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Key Facts: Attaché Territorial Exam

Catégorie A

Civil service classification for managerial, conceptual, and executive cadres

Décret n° 87-1099 du 30 décembre 1987 modifié

< 5 / 20

Eliminatory mark threshold in any mandatory examination

Décret n° 2009-756 du 22 juin 2009

M57

Universal budgetary and accounting standard generalized on 1 Jan 2024

Article L. 1612-1 et seq. CGCT / Décret M57

1 Year

Mandatory probationary stage period with CNFPT training prior to titularisation

Code Général de la Fonction Publique (CGFP)

2–4 Years

Validity duration of the regional success list of aptitude (liste d'aptitude)

Code Général de la Fonction Publique, Art. L. 325-38

8 Hours

Total duration of the two written admissibility examination papers

Décret n° 2009-756 du 22 juin 2009

The Concours d'Attaché Territorial is France's Category A competitive civil service examination for senior management in local governments (communes, départements, régions, EPCI). Administered by Centres de Gestion (CDG), the exam features written analytical and operational note papers and an oral jury interview. OpenExamPrep provides a 100-question English-language study adaptation covering territorial public law, M57 local finances, CGFP civil service human resources, and local public policies.

Sample Attaché Territorial Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Attaché Territorial exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under Article 72 of the French Constitution of 1958, which foundational principle guarantees that French local authorities govern themselves through elected councils and possess regulatory power for the exercise of their competencies?

A.The principle of free administration (principe de libre administration des collectivités territoriales)

B.The principle of hierarchical administrative subordination (principe de subordination hiérarchique)

C.The principle of sovereign legislative autonomy (principe d'autonomie législative souveraine)

D.The principle of mandatory national uniformity of local bylaws (principe d'uniformité réglementaire absolue)

Explanation: Article 72, paragraph 3 of the French Constitution establishes that territorial collectivities 's'administrent librement par des conseils élus et disposent d'un pouvoir réglementaire pour l'exercice de leurs compétences'. This principle of libre administration is a constitutional value protected by the Conseil constitutionnel and administrative courts.

2According to Article 72, paragraph 5 of the French Constitution, what rule governs the administrative relationship between different levels of local government (regions, departments, communes)?

A.No territorial collectivity may exercise supervisory tutelage over another (interdiction de toute tutelle d'une collectivité sur une autre)

B.Regions exercise statutory hierarchical oversight over all departments and municipalities within their boundaries

C.Departments possess disciplinary and budgetary veto power over municipal deliberative assemblies

D.Intercommunal bodies (EPCI) exercise sovereign administrative tutelage over their member communes

Explanation: Article 72, paragraph 5 of the French Constitution explicitly provides: 'Aucune collectivité territoriale ne peut exercer une tutelle sur une autre.' While one collectivity can be designated as a 'chef de file' to organize joint action under statutory conditions, it can never exercise hierarchical tutelage or veto power over another authority.

3Which major institutional transformation was introduced by the 1982 Defferre Law (Loi n° 82-213 du 2 mars 1982, Acte I of decentralization) regarding departmental governance?

A.Executive authority of the department was transferred from the State Prefect to the elected President of the Conseil Général

B.The departmental level was abolished and merged entirely into regional regional councils

C.The State Prefect was granted the power to dissolve municipal councils at will without judicial review

D.Departmental councillors were converted into appointed civil servants under the Ministry of the Interior

Explanation: Prior to the Law of 2 March 1982, the departmental executive was the Prefect (representing the State). The Defferre Law transferred executive authority of the department to the President of the Conseil Général (now Conseil Départemental), ending prior administrative tutelage and establishing true territorial decentralization.

4Following the enactment of the NOTRe Law (Loi n° 2015-991 du 7 août 2015), which category of territorial authorities uniquely retains the general competence clause (clause générale de compétence)?

A.Communes (municipalities)

B.Régions (regional councils)

C.Départements (departmental councils)

D.Établissements Publics de Coopération Intercommunale (EPCI)

Explanation: The NOTRe Law abolished the clause générale de compétence for regions and departments, limiting them to attribution competencies defined by law. Under Article L. 2121-29 of the Code général des collectivités territoriales (CGCT), only Communes retain the general competence clause, allowing municipal councils to deliberate on any subject of local municipal interest.

5In the French system of prefectural review (contrôle de légalité), what legal action must the State representative (Préfet) take if an act of a local authority is deemed unlawful and the authority refuses to withdraw it?

A.Lodge an administrative appeal (déféré préfectoral) before the competent Tribunal Administratif within two months

B.Directly annul the local act through an executive prefectural decree without judicial involvement

C.Impose immediate financial sanctions and seize the municipality's operating bank accounts

D.Submit an emergency petition directly to the European Court of Human Rights

Explanation: Under Article L. 2131-6 of the CGCT, the Préfet cannot directly annul a local authority's decision. If the Préfet considers an act unlawful, they must file a 'déféré préfectoral' before the Tribunal Administratif within a two-month period following transmission of the act or after an unsuccessful non-contentious appeal (recours gracieux).

