Free Practice Questions for Concours Rédacteur Territorial

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Key Facts: Concours Rédacteur Territorial Exam

Category B

Civil service classification level (FPT administrative framework)

Décret n° 2012-924

CDG

Organized by departmental Centres de Gestion

Code Général de la Fonction Publique (CGFP)

€0 Free

Examination fee (free open competitive exam)

FNCDG Regulations

Liste d'aptitude

Appointment mechanism across territorial employers (2 to 4 years)

Article L325-38 CGFP

100 MCQs

Practice questions in this OpenExamPrep study bank

OpenExamPrep Study Standard

The Concours Rédacteur Territorial (Category B) is organized by departmental CDGs under Decrees 2012-924 and 2012-942. Evaluated through a written 3-hour note on dossier, a 3-hour question paper, and an oral jury interview, this 100-question English study bank covers CGCT local governance, legal acts, M57 accounting, and CGFP human resources.

Sample Concours Rédacteur Territorial Practice Questions

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

1According to Article 72 of the French Constitution of 1958, which foundational principle governs the relationship between local authorities (*collectivités territoriales*) and the central State?

A.Subordinate hierarchy under direct departmental ministerial command

B.Free administration (*libre administration*) by elected councils under statutory conditions

C.Absolute legislative sovereignty with unchecked regulatory autonomy

D.Total budgetary autonomy exempt from any administrative or judicial review

Explanation: Article 72, paragraph 3 of the French Constitution provides that local authorities (*collectivités territoriales*) govern themselves freely through elected councils (*principe de libre administration*) under conditions determined by statute. This gives them regulatory power for exercising their competencies, subject to administrative legality control by the State representative (*contrôle de légalité*).

2Which legal principle established in Article 72 of the Constitution prohibits one territorial collectivity from exercising authority or supervision over another (*tutelle d'une collectivité sur une autre*)?

A.The principle of subsidiarity (*principe de subsidiarité*)

B.The prohibition of supervisory tutelage (*interdiction de toute tutelle d'une collectivité sur une autre*)

C.The general competence clause (*clause générale de compétence*)

D.The principle of organic solidarity (*principe de solidarité organique*)

Explanation: Article 72, paragraph 5 of the Constitution strictly specifies: 'Aucune collectivité territoriale ne peut exercer une tutelle sur une autre' (No local authority may exercise tutelage over another). However, when the exercise of a competence requires the cooperation of several authorities, the law may designate one authority or grouping as a lead entity (*chef de file*).

3Following the enactment of the NOTRe law (Loi n° 2015-991), which level of French territorial collectivity is the sole tier that retains the general competence clause (*clause générale de compétence*)?

A.The Regions (*Régions*)

B.The Departments (*Départements*)

C.The Municipalities (*Communes*)

D.Public establishments for intercommunal cooperation (*EPCI*)

Explanation: The Law of August 7, 2015 (Loi NOTRe) abolished the *clause générale de compétence* for both *Départements* and *Régions*, restricting them to specialized statutory competencies (*compétences d'attribution*). The *Commune* (municipality) remains the only territorial collectivity retaining the general competence clause under Article L2121-29 of the CGCT to regulate any public interest affair at municipal scale.

4In French local government, what is the dual legal status of a municipal Mayor (*Maire*) under the *Code Général des Collectivités Territoriales* (CGCT)?

A.Executive of the commune and judicial magistrate of the administrative tribunal

B.Executive of the commune and agent of the central State in the municipal territory

C.President of the departmental council and municipal police commissioner

D.Legal delegate of the Regional Prefect and president of the local commercial court

Explanation: Under the CGCT (Articles L2122-1 et seq.), the Mayor has a dual role (*dédoublement fonctionnel*): as the chief executive of the decentralized territorial collectivity (executing municipal council deliberations and managing municipal personnel), and as an agent of the State under the hierarchical authority of the Préfet or public prosecutor (serving as civil registrar *officier d'état civil*, judicial police officer *officier de police judiciaire*, and organizing national elections).

5Under Article L2212-2 of the CGCT, which three traditional components constitute the administrative police power (*police administrative générale*) entrusted to the Mayor?

A.Public order, economic profitability, and fiscal stability

B.Public safety, public tranquility, and public health (*bon ordre, sûreté, sécurité et salubrité publiques*)

C.Judicial prosecution, criminal incarceration, and border patrol

D.Tax collection, urban cadastral mapping, and compulsory expropriation

Explanation: Article L2212-2 of the CGCT defines municipal administrative police as maintaining good order, safety, tranquility, and public sanitation (*le bon ordre, la sûreté, la sécurité et la salubrité publiques*). This preventive power includes regulating traffic, preventing hazards, ensuring hygiene, and preserving quietude.

6When exercising powers as an agent of the State (*agent de l'État*), to whose hierarchical authority is the Mayor subject?

A.The Municipal Council (*Conseil municipal*)

B.The Departmental Prefect (*Préfet de département*) or the Public Prosecutor (*Procureur de la République*)

C.The President of the Regional Council (*Président du Conseil régional*)

D.The President of the Intercommunal Public Establishment (*Président de l'EPCI*)

Explanation: When acting as an agent of the State (e.g., publishing national laws, managing electoral rolls, civil status registration, and judicial police duties), the Mayor is subject to hierarchical subordination under the departmental Préfet for administrative functions and the Procureur de la République for civil status and judicial police matters.

