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Key Facts: IRA — Attaché d'Administration de l'État Exam

Category A

French civil service executive management and policy design level

Code général de la fonction publique (CGFP)

5 Institutes

Regional Institutes of Administration located in Bastia, Lille, Lyon, Metz, and Nantes

Décret n° 2019-86

0 €

Official examination registration fee on the DGAFP civil service portal

DGAFP — Ministère de la Transformation et de la Fonction publiques

4 Hours

Duration of the written admissibility cas pratique examination (coefficient 5)

Arrêté du 28 mars 2019

14 Months

Paid pathway: 8 months in an IRA and 6 months on the first post

Règlement intérieur des IRA

The IRA Concours is France's premier Category A competitive examination recruiting attachés d'administration de l'État for all state ministries and regional prefectures. Governed by the DGAFP and Décret 2019-86, candidates are evaluated through a 4-hour written operational case study and a 30-minute oral board interview. Successful candidates receive paid training at one of five IRAs (Bastia, Lille, Lyon, Metz, Nantes) and permanent executive titularization. Registration is free. This 100-question practice module provides high-yield coverage across French public law, civil service HR, public finance (LOLF), and public policy management.

Sample IRA — Attaché d'Administration de l'État Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the IRA — Attaché d'Administration de l'État exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under Article 20 of the French Constitution of October 4, 1958, which constitutional authority is explicitly tasked with determining and conducting national policy (*détermine et conduit la politique de la Nation*)?

A.The President of the Republic (*Président de la République*)

B.The Government (*Gouvernement*)

C.The National Assembly (*Assemblée nationale*)

D.The Constitutional Council (*Conseil constitutionnel*)

Explanation: Article 20 of the 1958 French Constitution provides that 'The Government determines and conducts the policy of the Nation' (*Le Gouvernement détermine et conduit la politique de la Nation*). It also provides that the Government has at its disposal the civil administration and the armed forces, and is responsible to Parliament.

2What is the primary legal distinction between the scope of statute law (*domaine de la loi*) and regulatory jurisdiction (*domaine du règlement*) under Articles 34 and 37 of the 1958 French Constitution?

A.Statute law (*la loi*) is restricted to an enumerated list of areas defined in Article 34, while regulatory power (*le règlement*) possesses general residual jurisdiction over all other matters under Article 37

B.Regulatory decrees can amend or repeal existing statutes at any time without legislative authorization

C.Article 34 grants Parliament unlimited legislative competence across all subject matters, while regulations only execute statutes

D.The Government may enact ordinances under Article 37 without requesting prior parliamentary enabling legislation

Explanation: The 1958 Constitution reversed the traditional Republican supremacy of parliamentary law by establishing a strictly enumerated domain for statutes in Article 34 (*domaine de la loi*). Article 37 establishes that matters other than those falling within the domain of statute law have a regulatory character (*domaine du règlement*), giving the regulatory power autonomous, residual competence.

3In French administrative law, how is administrative deconcentration (*déconcentration*) accurately distinguished from administrative decentralization (*décentralisation*)?

A.Déconcentration transfers powers from the State to democratically elected local authorities with distinct legal personality, whereas décentralisation appoints state agents to run local councils

B.Déconcentration delegates decision-making power from central state ministries to local state representatives (*préfets*, field services) within the same legal entity, whereas décentralisation transfers decision-making powers to autonomous territorial authorities (*collectivités territoriales*) having distinct legal personality

C.Déconcentration is governed entirely by private law, whereas décentralisation remains strictly under public administrative law

D.Déconcentration eliminates all state hierarchical oversight, whereas décentralisation subjects local authorities to strict prior ministerial approval

Explanation: Administrative deconcentration (*déconcentration*) distributes administrative powers from central ministries in Paris to territorial state representatives (such as the *préfet de département* and *préfet de région*) who remain under direct hierarchical authority of the State. Administrative decentralization (*décentralisation*) transfers administrative competences to distinct legal entities—local authorities (*collectivités territoriales*: communes, départements, régions)—governed by elected assemblies and independent from hierarchical subordination.