6Which of the following entities is classified as an Établissement Public de Coopération Intercommunale (EPCI) à fiscalité propre under French territorial law?

A.Communauté de communes

B.Syndicat intercommunal à vocation unique (SIVU)

C.Syndicat intercommunal à vocation multiple (SIVOM)

D.Syndicat mixte ouvert

Explanation: There are four legal categories of EPCI à fiscalité propre (intercommunal bodies with direct local tax-levying powers): Communautés de communes, Communautés d'agglomération, Communautés urbaines, and Métropoles. SIVUs, SIVOMs, and syndicats mixtes are EPCIs sans fiscalité propre, financed by member contributions rather than direct taxation.

7What is the standard minimum population threshold required by the Code général des collectivités territoriales (CGCT) to create a Communauté d'agglomération?

A.An ensemble of at least 50,000 inhabitants forming a contiguous whole, including a central municipality of at least 15,000 inhabitants

B.A minimum of 250,000 inhabitants centered around a regional prefecture

C.At least 500,000 inhabitants with high-speed rail and airport connectivity

D.A minimum of 10,000 inhabitants with no central city requirement

Explanation: Under Article L. 5216-1 of the CGCT, a Communauté d'agglomération is formed by several municipalities forming a coherent, single-tract territorial area of at least 50,000 inhabitants, around one or more central municipalities of at least 15,000 inhabitants (with specific legislative adaptations for departmental chef-lieux).

8In French local government, what unique constitutional and administrative characteristic defines the dual role of the Mayor (Maire)?

A.The Mayor is both the executive organ of the Commune and an agent of the State under prefectural authority for specific sovereign missions

B.The Mayor is simultaneously the president of the departmental assembly and regional prefect

C.The Mayor is exclusively an agent of the State without any decentralized municipal authority

D.The Mayor acts purely as a private enterprise manager without public administrative powers

Explanation: Under French administrative law (Article L. 2122-27 and L. 2122-32 CGCT), the Mayor exercises a dual capacity: as the decentralized executive of the municipality (executing municipal council deliberations and exercising municipal police), and as an agent of the State (officier d'état civil, officier de police judiciaire, and organizing national elections under prefectural supervision).

9What is the primary statutory function of an independent investigating commissioner (commissaire-enquêteur) during a public inquiry (enquête publique) for a major territorial development project?

A.To impartially examine public observations, conduct public hearings, and draft a reasoned report with formal conclusions on the project

B.To represent the project developer and defend the commercial interests of private contractors

C.To issue a legally binding annulment of the municipal council's development strategy

D.To manage and disburse European structural grant funds directly to citizens

Explanation: Under the Environmental Code (Articles L. 123-1 et seq.), the commissaire-enquêteur is an independent expert appointed by the administrative tribunal to inform the public, gather comments, ensure fair public participation, and submit an objective report accompanied by reasoned favorable or unfavorable conclusions (avis motivé).

10Under Article 72, paragraph 4 of the Constitution and Organic Law n° 2003-704, what are the legal parameters governing local experimentation (droit à l'expérimentation) by territorial authorities?

A.Authorities may be authorized by statute or regulation to derogate on an experimental basis, for a limited object and duration, from legislative or regulatory provisions governing their competencies

B.Authorities may permanently exempt themselves from national criminal laws and taxation statutes without parliamentary consent

C.Authorities may enact their own civil codes and create autonomous regional citizenship frameworks

D.Only the City of Paris possesses constitutional authorization to conduct legal and administrative experiments

Explanation: Article 72, paragraph 4 allows local authorities to experiment with derogations from legislative or regulatory provisions governing their powers, for a limited purpose and duration. At the end of the trial period, the national parliament or government must decide whether to generalize the measure to all authorities, modify it, or abandon it.

About the Attaché Territorial Exam

The Concours d'Attaché Territorial is the premier Category A managerial recruitment examination for the French Territorial Civil Service (Fonction Publique Territoriale - FPT). Governed by Décret n° 87-1099 du 30 décembre 1987 and Décret n° 2009-756 du 22 juin 2009, attachés territoriaux exercise high-level executive, analytical, managerial, and legal-financial functions across communes, départements, régions, and intercommunal public establishments (EPCI). Successful laureates are inscribed on a territorial aptitude list (liste d'aptitude) and recruited by local authorities as stagiaires for one year before tenured titularisation, undergoing compulsory integration training delivered by the Centre National de la Fonction Publique Territoriale (CNFPT).

