Free Practice Questions for Concours Commissaire de Police

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Key Facts: Concours Commissaire de Police Exam

Category A+

Civil Service Rank (Conception et Direction)

Ministère de l'Intérieur

22 Months

Paid Executive Training at ENSP

ENSP Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or

< 5 / 20

Strict Eliminatory Score on Any Test

Arrêté du 24 juillet 2023

100 MCQs

Syllabus Practice Bank Adaptation

OpenExamPrep

Recruiting the Police Nationale's conception-and-direction corps, the external commissaire competition uses four written papers and psychotechnical testing, physical pre-admission, then a main interview, an individual management scenario and a language oral. This 100-question English MCQ set is a study adaptation of the legal, security and leadership knowledge syllabus, not an official-format simulation.

Sample Concours Commissaire de Police Practice Questions

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

1Under Article 111-1 of the French Code pénal, what is the fundamental tripartite classification of criminal offenses, and which jurisdictional tier adjudicates the intermediate category?

A.Crimes, délits, and contraventions; délits are adjudicated by the Tribunal correctionnel

B.Crimes, délits, and infractions mineures; délits are adjudicated by the Cour d'assises

C.Felonies, misdemeanors, and petty offenses; misdemeanors are adjudicated by the Tribunal de police

D.Crimes, quasi-délits, and contraventions; quasi-délits are adjudicated by the Tribunal de proximité

Explanation: Article 111-1 of the Code pénal divides criminal offenses into crimes (judged by the Cour d'assises or Cour criminelle départementale), délits (judged by the Tribunal correctionnel), and contraventions (judged by the Tribunal de police). Délits are punished by correctional imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of at least 3,750 euros.

2According to Article 8 of the Code de procédure pénale, what is the statutory limitation period (prescription de l'action publique) for standard délits de droit commun, absent specific statutory exceptions?

A.3 years from the date the offense was committed

B.6 years from the date the offense was committed

C.10 years from the date the offense was committed

D.20 years from the date the offense was committed

Explanation: Since the reform enacted by Law No. 2017-242 of February 27, 2017, Article 8 of the Code de procédure pénale sets the general limitation period for délits at 6 years from the day of the offense. Crimes generally prescribe after 20 years (Article 7) and contraventions after 1 year (Article 9).

3Under Article 121-5 of the Code pénal, which two cumulative statutory elements constitute a punishable criminal attempt (la tentative punissable)?

A.A moral intention to offend and an external preparatory act (acte préparatoire)

B.A preliminary conspiracy agreement and an incomplete financial transaction

C.A commencement of execution (commencement d'exécution) and an involuntary suspension or missed effect

D.A formal verbal threat and physical proximity to the designated victim

Explanation: Article 121-5 of the Code pénal establishes that an attempt is constituted when, manifested by a commencement of execution (commencement d'exécution), it was suspended or failed to achieve its effect solely due to circumstances independent of the perpetrator's will (absence of voluntary desistance). Mere preparatory acts (actes préparatoires) are not punishable as attempts.

4In French criminal law, under Article 121-7 of the Code pénal, how is complicity by provocation (complicité par instigation) legally defined?

A.Providing material tools or physical shelter to a fugitive offender without prior agreement

B.Giving instructions or inciting an offense through gifts, promises, threats, orders, or abuse of authority

C.Failing to report a planned crime to judicial authorities despite having knowledge of it

D.Expressing approval after the offense without having intentionally aided or encouraged it beforehand

Explanation: Under Article 121-7, paragraph 2 of the Code pénal, a person is an accomplice who, through gifts, promises, threats, orders, or abuse of authority or power, provokes an offense or gives instructions to commit it. The accomplice is punished as the principal perpetrator (emprunt de criminalité, Article 121-6).

5Under Article 121-2 of the Code pénal, which condition is mandatory to engage the criminal liability of a legal entity (personne morale)?

A.The offense must be committed for its account by one of its corporate organs or legal representatives

B.The legal entity must have declared annual revenue exceeding 10 million euros

C.The state or a territorial collectivity must own a majority stake in the entity

D.The natural person perpetrator must have already been definitively convicted by a criminal court

Explanation: Article 121-2 of the Code pénal provides that legal entities (with the exception of the State) are criminally liable for offenses committed on their behalf (pour leur compte) by their organs or representatives (organes ou représentants). The criminal liability of the legal entity does not exclude that of the natural person who committed or abetted the offense.

6Under Article 122-5 of the Code pénal, which limitation explicitly restricts the justification of self-defense (légitime défense) when defending property?

A.Defensive measures against property theft can never justify intentional homicide (homicide volontaire)

B.Property defense is only permissible if authorized in real time by an OPJ

C.Property defense cannot be claimed if the property is valued under 5,000 euros

D.Defensive measures against property crimes must only be exercised by licensed private security guards

Explanation: Article 122-5, paragraph 2 of the Code pénal states that a person who performs a defensive act to interrupt an execution of a crime or délit against property is not criminally liable, except in the case of intentional homicide (homicide volontaire), which is strictly prohibited for property defense.

