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GDPR for Employees Course (EU) 2026

This course is for employees in the EU who handle personal data about customers, patients, pupils or colleagues. It covers what personal data is, the GDPR principles and lawful bases, people's rights, everyday safeguards and what to do about a data breach. Each topic has a lesson and an untimed quiz, followed by a timed 30-question final assessment; score 80% or more to earn a Certificate of Completion.

  • Course
  • European Union
  • 100 questions
  • Checked October 13, 2026
  • Fact-checked October 13, 2026

Quick answer

This free course has about 150 minutes of lessons, 6 untimed topic quizzes (100 questions in all) and a timed final assessment of 30 questions drawn at random. Score 80% or more on the final assessment to download a certificate of completion (private, not accredited). Checked against official sources on October 13, 2026.

Start with the lessonsGDPR for Employees Course (EU): Lessons: about 150 minutes of reading. Every test question is covered in the lessons.

What you will learn

  • Recognise personal data and the special categories that need extra protection
  • Explain the GDPR principles and apply them to everyday tasks
  • Describe the six lawful bases and when consent is valid
  • Recognise requests from people using their data protection rights and pass them on quickly
  • Protect personal data on your desk, screen, devices and in emails
  • Spot a personal data breach and report it internally at once

Score 80% or more to download your certificate.

Your study plan

Read each lesson, take its topic quiz (untimed, with explanations), then the timed final assessment. A new mix of questions is drawn every time. Your progress is saved in this browser.

  1. Read the lessons6 lessons, about 150 min
  2. Topic quiz 1: What personal data is16 questions
  3. Topic quiz 2: The data protection principles16 questions
  4. Topic quiz 3: Lawful bases and consent16 questions
  5. Topic quiz 4: Data subject rights17 questions
  6. Topic quiz 5: Everyday safeguards at work17 questions
  7. Topic quiz 6: Personal data breaches18 questions
  8. Final exam30 questions, 35 min · Score 80% or more

Topic quiz 1: What personal data is

  1. Question 1 of 16

    What does the abbreviation GDPR stand for?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. General Data Protection Regulation

    GDPR is the General Data Protection Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

  2. Question 2 of 16

    Since which date has the GDPR applied across the EU?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. 25 May 2018

    The GDPR entered into force on 24 May 2016 and has applied since 25 May 2018.

  3. Question 3 of 16

    Under the GDPR, personal data is information that relates to whom?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. An identified or identifiable living person

    Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual, called the data subject.

  4. Question 4 of 16

    Which of these is personal data?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The work email marta.novak@example.com

    An email address that points to one person is personal data. Company numbers, generic company addresses and irreversibly anonymised data are not.

  5. Question 5 of 16

    What is the person that personal data is about called?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. The data subject

    Article 4(1) GDPR calls the identified or identifiable person the data subject.

  6. Question 6 of 16

    Which of these belongs to the special categories of personal data?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Data about a person's health

    Health data is one of the special categories in Article 9 GDPR, which need extra protection.

  7. Question 7 of 16

    Which statement best describes "processing" under the GDPR?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Any operation on personal data, from collecting and viewing it to deleting it

    Article 4(2) GDPR defines processing very widely, from collection and consultation to disclosure, erasure and destruction.

  8. Question 8 of 16

    In a staff survey, names are replaced with codes and the list linking codes to names is kept separately. What is the survey data now?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Still personal data, as it can be linked back to people

    Pseudonymised data can be used to re-identify people, so it remains personal data under the GDPR.

  9. Question 9 of 16

    When does information stop being personal data?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. When it is anonymised so that nobody can ever be identified again

    Only data anonymised so that no one can be identified, irreversibly, falls outside the GDPR. Encrypted and pseudonymised data are still personal data.

  10. Question 10 of 16

    What is the organisation that decides why and how personal data is processed called?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. The controller

    Article 4(7) GDPR: the controller determines the purposes and means of the processing.