Exam sponsor: Centres de Gestion (CDG) de la Fonction Publique Territoriale. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

The concours externe comprises two written admissibility examinations and one mandatory oral admission examination (plus an optional modern language test): 1) Written Composition sur un sujet d'ordre général relatif à la place et au rôle des collectivités territoriales dans la République (4 hours, coefficient 3); 2) Rédaction d'une note ayant pour objet de vérifier l'aptitude à l'analyse et comportant des propositions opérationnelles à partir d'un dossier dans la spécialité choisie (4 hours, coefficient 4); 3) Oral admission interview consisting of an individual presentation (approx 5 min) followed by an exchange evaluating territorial culture, management acumen, motivation, and leadership (25 minutes, coefficient 4); 4) Optional foreign language oral test (15 minutes with 15 minutes preparation, coefficient 1, marks above 10 count toward admission). All tests are marked from 0 to 20, and any mark below 5/20 in any mandatory test is strictly eliminatory.

Time Limit

Written admissibility: 8 hours (two 4-hour papers); Oral admission: 25 minutes entretien (plus optional 15-minute language test)

Passing Score

Rank-based success list by organizing CDG; mark below 5/20 in any test 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 of 100 questions

Droit public et organisation institutionnelle des collectivités territoriales

Constitutional foundations of territorial decentralization: Article 72 principles of free administration (libre administration), local regulatory powers, subsidiarity, and the prohibition of supervisory tutelage among authorities (non-tutelle). Decisional history and legal frameworks: 1982 Defferre laws (Acte I), 2003 Constitutional revision (Acte II), 2014-2015 MAPTAM and NOTRe acts (Acte III - suppression of general competency clause for regions and departments), and the 2022 3DS Law. Division of powers between Communes, Départements, Régions, and EPCI (Métropoles, CA, CC). Prefectural administrative review and legality control (contrôle de légalité under the Code général des collectivités territoriales - CGCT), administrative litigation, local elected officials' status, and participatory democracy mechanisms.

25 of 100 questions

Finances et gestion budgétaire locales

Budgetary and accounting frameworks of French local governments: budgetary cycle (DOB/ROB, Budget Primitif, Décisions Modificatives, Compte Administratif, Compte Financier Unique - CFU). The M57 budgetary nomenclature (compulsory generalization since 1 January 2024 replacing M14, M52, and M71), pluriannual commitment credits (AP/CP), asset amortizations, and risk provisions. Fundamental budgetary principles (annualité, unité, spécialité, universalité, sincérité, équilibre réel under Article L. 1612-4 CGCT). Separation of ordonnateurs and comptables publics, the 2022 reform of public financial liability (RGP), Regional Audit Chambers (Chambres Régionales des Comptes - CRC) control jurisdictions, local tax dynamics (TH abolition, TFB redistribution, CFE), state transfers (DGF, FPIC, DETR), and municipal debt sustainability metrics (capacité de désendettement).

25 of 100 questions

Gestion des ressources humaines territoriales

Statutory legal framework governing local public servants under the Code Général de la Fonction Publique (CGFP) and Law n° 84-53. Civil service architecture: categories A, B, C, corps/cadres d'emplois, grades, and steps. Statutory positions (activité, détachement, disponibilité, congé parental, mise à disposition) and recruitment of tenured and contractual staff (Articles L. 332-8 et seq.). Civil servant rights and ethical obligations: obedience, reserve, neutrality/laïcité, professional discretion, and functional protection (protection fonctionnelle). Compensation mechanisms: gross base salary (traitement indiciaire), index point, RIFSEEP (IFSE + CIA), and social dialogue bodies (Comité Social Territorial - CST, FSSCT, Commissions Administratives Paritaires - CAP). Disciplinary regimes, Lignes Directrices de Gestion (LDG), annual Rapport Social Unique (RSU), and compulsory complementary social protection (PSC).

20 of 100 questions

Politiques publiques territoriales, commande publique et management de projet

Public procurement and contracts under the Code de la commande publique: core principles (freedom of access, equal treatment, transparency), thresholds, adapted procedures (MAPA), and award criteria (economically most advantageous offer, environmental and social clauses). Public service delegations (DSP) and concessions versus public procurement. Urban planning law and environmental transitions: hierarchy of planning norms (SRADDET, SCoT, PLU/PLUi), Zéro Artificialisation Nette (ZAN under the 2021 Climate and Resilience Law), building permits, and public preemption rights (DPU). Territorial ecological transition (PCAET, GEMAPI, LOM sustainable mobilities). Departmental social action leadership (child welfare ASE, elderly autonomy APA, handicap compensation PCH, RSA) and communal CCAS/CIAS establishments. Territorial project management, transversal steering, governance comitology, and public policy evaluation.