4What is the primary role of the *Préfet de département* as defined by Article 72 of the Constitution and the Decree of April 29, 2004?

A.Serving as the elected president of the departmental council (*Conseil départemental*)

B.Acting as the sole representative of the State in the department, representing the Prime Minister and all ministers, directing deconcentrated state services, and ensuring public order and legality control

C.Presiding over the judicial tribunal (*Tribunal judiciaire*) and managing public prosecution

D.Supervising the regional audit chamber (*Chambre régionale des comptes*) and auditing municipal budgets

Explanation: Under Article 72 of the 1958 Constitution and Decree n° 2004-374 of April 29, 2004, the *Préfet de département* represents the State, the Prime Minister, and each of the ministers in the department. The Préfet has charge of national interests, administrative legality control (*contrôle de légalité*), public order, and directs the deconcentrated services of the State (with specific exceptions such as justice, defense, and education).

5Which foundational ruling of the Tribunal des conflits established the operational autonomy of French administrative law and founded modern administrative liability independent of the Civil Code?

A.Arrêt Blanco (1873)

B.Arrêt Pelletier (1873)

C.Arrêt Nicolo (1989)

D.Arrêt Cadot (1889)

Explanation: The *Arrêt Blanco* (Tribunal des conflits, February 8, 1873) is widely recognized as the cornerstone of French administrative law. It established that state liability for damages caused by public service operations cannot be governed by the principles of the Civil Code regulating relations between private individuals, but must follow special autonomous public law rules administered by the administrative courts.

6What are the three traditional components of public order (*ordre public*) protected by general administrative police (*police administrative générale*) in France?

A.Economic growth, price stability, and full employment

B.Public tranquility (*tranquillité publique*), public safety (*sécurité publique*), and public health (*salubrité publique*)

C.Administrative efficiency, budget equilibrium, and digital modernization

D.Religious orthodoxy, ideological uniformity, and civic obedience

Explanation: Under Article L. 2212-2 of the Code général des collectivités territoriales (CGCT) and established administrative jurisprudence, the traditional material components of public order protected by the general administrative police are: public tranquility (*tranquillité publique* - avoiding noise, brawls, riots), public safety (*sécurité publique* - preventing accidents, collapses, disasters), and public health (*salubrité publique* - hygiene, pollution control, epidemic prevention).

7What is the standard time limit (*délai de droit commun*) for filing an action for annulment on grounds of ultra vires (*recours pour excès de pouvoir* - REP) before an administrative court in France?

A.15 days from official publication or notification

B.1 month from official publication or notification

C.2 months from official publication or notification

D.1 year from official publication or notification

Explanation: Under Article R. 421-1 of the Code de justice administrative (CJA), the standard time limit (*délai de recours contentieux*) to challenge an administrative decision via a *recours pour excès de pouvoir* is two months from the date of its publication (for regulatory acts) or its notification (for individual decisions), provided that information regarding rights of appeal and deadlines was properly indicated.

8Which institution has the constitutional prerogative to review the conformity of enacted statutes with the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution through the *Question prioritaire de constitutionnalité* (QPC)?

A.The Conseil d'État acting alone as the final judge of constitutionality

B.The Cour de cassation acting as supreme constitutional tribunal

C.The Conseil constitutionnel

D.The Cour de justice de la République

Explanation: Created by the constitutional revision of July 23, 2008, and set forth in Article 61-1 of the Constitution, the *Question prioritaire de constitutionnalité* (QPC) allows any party during court proceedings to claim that a statutory provision infringes rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. After a filtering process conducted by the Conseil d'État or the Cour de cassation, the referral is decided exclusively by the Conseil constitutionnel.