7According to Article 122-1 of the Code pénal, what legal distinction is made between total abolition of discernment and partial impairment of discernment resulting from psychic disorder?

A.Total abolition entails full penal irresponsibility, whereas partial impairment leaves the person criminally liable but affects sentence determination

B.Total abolition results in mandatory deportation, whereas partial impairment leads to house arrest

C.Total abolition requires trial by the Tribunal correctionnel, whereas partial impairment mandates a jury trial in Cour d'assises

D.Total abolition applies only to minor infractions, whereas partial impairment applies exclusively to organized crimes

Explanation: Article 122-1 alinea 1 establishes that a person suffering from a psychic or neuropsychic disorder that abolished discernment or control over acts at the time of the offense is not criminally responsible. Under alinea 2, if the disorder only impaired or hindered discernment, the person remains liable, though the court takes it into account when determining sentence.

8Under Article 122-4 of the Code pénal, when does the defense of 'commandement de l'autorité légitime' (command of a legitimate authority) fail to exempt a police officer from criminal liability?

A.Whenever the commanding superior officer is from a different police division

B.Whenever the act commanded is manifestly illegal (manifestement illégal)

C.Whenever the order was issued orally rather than communicated via encrypted radio

D.Whenever the officer has less than three years of active police service

Explanation: Article 122-4, paragraph 2 of the Code pénal provides that a person who accomplishes an act commanded by legitimate authority is not criminally liable, UNLESS that act is manifestly illegal (sauf si cet acte est manifestement illégal). A police officer has a duty to refuse an order that is manifestly unlawful and severely compromises public or fundamental rights.

9Pursuant to Article 16 of the Code de procédure pénale, which police personnel automatically hold the statutory status of Officier de Police Judiciaire (OPJ)?

A.All sworn police officers upon completion of initial entry-level academy training

B.Commissaires de police and police officers of the corps de commandement

C.Only mayors and their municipal police chiefs

D.Only agents assigned directly to the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure (DGSI)

Explanation: Article 16 1° and 2° of the Code de procédure pénale explicitly designates mayors and their deputies, commissaires de police, and officers of the corps de commandement of the Police Nationale as holding the status of Officier de Police Judiciaire (OPJ). Members of the corps d'encadrement et d'application must pass a specialized judicial qualification exam.

10What is the key statutory distinction between the investigative powers of an Officier de Police Judiciaire (OPJ) and an Agent de Police Judiciaire (APJ) under Articles 17 to 20 of the Code de procédure pénale?

A.APJs can place suspects in garde à vue, whereas OPJs are limited to administrative hearings

B.Only OPJs can decide to place a suspect in garde à vue, conduct coercive domiciliary searches, and execute requisitions judiciaires

C.OPJs operate solely under the Préfet, whereas APJs report exclusively to the Procureur de la République

D.APJs have jurisdiction throughout national territory, whereas OPJs are strictly restricted to a single commune

Explanation: Under the Code de procédure pénale, only an OPJ possesses the legal prerogative to place an individual in police custody (garde à vue, Art. 62-2), carry out coercive searches and seizures (perquisitions et saisies), and issue formal judicial requisitions (réquisitions judiciaires). APJs assist OPJs and may take statements, but cannot order custody.

About the Concours Commissaire de Police Exam

The Concours Commissaire de Police is the elite competitive examination that recruits the senior leadership (Corps de conception et de direction) of the French National Police. Governed by the Arrêté du 24 juillet 2023 under the authority of the DGPN and Ministère de l'Intérieur, successful laureates enter the École Nationale Supérieure de la Police (ENSP) at Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or as trainee superintendents. Candidates must demonstrate deep mastery of criminal law, criminal procedure, administrative police prerogatives, intelligence, counter-terrorism operations, and high-level crisis command.

Exam sponsor: Direction Générale de la Police Nationale (DGPN), Ministère de l'Intérieur. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

The current external competition has three phases. Admissibility uses four scored written papers—general culture (5 h), an administrative case (4 h), public/administrative/EU law (3 h), and criminal law/procedure (3 h), each coefficient 4—plus 2 h 30 of unscored psychotechnical testing. Pre-admission comprises PHM and TECR physical tests (coefficient 3; either event below 7/20 is eliminatory). Admission comprises a 40-minute jury interview (coefficient 9; below 5/20 eliminatory), a 30-minute individual professional scenario after 30 minutes' preparation (coefficient 6), and a 20-minute foreign-language oral after 20 minutes' preparation (coefficient 2).

Time Limit

Written admissibility: 15 scored hours plus 2 h 30 psychotechnical testing; admission: 90 minutes of oral testing plus physical tests

Passing Score

Competitive rank-based list for ENSP; either physical event below 7/20 or the main jury interview below 5/20 is eliminatory

Exam / Certification Fees

Free / No examination fee

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Approximately 3% - 5% of registered applicants gain admission. The Concours de Commissaire is one of the most selective Category A+ competitions in the French civil service, typically offering between 30 and 50 posts per year nationwide across external and internal tracks. This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. 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 pénal général et procédure pénale

General and special criminal law, legal classification of offenses, criminal responsibility, judicial police hierarchy, preliminary and flagrancy inquiries, custody (garde à vue), search and seizure, and procedural nullities under the Code de procédure pénale.