Preparing for the Attaché Territorial Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Rank-based success list by organizing CDG; mark below 5/20 in any test is eliminatory
Assessment: The concours externe comprises two written admissibility examinations and one mandatory oral admission examination (plus an optional modern language test): 1) Written Composition sur un sujet d'ordre général relatif à la place et au rôle des collectivités territoriales dans la République (4 hours, coefficient 3); 2) Rédaction d'une note ayant pour objet de vérifier l'aptitude à l'analyse et comportant des propositions opérationnelles à partir d'un dossier dans la spécialité choisie (4 hours, coefficient 4); 3) Oral admission interview consisting of an individual presentation (approx 5 min) followed by an exchange evaluating territorial culture, management acumen, motivation, and leadership (25 minutes, coefficient 4); 4) Optional foreign language oral test (15 minutes with 15 minutes preparation, coefficient 1, marks above 10 count toward admission). All tests are marked from 0 to 20, and any mark below 5/20 in any mandatory test is strictly eliminatory.
Time limit: Written admissibility: 8 hours (two 4-hour papers); Oral admission: 25 minutes entretien (plus optional 15-minute language test)
Exam / certification fees: Free / No examination fee Official sources

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Attaché Territorial: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the constitutional principles of Article 72: free administration (libre administration), subsidiarity, and non-tutelle between territorial authorities.

2Understand the allocation of competencies: general competency clause retained strictly for communes, while départements lead social solidarity (ASE, APA, PCH, RSA) and régions lead economic development, SRADDET planning, and secondary transport.

3Thoroughly review M57 accounting rules: the cycle from DOB/ROB to Budget Primitif and Compte Administratif / CFU, real balance rules under Article L. 1612-4 CGCT, and CRC oversight triggers.

4Familiarize yourself with the Code Général de la Fonction Publique (CGFP): statutory positions (détachement vs disponibilité), rights/duties, RIFSEEP pay structure, and the responsibilities of the Comité Social Territorial (CST) and CAP.

5Study public procurement principles under the Code de la commande publique: MAPA thresholds, mandatory social and environmental award criteria, and distinctions between public contracts and concessions/DSP.

6Keep abreast of major legislative reforms: MAPTAM (2014), NOTRe (2015), Transformation de la Fonction Publique (2019), Climat et Résilience / ZAN (2021), 3DS (2022), and the 2022 reform of public manager financial liability (RGP).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Concours d'Attaché Territorial in France?

The Concours d'Attaché Territorial is the primary competitive recruitment examination for Category A senior administrative officers and managers in the French Territorial Civil Service (Fonction Publique Territoriale - FPT). Attachés perform executive, planning, managerial, budgetary, and legal duties within regional councils, departmental councils, municipalities, and intercommunal bodies (EPCI).

Who organizes and administers the Concours d'Attaché Territorial?

The concours is organized by the interdepartmental Centres de Gestion (CDG) de la Fonction Publique Territoriale in coordination with the Centre National de la Fonction Publique Territoriale (CNFPT). Candidates register via the national portal www.concours-territorial.fr.

What are the eligibility requirements for the external concours (concours externe)?

Candidates for the concours externe must hold a recognized French national qualification at Bac+3 level (Licence, bachelor's degree, or equivalent Level 6 diploma on the European Qualifications Framework) or an equivalent European degree at the time of registration.

What is the structure of the examination tests?

Admissibility consists of two written papers: a 4-hour general composition on local authorities in the Republic (coefficient 3) and a 4-hour operational analytical note based on a dossier in the chosen specialty (coefficient 4). Admission consists of a 25-minute oral interview with the jury assessing motivation, leadership, and territorial knowledge (coefficient 4), and an optional 15-minute modern foreign language test (coefficient 1).

What score is eliminatory in the concours?

Under governing regulations (Décret n° 2009-756), any mark strictly below 5 out of 20 (< 5/20) in any mandatory written or oral test is strictly eliminatory, regardless of the candidate's average score across other tests.

Does passing the concours guarantee immediate employment in a local authority?

No. In the French Territorial Civil Service, passing the concours earns placement on a territorial aptitude list (liste d'aptitude) valid for two years (extendable up to four years). Laureates must apply directly to local authorities (communes, départements, régions, EPCI) with declared vacancies. Once recruited, they complete a one-year probationary period (stage) with mandatory CNFPT training before permanent tenure (titularisation).

What specialties (spécialités) are available for the concours?

The concours offers five official specialties: Administration générale (general administration), Gestion du secteur sanitaire et social (sanitary and social management), Analyste (systems analysis), Animation (community development and youth), and Urbanisme et développement des territoires (urbanism and territorial development).

What is the M57 accounting instruction tested in local finance?

M57 is the harmonized budgetary and accounting framework generalized across all French local authorities (communes, départements, régions, EPCI) on 1 January 2024. It modernizes financial management by introducing pluriannual commitment authorizations (AP/CP), mandatory asset amortizations, risk provisions, credit fungibility between chapters up to 7.5%, and paves the way for the Compte Financier Unique (CFU).