9What is the legal effect of the principle of non-retroactivity of administrative acts (*non-rétroactivité des actes administratifs*) as established in the Conseil d'État's *Société du Journal l'Aurore* ruling (1948)?

A.Administrative regulations automatically apply to all facts occurring prior to their formal signature

B.An administrative act can only produce legal effects for the future, starting from the moment it is published or notified, unless authorized by statute

C.The administration may retroactively withdraw any lawful decision at any time to recover public funds

D.Courts are prohibited from annulling administrative acts that have already taken effect in the past

Explanation: In its fundamental ruling *Société du Journal l'Aurore* (Conseil d'État, June 25, 1948), the Conseil d'État recognized the non-retroactivity of administrative acts as a General Principle of Law (*Principe Général du Droit* - PGD). An administrative act cannot alter legal situations established prior to its entry into legal force, unless an express legislative provision authorizes retroactivity or the decision satisfies specific corrective requirements (such as regularizing a void decision).

10Under the constitutional principle of free administration of local authorities (*libre administration des collectivités territoriales*, Article 72), what is the status of administrative tutelage (*tutelle administrative*) in France?

A.The Préfet exercises prior hierarchical tutelage, approving municipal council decisions before they take effect

B.One local authority may exercise supervisory tutelage over another local authority

C.Administrative tutelage has been abolished; no local authority may exercise authority over another, and state control is purely an a posteriori judicial legality review (*contrôle de légalité*)

D.The Regional Council exercises budgetary tutelage over all departmental and municipal councils in its territory

Explanation: The decentralization laws of 1982 abolished prior administrative tutelage (*tutelle administrative*). Under Article 72 of the Constitution, local authorities freely administer themselves through elected councils, no local authority may exercise tutelage over another (*interdiction de tutelle d'une collectivité sur une autre*), and state oversight is performed a posteriori by the Préfet through the *contrôle de légalité*, requiring referral to the administrative court (*déféré préfectoral*) to annul an illegal act.

About the IRA — Attaché d'Administration de l'État Exam

The Concours d'accès aux Instituts Régionaux d'Administration (IRA) recruits Category A state administrators for ministries, prefectures, rectorates, decentralized services and public institutions. The single 2026 session covered external, internal and third-concours routes for one of the five IRAs (with Lille also offering its Nanterre training site). Laureates enter a paid 14-month pathway comprising eight months at an IRA, including a six-week administration placement, followed by six months in professional placement on the first post before titularization.

Exam sponsor: Direction Générale de l'Administration et de la Fonction Publique (DGAFP) / Instituts Régionaux d'Administration (IRA). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

For the 2026 session, the three IRA routes share two compulsory tests. Written admissibility is a four-hour practical case on current state public policy, requiring an argued note supported by operational annexes selected from the subject (coefficient 5). Oral admission is a 30-minute recruitment interview, including a five-minute candidate presentation and possible professional scenarios and questions on public-policy issues and the administrative environment (coefficient 7). Any grade below 5/20 in either test is eliminatory.

Time Limit

Admissibility: 4 hours (cas pratique); Admission: 30 minutes (entretien de recrutement avec le jury)

Passing Score

Competitive rank-based quota for the chosen IRA; any score below 5/20 is eliminatory

Exam / Certification Fees

Free / No examination fee

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

30%

Droit public et institutions administratives françaises et européennes

Constitutional principles of the Fifth Republic, hierarchy of legal norms, unilateral administrative acts, public contracts, administrative liability, police administrative, territorial administration (déconcentration and décentralisation), and European Union institutional law.

25%

Gestion des ressources humaines dans la fonction publique

Code général de la fonction publique (CGFP), civil service career system, statutory rights and obligations (neutrality, laïcité, probity, whistleblowing), remuneration structure (RIFSEEP), social dialogue (CSA, CAP), and working conditions.

