can test only once during the testing window,
— capacity to deliver different types of MCQ tests, including multiple response MCQs; all tests are timed,
— capacity to deliver several tests consecutively. Ideally, EPSO would like to deliver verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning tests in a first stage. Tests will be delivered either via fixed test forms, or on basis of a random draw from a pool of questions.