7What is the primary statutory mission of the French *Département* under the current division of competencies following the NOTRe and 3DS laws?

A.Macroeconomic industrial subsidies and commercial maritime port management

B.Social solidarity (*solidarité sociale*) and territorial solidarity (*solidarité territoriale*)

C.University research program funding and national railway infrastructure management

D.Secondary school (*lycées*) construction, maintenance, and educational curriculum drafting

Explanation: The *Département* is the lead authority (*chef de file*) for social solidarity and territorial solidarity. Its statutory responsibilities center on individual welfare benefits (APA, RSA, PCH), child welfare (*Aide Sociale à l'Enfance - ASE*), autonomy for the elderly and persons with disabilities, middle schools (*collèges*), and departmental road networks (*routes départementales*).

8Which territorial authority is legally designated as the lead authority (*chef de file*) for regional economic development and regional passenger transport under the CGCT?

A.The Commune

B.The Département

C.The Région

D.The Public Land Establishment (*EPF*)

Explanation: Under Article L4221-1 of the CGCT and the Loi NOTRe, the *Région* is the exclusive lead authority (*chef de file*) for regional economic development (SRDEII scheme, direct corporate aid) and non-urban regional transport (TER regional trains, interurban bus services, and school transportation outside urban perimeters).

9What is the minimum population threshold required by statute to create a *communauté d'agglomération* in France under Article L5216-1 of the CGCT?

A.15,000 inhabitants with no single town requirement

B.50,000 inhabitants in a single uninterrupted territory around one or more central cities of at least 15,000 inhabitants

C.250,000 inhabitants forming an integrated urban region

D.500,000 inhabitants centered on a regional prefecture

Explanation: Article L5216-1 of the CGCT stipulates that a *communauté d'agglomération* is an EPCI with own tax powers (*à fiscalité propre*) grouping together several municipalities forming an uninterrupted perimeter of at least 50,000 inhabitants, around one or more central municipalities with at least 15,000 inhabitants (subject to specific exemptions, such as departmental prefectures).

10Which legal principle governs the scope of action of an *Établissement Public de Coopération Intercommunale* (EPCI), restricting it only to powers explicitly transferred by its member communes?

A.The principle of general territorial autonomy

B.The principle of specialty (*principe de spécialité*)

C.The principle of universal municipal substitution

D.The principle of unlimited administrative competence

Explanation: An EPCI is an administrative public establishment governed by the principle of specialty (*principe de spécialité*), which is twofold: functional specialty (it can act only within the statutory competencies transferred to it by member communes or assigned by law) and territorial specialty (it can act only within its designated geographical perimeter).

About the Concours Rédacteur Territorial Exam

The Concours Rédacteur Territorial is the premier Category B administrative civil service competition in France for local government administration (Fonction Publique Territoriale - FPT). Organized by departmental Centres de Gestion (CDG), rédacteurs territoriaux perform intermediate management, administrative writing, budgetary execution, human resources coordination, and regulatory oversight across French municipalities (mairies), departmental councils (conseils départementaux), regional councils (conseils régionaux), and intercommunal public bodies (EPCI). Laureates secure civil service tenure after completing a probationary year (année de stage) following recruitment from the territorial aptitude list (liste d'aptitude).

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 Rédacteur Territorial is governed by Décret n° 2012-924 and Décret n° 2012-942 under the statutory framework of the Code Général de la Fonction Publique (CGFP). It recruits Category B administrative executives for communes, départements, régions, and EPCIs. The competition includes written admissibility tests (épreuves écrites d'admissibilité): the drafting of an administrative note from a case file (rédaction d'une note à partir des éléments d'un dossier portant sur les missions, compétences et moyens d'action des collectivités territoriales, 3 hours, coefficient 1) and answers to a series of questions on the chosen administrative domain (3 hours, coefficient 1). Admitted candidates sit for an oral admission examination (épreuve orale d'admission): an individual interview with the selection board assessing general knowledge, public service motivation, and territorial administration comprehension (entretien avec le jury débutant par un exposé, 20 minutes, coefficient 1). Successful candidates are placed on a territorial aptitude list (liste d'aptitude).

Time Limit

Written tests: 6 hours total (two 3-hour sessions); Oral interview: 20 minutes

Passing Score

Competitive ranking list on territorial laureates list (inscription sur liste d'aptitude); mark below 5/20 in any test is eliminatory

Exam / Certification Fees

Free / No examination fee

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Approximately 10%–18% depending on regional CDG quota and session attendance. Selection is competitive based on quota of open vacancies declared by territorial employers affiliated with the CDG. 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%

Organisation et fonctionnement des collectivités territoriales et institutions administratives

Constitutional principles of French decentralization, legal autonomy (libre administration), powers of communes, départements, and régions, municipal councils and mayoral authority, intercommunal public cooperation (communautés de communes, communautés d'agglomération, communautés urbaines, métropoles), and State territorial representation through the Préfet.