25%

Finances publiques et gestion budgétaire de l'État

Loi organique relative aux lois de finances (LOLF), budgetary architecture (missions, programmes, actions), GBCP decree, separation of ordonnateurs and comptables, public manager financial liability, and Code de la commande publique public procurement.

20%

Politiques publiques et management opérationnel des services de l'État

Public policy evaluation methodologies, interministerial project leadership (Gantt, risk registers, KPIs), digital transformation (DINUM, cybersecurity, open data), ecological planning (Services Publics Écoresponsables), and service quality (Services Publics +).

Preparing for the IRA — Attaché d'Administration de l'État Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Competitive rank-based quota for the chosen IRA; any score below 5/20 is eliminatory
Assessment: For the 2026 session, the three IRA routes share two compulsory tests. Written admissibility is a four-hour practical case on current state public policy, requiring an argued note supported by operational annexes selected from the subject (coefficient 5). Oral admission is a 30-minute recruitment interview, including a five-minute candidate presentation and possible professional scenarios and questions on public-policy issues and the administrative environment (coefficient 7). Any grade below 5/20 in either test is eliminatory.
Time limit: Admissibility: 4 hours (cas pratique); Admission: 30 minutes (entretien de recrutement avec le jury)
Exam / certification fees: Free / No examination fee Official sources

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IRA — Attaché d'Administration de l'État: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the methodology of the 4-hour cas pratique: allocate 1 hour for document skimming and analysis, 2 hours for drafting the note argumentée, and 1 hour for constructing the two operational deliverables (action plans, risk matrices, or dashboards).

2Thoroughly review the Code général de la fonction publique (CGFP) and recent public service modernizations, focusing on statutory deontological obligations (laïcité, probity, cumul d'activités) and the RIFSEEP remuneration framework.

3Develop fluent mastery of LOLF principles (missions, programmes, actions, fongibilité asymétrique) and public procurement thresholds under the Code de la commande publique.

4Prepare for the 30-minute oral interview by practicing 5-minute personal presentations and drilling situational management dilemmas (mises en situation professionnelle) involving team conflict, ethical dilemmas, and administrative hierarchy.

5Stay abreast of interministerial public policies, including the Services Publics + quality program, state ecological planning (Services Publics Écoresponsables), and digital modernization roadmaps led by DINUM.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Concours IRA (Attaché d'Administration de l'État)?

The Concours IRA is the primary competitive examination in France for recruitment into Category A of the state civil service as an attaché d'administration de l'État (corps interministériel CIAAE). Laureates attend one of five Regional Institutes of Administration (Bastia, Lille, Lyon, Metz, or Nantes) for executive training before being assigned to key managerial, legal, HR, or financial roles across French ministries, prefectures, rectorates, and regional state agencies.

What are the eligibility tracks for the IRA competitive examination?

There are three entry tracks: the Concours externe (open to holders of a French Licence, master's degree, or equivalent Level 6 diploma); the Concours interne (reserved for civil servants, military personnel, and public sector contractual employees with at least 4 years of effective public service as of January 1st of the competition year); and the Troisième concours (open to candidates with at least 5 years of private sector professional activity, local elected mandate, or union leadership experience).

What is the format of the written admissibility test (épreuve d'admissibilité)?

The written admissibility test is a four-hour state-public-policy practical case (coefficient 5). From a dossier of no more than 30 pages, the candidate writes an argued note and supports the proposed response with operational annexes selected from the choices in the subject.

How much does it cost to register for the IRA competitive exam?

Registration is entirely free (0 € / No examination fee). The French state does not charge any application or exam fees for civil service entrance competitions. Registrations are submitted online through the official DGAFP civil service recruitment portal (choisirleservicepublic.gouv.fr).

How does the training and assignment process work after passing the IRA competition?

Laureates follow a paid 14-month pathway: eight months at an IRA, including a six-week administration placement, then six months in professional placement directly on the first assigned post. The post is chosen during the seventh month according to the training ranking, and titularization is decided at the end of the pathway.