25%

Droit administratif, libertés publiques et déontologie policière

Distinction between police administrative and police judiciaire, maintenance of public order (trilogie traditionnelle and human dignity), civil liberties, European Convention on Human Rights (CEDH), Code de déontologie, and the statutory framework for the use of weapons and force (L. 435-1 CSI).

25%

Sécurité intérieure, renseignement et gestion de crise

National security architecture, intelligence services (DGSI, SCRT, DRPP), specialized organized crime central offices (OFAST, OCRVP, OCLCTIC), forensic science databases (FNAEG, FAED), emergency crisis planning (Vigipirate, ORSEC, NOVI), and tactical crisis response (RAID, BRI).

20%

Management opérationnel, leadership et institutions républicaines

Executive leadership of a commissariat or central service, human resource leadership, budgetary execution (LOLF/BOP), operational steering, victim support and public reception, and inter-institutional coordination with judicial magistrates and the prefectoral corps.

Preparing for the Concours Commissaire de Police Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Competitive rank-based list for ENSP; either physical event below 7/20 or the main jury interview below 5/20 is eliminatory
Assessment: The current external competition has three phases. Admissibility uses four scored written papers—general culture (5 h), an administrative case (4 h), public/administrative/EU law (3 h), and criminal law/procedure (3 h), each coefficient 4—plus 2 h 30 of unscored psychotechnical testing. Pre-admission comprises PHM and TECR physical tests (coefficient 3; either event below 7/20 is eliminatory). Admission comprises a 40-minute jury interview (coefficient 9; below 5/20 eliminatory), a 30-minute individual professional scenario after 30 minutes' preparation (coefficient 6), and a 20-minute foreign-language oral after 20 minutes' preparation (coefficient 2).
Time limit: Written admissibility: 15 scored hours plus 2 h 30 psychotechnical testing; admission: 90 minutes of oral testing plus physical tests
Exam / certification fees: Free / No examination fee Official sources

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Concours Commissaire de Police: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the Code de procédure pénale: know the exact boundary lines between flagrance (articles 53 et seq.) and preliminary inquiries (articles 75 et seq.), along with strict detention rules for garde à vue (articles 63 et seq.).

2Thoroughly analyze Article L. 435-1 of the Code de la sécurité intérieure: know the five statutory scenarios for the legal use of firearms and the universal requirements of absolute necessity and strict proportionality.

3Understand the jurisprudence of the Conseil d'État and the European Court of Human Rights (CEDH): focus on landmark rulings regarding public order, proportionality of preventive measures, and human dignity (e.g. Commune de Morsang-sur-Orge, Benjamin, and CEDH Article 2 and 3 standards).

4Develop executive management skills: understand the budgetary mechanics of the LOLF (Programme 176 - Police Nationale), human resource dialogues, and operational command post (PCO) coordination during high-profile civil disturbances or major security crises.

5Integrate technical and scientific police procedures: memorize retention limits, legal authorization thresholds, and search protocols for central genetic (FNAEG) and biometric (FAED) databases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Concours Commissaire de Police in France?

It is the premier competitive civil service entrance examination (Category A+) organized by the Ministère de l'Intérieur and the DGPN to recruit senior police superintendents into the Corps de conception et de direction of the Police Nationale. Laureates complete 22 months of executive training at the ENSP in Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or.

What are the eligibility requirements for the external competition?

Applicants must hold French citizenship, possess a Master 2 degree (or equivalent Bac+5 qualification in law, political science, or related fields), be under 45 years of age on January 1st of the competition year, meet strict medical and physical aptitude criteria, and possess an unblemished criminal record (bulletin n° 2 du casier judiciaire).

What is the examination structure under the Arrêté du 24 juillet 2023?

The external competition has four scored written papers (5 h, 4 h, 3 h and 3 h, each coefficient 4) plus unscored psychotechnical tests. Physical PHM and TECR tests precede a 40-minute main interview, a 30-minute individual professional scenario and a 20-minute foreign-language oral.

What is the eliminatory mark for the Concours Commissaire?

Any score below 5/20 in any individual admissibility, pre-admission, or admission test is strictly eliminatory, disqualifying the candidate regardless of their cumulative aggregate points.

Why are questions in this study bank presented in English?

While the official examination in France is conducted entirely in French, this OpenExamPrep question bank provides an English-language study adaptation to help candidates master complex statutory concepts, European jurisprudence, and comparative public administration while retaining all canonical French legal and institutional terminology.

What judicial status do Commissaires de Police hold?

Commissaires de Police hold the statutory qualification of Officier de Police Judiciaire (OPJ) under Article 16 of the Code de procédure pénale, allowing them to lead investigations, order custody measures, execute warrants, and supervise judicial police investigations under the authority of the Procureur de la République.