Free Practice Questions for Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG)
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Key Facts: Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG) Exam
Category B
French civil and military service hierarchy rank for Sous-officiers de gendarmerie
Arrêté du 27 avril 2011
Free
National registration and examination fee for all SOG applicants
Ministère de l'Intérieur / DGGN
12 Months
Duration of initial paid military training at an École de Gendarmerie upon selection
Commandement des Écoles de la Gendarmerie Nationale (CEGN)
6 / 20
Eliminatory minimum mark on written essay and oral jury interview
Arrêté du 27 avril 2011
95%
Territorial coverage of the French national landmass under Gendarmerie jurisdiction
Direction Générale de la Gendarmerie Nationale (DGGN)
The Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG) is France's premier military law enforcement entrance competition for Category B career non-commissioned officers. Administered free of charge by the DGGN, the exam selects candidates through a 3-hour written composition, demanding physical obstacle course (EPG), digital test, and military board interview. This study bank delivers 100 scenario-grounded English practice questions covering republican defense institutions, criminal procedural law, police deontology, and operational tactics.
Sample Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG) Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG) exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Under the Act of August 3, 2009 (Loi n° 2009-971), to which government ministry is the Gendarmerie nationale organically attached for its budgetary administration and operational employment?
2What is the primary territorial basic unit (*unité élémentaire de base*) of the Gendarmerie départementale responsible for general proximity policing in rural and peri-urban areas?
3How is command structured hierarchically within the Gendarmerie départementale across French departments?
4Which specialized formation of the Gendarmerie nationale is specifically tasked with the protection of the President of the French Republic, ceremonial state security, and static defense of national republican palaces (e.g., Élysée, Palais Bourbon, Palais du Luxembourg)?
5Under the General Statute of Military Personnel (*Statut général des militaires*, Code de la défense), what restriction applies to serving gendarmes regarding political and trade union rights?
6What is the primary peacetime role of the Gendarmerie mobile (GM)?
7What is the official operational rationale behind housing gendarmerie personnel in state-provided barracks by necessity of service (*logement par nécessité absolue de service - NAS*)?
8What is the role of the Conseil Supérieur de la Fonction Militaire (CSFM) and the Conseil de la Fonction Militaire de la Gendarmerie (CFM-G)?
9Which specialized unit of the Gendarmerie nationale is internationally renowned for counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, airborne intervention, and VIP escort in high-threat environments?
10Which rank in the Gendarmerie nationale represents the entry-level career non-commissioned officer (*sous-officier de carrière*) upon graduation from a gendarmerie academy?
About the Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG) Exam
The Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG) is the competitive national entrance examination for non-commissioned officers in the French National Gendarmerie, one of the oldest military institutions in France. Sous-officiers de gendarmerie are career military personnel with permanent law enforcement jurisdiction over 95% of the French national territory and roughly 50% of the national population. Operating under the dual administration of the Ministère de l'Intérieur (for operational employment, public safety, judicial investigations, and budget) and the Ministère des Armées (for military statutes, career progression, discipline, and defense missions), sous-officiers serve across diverse branches including the Gendarmerie départementale (territorial brigades, PSIG, research brigades), Gendarmerie mobile (public order maintenance, counter-riot deployments, overseas sovereignty missions), and specialized units such as the Garde républicaine, Gendarmerie maritime, Gendarmerie de l'air, and the elite GIGN. Following successful completion of the competitive examination and comprehensive medical vetting (SIGYCOP), accepted recruits undergo 12 months of rigorous paid training in a gendarmerie academy (école de gendarmerie) followed by an operational assignment.
Exam sponsor: Direction Générale de la Gendarmerie Nationale (DGGN), Ministère de l'Intérieur. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Assessment
For the external Baccalauréat route under the current Arrêté du 27 avril 2011, admissibility is a three-hour general-culture composition (coefficient 7). Admission includes personality inventories and a psychologist interview used as decision support but not scored, a three-workshop Épreuve physique gendarmerie (coefficient 3), a 30-minute digital-literacy QCM (coefficient 1), and a 20-minute jury interview after 10 minutes' preparation (coefficient 7). A mark below 6/20 in any scored test except the digital assessment is eliminatory.
Time Limit
Written admissibility: 3 hours; admission includes the EPG, psychology assessment, 30-minute digital test, and 20-minute oral after 10 minutes' preparation
Passing Score
Competitive ranking list within annual recruitment quotas; mark below 6/20 on the written composition or below 6/20 on the oral interview is eliminatory
Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
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.