25%

Gestion administrative, état civil, élections et actes administratifs locaux

Drafting and adoption of local administrative acts (délibérations, arrêtés municipaux, décisions du maire), formal transmission and publication requirements, administrative legality control (contrôle de légalité) and budgetary control, civil status registry (actes d'état civil), electoral roll administration, and citizen transparency (CADA rules).

25%

Finances et comptabilité des collectivités locales

Local public budgetary principles (annualité, unité, universalité, spécialité, équilibre réel), M57 budgetary nomenclature, roles and strict separation of the authorising officer (ordonnateur) and public accountant (comptable public), expenditure cycles (engagement, liquidation, mandatement, paiement), revenue collection (ordonnancement, recouvrement), advance imprest funds (régies d'avances et de recettes), and audits by the Chambre Régionale des Comptes (CRC).

20%

Ressources humaines, statut des agents territoriaux et droit public appliqué

General status of territorial civil servants under the Code Général de la Fonction Publique (CGFP), statutory rights (freedom of opinion, right to strike, functional protection) and duties (discretion, probity, obedience, neutrality), disciplinary procedures and sanctions, career advancement (avancement d'échelon, avancement de grade, promotion interne), administrative leaves, and representative social dialogue bodies (Comité Social Territorial - CST, Commission Administrative Paritaire - CAP).

Preparing for the Concours Rédacteur Territorial Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Competitive ranking list on territorial laureates list (inscription sur liste d'aptitude); mark below 5/20 in any test is eliminatory
Assessment: The Concours Rédacteur Territorial is governed by Décret n° 2012-924 and Décret n° 2012-942 under the statutory framework of the Code Général de la Fonction Publique (CGFP). It recruits Category B administrative executives for communes, départements, régions, and EPCIs. The competition includes written admissibility tests (épreuves écrites d'admissibilité): the drafting of an administrative note from a case file (rédaction d'une note à partir des éléments d'un dossier portant sur les missions, compétences et moyens d'action des collectivités territoriales, 3 hours, coefficient 1) and answers to a series of questions on the chosen administrative domain (3 hours, coefficient 1). Admitted candidates sit for an oral admission examination (épreuve orale d'admission): an individual interview with the selection board assessing general knowledge, public service motivation, and territorial administration comprehension (entretien avec le jury débutant par un exposé, 20 minutes, coefficient 1). Successful candidates are placed on a territorial aptitude list (liste d'aptitude).
Time limit: Written tests: 6 hours total (two 3-hour sessions); Oral interview: 20 minutes
Exam / certification fees: Free / No examination fee Official sources

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Concours Rédacteur Territorial: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the constitutional framework of decentralization: memorize Article 72 of the French Constitution, the principle of 'libre administration des collectivités territoriales', and the division of statutory competencies between communes, départements, and régions.

2Understand the lifecycle and legality of municipal acts: review the conditions under which délibérations and arrêtés become legally enforceable (transmission to the préfet for contrôle de légalité and public notification/publication).

3Thoroughly review public finance and the M57 accounting framework: understand the strict legal separation of ordonnateur and comptable public, budgetary milestones (BP, BS, CA, CFU), and expenditure phases (engagement, liquidation, mandatement, paiement).

4Learn civil service rights and duties under the Code Général de la Fonction Publique (CGFP): focus on the distinction between devoir d'obéissance hiérarchique and illegal orders gravely compromising public interest (Article L121-10 CGFP), secret professionnel, and protection fonctionnelle.

5Practice structured administrative writing (note de cadrage / note de synthèse): learn to analyze dossier documents efficiently, draft an objective operational plan, and propose actionable solutions tailored to territorial elected officials.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Concours de Rédacteur Territorial and what role does it recruit for?

The Concours Rédacteur Territorial recruits Category B executive administrative officers for French local authorities (communes, départements, régions, and EPCI). Rédacteurs territoriaux handle administrative management, public accounting, legal drafting, public procurement follow-up, and human resources under the direction of an Attaché or Director General of Services (DGS).

Who organizes the Concours Rédacteur Territorial and how often is it held?

The competition is organized regionally by departmental Centres de Gestion (CDG) de la Fonction Publique Territoriale, typically every two years (biennially), based on declared staffing needs from affiliated local public employers.

What are the eligibility requirements for the external vs. internal competition?

The external competition (concours externe) is open to candidates holding at least a French Baccalauréat (Bac / Level 4 qualification) or equivalent. The internal competition (concours interne) is open to serving civil servants and public contract employees with at least 4 years of public service seniority as of January 1 of the competition year.

What happens after passing the Concours Rédacteur Territorial?

Unlike state civil service competitions where passing guarantees immediate post assignment, territorial laureates are registered on a regional aptitude list (liste d'aptitude) valid for 2 years (renewable twice up to a maximum of 4 years). Laureates must apply directly to local authority vacancies to secure appointment as a probationary civil servant (stagiaire) for one year prior to formal titrisation.

Are there any registration or examination fees for this competition?

No. In accordance with French public civil service regulations, registration and sitting for the Concours Rédacteur Territorial organized by the CDGs is completely free of charge.