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What does a competitive examination involve?
Competitive examinations are a gateway to public sector employment, and the main recruitment process for permanent positions. The objective is to guarantee access to all while respecting equal treatment for each candidate.
Updated on 03 March 2020
INRAE is a public organization which recruits its permanent agents via competitive examination. By passing an examination organised by the institute, you obtain the status of civil servant and may thus join the French civil service.
Competitive examination sessions are organised as follows :
- Authorization to take the examination : this step is purely administrative. INRAE HR services receive your application, check that you meet the conditions to take part, and that your application is complete. It is then sent to the juries for evaluation.
- The eligibility phase : your application is examined by a jury, which decides whether you are eligible or not.
- The admission phase : if you are declared eligible, you will be auditioned by a jury. In the case of engineers, managers and technicians, this oral examination will be preceded by a written examination with a view to assessing your technical skills.
Competitive examinations seem insurmountable… you have a few preconceived ideas about them… You feel like you’re going back to school… yYou think you will need hours of revision simply to pass an entrance exam… Don’t panic, and start by reading our “avoid misconceptions” category:
Breaking down misconceptions about competitive examinations
You have several questions…You think that competitive examinations are not within your reach… Well think again, this is a misconception, and we will prove you wrong!