  11. Question 11 of 16

    A company uses an outside payroll provider, which pays staff on the company's instructions. What is the payroll provider usually?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. A processor

    A processor processes personal data on behalf of the controller. The EDPB gives a payroll company as an example.

  12. Question 12 of 16

    Who enforces the GDPR in each EU country?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. An independent national data protection authority

    Each EEA country has its own independent data protection authority, which handles complaints, investigates and can impose sanctions.

  13. Question 13 of 16

    Pavel keeps an address book of his friends' birthdays at home, just for himself. Does the GDPR apply to it?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. No, purely personal or household activities are outside it

    Article 2(2)(c) GDPR excludes processing by a person in a purely personal or household activity. Data you handle at work is not covered by this exception.

  14. Question 14 of 16

    According to the GDPR recitals, which can set more specific rules on processing employees' personal data?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. National law or collective agreements, such as works agreements

    Recital 155 says Member State law or collective agreements, including works agreements, may set specific rules for employee data. National rules therefore differ.

  15. Question 15 of 16

    Read the description. What kind of data is in column D?

    Clara works at the front desk of Northfield Clinic. Her manager asks her to tidy up a spreadsheet called "visits.xlsx". It has these columns:

    Column A: patient code (for example P-1047)
    Column B: first name
    Column C: date of visit
    Column D: reason for visit (for example "asthma check")
    Column E: email address (for example j.doe@example.com)

    Show answer

    Answer: B. Special category data, because it concerns health

    The reason for a clinic visit, such as an asthma check, is data concerning health, a special category under Article 9 GDPR.

  16. Question 16 of 16

    Read the description. Clara suggests deleting column B so the file is "anonymous". Is she right?

    Clara works at the front desk of Northfield Clinic. Her manager asks her to tidy up a spreadsheet called "visits.xlsx". It has these columns:

    Column A: patient code (for example P-1047)
    Column B: first name
    Column C: date of visit
    Column D: reason for visit (for example "asthma check")
    Column E: email address (for example j.doe@example.com)

    Show answer

    Answer: D. No, the codes and email addresses still identify people

    Data is only anonymous if no one can be identified. Codes that link to patient records and email addresses still identify people, so it stays personal data.

What to know before the test

  • The GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679, has applied since 25 May 2018 and also applies across the European Economic Area.
  • Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable living person; pseudonymised data is still personal data.
  • Processing is lawful only if at least one of the six lawful bases in Article 6(1) GDPR applies.
  • Organisations must respond to rights requests within one month of receipt, extendable by two further months for complex or numerous requests.
  • Controllers must notify the data protection authority of a personal data breach, where feasible, within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, unless it is unlikely to result in a risk to people.
  • Fines can reach €20 million or 4% of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.
  • National law or collective agreements may set more specific rules on processing employees' personal data.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an official GDPR certification?

No. When you pass the final assessment you get a PassEveryTest Certificate of Completion, which shows you finished this general awareness course. It is not an accredited qualification or a legally required training certificate, and it does not replace the data protection training your employer gives you.

How does the final assessment work?

It has 30 questions drawn at random from the course question bank, with a 35-minute time limit. You need 80% to pass, and each attempt gives you a new mix of questions.

Are the rules the same in every EU country?

The GDPR applies directly in every EU country, but some details are set nationally, such as specific rules on employee data and the age at which children can consent online. Each country has its own data protection authority.

What should I do if I sent personal data to the wrong person?

Report it internally straight away, following your organisation's procedure. Your employer may have only 72 hours to notify the data protection authority, so do not wait.

Does my employer need my consent to process my data?

Usually not. Employers normally rely on other lawful bases, such as the employment contract or a legal obligation, because staff may not feel free to refuse consent.

Is the certificate accredited or officially recognised?

No. It is a private certificate of completion for knowledge only. It is not recognised, accredited or approved by any government, licensing body, regulator or educational institution, and it does not replace any licence, certification or training required by law.

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