Institutions républicaines, défense nationale et statut militaire de la gendarmerie
Organization of the DGGN, departmental gendarmerie (brigades, PSIG, BR), mobile gendarmerie (EGM, public order), specialized branches (Garde républicaine, GIGN, GTA), military status (Code de la défense), duty of reserve, and hierarchical obedience.
Cadre juridique d'intervention et droit pénal de base
Judicial vs administrative policing, offense classification (contraventions, délits, crimes), APJ and OPJ powers, identity verifications (art. 78-2 CPP), vehicle checks, self-defense (art. 122-5 CP), and weapon use under Article L. 435-1 CSI.
Déontologie militaire et policière, éthique et droits fondamentaux
Common Code of Deontology (Articles R. 434-1 to R. 434-33 CSI), RIO uniform display, absolute ban on torture/inhuman treatment, duty of reserve, refusal of manifestly illegal orders, victim support, and supervision by IGGN and Défenseur des droits.
Compétences numériques, raisonnement logique et sécurité opérationnelle
Tactical safety guidelines, vehicle stop positioning, tactical tourniquet and emergency care (PSC1), Rubis radio transmissions, operational reporting, and digital tools (NEOGEND, LAPI, FPR, SIV, TAJ).
Preparing for the Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG) Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Competitive ranking list within annual recruitment quotas; mark below 6/20 on the written composition or below 6/20 on the oral interview is eliminatory
- Assessment: For the external Baccalauréat route under the current Arrêté du 27 avril 2011, admissibility is a three-hour general-culture composition (coefficient 7). Admission includes personality inventories and a psychologist interview used as decision support but not scored, a three-workshop Épreuve physique gendarmerie (coefficient 3), a 30-minute digital-literacy QCM (coefficient 1), and a 20-minute jury interview after 10 minutes' preparation (coefficient 7). A mark below 6/20 in any scored test except the digital assessment is eliminatory.
- Time limit: Written admissibility: 3 hours; admission includes the EPG, psychology assessment, 30-minute digital test, and 20-minute oral after 10 minutes' preparation
- Exam / certification fees: Free / No examination fee Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
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Concours Sous-Officier de Gendarmerie (SOG): Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Concours SOG 1 (externe) and Concours SOG 2 (interne)?
Concours SOG 1 (externe) is open to civilian candidates holding a French Baccalauréat (or equivalent Level 4 qualification) aged between 18 and 35. Concours SOG 2 (interne) is reserved for serving military personnel with at least one year of active service (including Gendarmes Adjoints Volontaires - GAV, active military reservists, and members of the French Army, Navy, or Air and Space Force) without a formal diploma requirement.
What is the dual subordination of the Gendarmerie Nationale in France?
Since the Act of August 3, 2009, the Gendarmerie nationale is organically attached to the Ministère de l'Intérieur for its daily operational employment, policing missions, public safety strategy, and budgetary administration. However, under the Code de la défense, it maintains its military status, with the Ministère des Armées overseeing military discipline, personnel regulations, military justice, and defense missions.
What happens if a candidate scores below 6/20 on the written composition or oral interview?
Under the regulatory provisions of the Arrêté du 27 avril 2011, any score strictly below 6 out of 20 on either the written composition de culture générale (admissibility phase) or the oral interview with the military jury (admission phase) constitutes an eliminatory grade (note éliminatoire), resulting in immediate disqualification regardless of other scores.
What does the Épreuve Physique Gendarmerie (EPG) entail?
The EPG is a demanding continuous obstacle course completed in athletic gear. It simulates an operational intervention, requiring candidates to negotiate hurdles, vaults, low crawl barriers, balance beams, stairs, a combat simulation machine (pushing and pulling 25 to 30 kg loads under resistance), and transporting a weighted mannequin (45 to 50 kg) over a designated distance within strict time limits.
What legal framework governs the use of firearms by gendarmes?
Gendarmes operate under Article L. 435-1 of the Code de la sécurité intérieure (CSI), which harmonizes firearm use rules across the Police nationale and Gendarmerie nationale. Firearm discharge is strictly confined to five authorized scenarios (such as defending life or vital installations, armed persons refusing warnings, and fleeing dangerous vehicles), and is subject to absolute necessity and strict proportionality.