Wondering how to become a Gendarme? In this article, we explain the various stages of National Gendarmerie recruitment and how to pass them to become a Gendarme!
10,000 Gendarmes are recruited every year! But to join the Gendarmerie's non-commissioned officer corps, you have to sit a competitive examination made up of several tests and meet the eligibility requirements.
- Be at least 18 and no more than 35 years old on 1 January of the year of the examination
- Hold a baccalaureate or an equivalent diploma or qualification
- Hold French nationality (mandatory)
- Enjoy full civic rights and have no entries on record No. 2 of your criminal record that are incompatible with the performance of your duties
- Be in a regular position with regard to the national service code
- Meet the physical and medical requirements for the performance of your duties
As well as these specific conditions:
- Not having already sat the tests of the same examination 3 times
- Not having benefited from redeployment leave (former military personnel)
The external non-commissioned officer examination takes place in several stages:
The eligibility phase, consisting of a written test on a general knowledge topic. The test lasts 4 hours and you will have to put forward a relevant argument on a specific subject. You will be assessed on your reasoning and your command of French! By way of example, and so you know what to expect, the past topics from 2021 were:
- Are our societies violent?
- Should space exploration be pursued?
- What are the challenges and consequences of a transition to organic farming?
- Can man master nature?
You can practise on all the topics on the official Gendarmerie website!
Please note: this test carries a weighting of 7 and a mark below 6/20 is disqualifying!
Once you have passed, you then move on to the admission phase: it takes place over a maximum of 4 consecutive days and consists of 4 separate tests:
Personality inventory and interview with a psychologist:
This ungraded test provides a better understanding of your personality. You will answer multiple-choice questionnaires to prepare for the interview with a psychologist, who will then assess your ability to adapt to the position you wish to apply for.
Interview with the panel:
During this interview, you will be questioned on a current affairs topic drawn at random. The panel will assess your capacity for reflection, expression and reasoning, as well as your motivation.
Digital test:
This multiple-choice test assesses your knowledge and skills in digital technology and the Web. You therefore need to have the fundamentals of IT, IT security and its environment. To guide you, you can find example questions to prepare with on this page:
- What is the cloud?
- What is a ".png" file?
- What does ransomware do?
- What does "www" mean?
This test carries a weighting of 1, and there is no disqualifying mark.
The Gendarmerie fitness test:
This is one of the toughest tests, because the fitness test requires training. It is divided into 2 parts: the first part is an obstacle course, with pull-ups and drops to assess your technical mastery and your endurance! The second part (carried out 1 minute after the previous station) is the weight carry: you will have to carry a sandbag (25 kg for women and 45 kg for men) over a distance of 25 m! To pass this test, you will need a time under 4'31" for men and 4'41" for women to obtain the minimum mark and thus avoid elimination, with a mark of 20/20 awarded for times under 3'10" for men and 3'20" for women. You can watch this video to train on the exact course!
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Good luck to everyone!