Public official: how to prepare for a competition?

Verified 25 November 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You can benefit from training in preparation for the examinations and professional examinations of the public service. The conditions of access to these courses vary depending on whether you belong to the State Public Service (FPE), Territorial Public Service (FPT) or Hospital Public Service (FPH).

EPF

They can be of 2 types:

  • Competitions or examinations for access to body of the State civil service, or if you are a public servant grades of progress
  • Competitions or examinations for access to territorial employment frameworks or to hospital bodies or to jobs of the European Union institutions.

Training can take place in-person, by mail or online.

They can take place in whole or in part on your working time.

If the training takes place during working time, you make an absence request.

Your request for absence cannot be refused if the duration of the training is less than or equal to 5 days of full-time work per year.

However, the request for absence may be postponed a maximum of 2 times if service requirements impose it.

You can:

Training courses can be organized by your employer administration or by external training organizations approved by your administration.

Yes, you benefit from priority access to the training courses to prepare for the tests of professional competitions and exams in one of the following situations:

  • You belong to a body or hold a category C job and you do not have a bachelor's degree
  • You are a disabled person benefiting from theemployment obligation
  • It is noted, after consulting the occupational physician, that you are particularly exposed, given your individual professional situation, to a risk of professional wear and tear.

If the training is insured by your employer, you benefit automatically.

If several courses correspond to your request, your employer may decide to have you follow the training provided by him.

If the training is not not insured by your employer, the conditions for such priority access shall be specified by ministerial order. This Order may provide for funding ceilings.

FPT

You can benefit from training in preparation for written and/or oral tests of professional competitions and exams, subject to service requirements.

The competitions and examinations concerned may be competitions or examinations for access to job executives of the territorial civil service, or if you are a public servant grades of advancement.

It can also be competitions or exams for access to State or hospital staff or to jobs of the European Union institutions.

They can be of 2 types:

  • Competitions or examinations for access to job executives of the territorial civil service, or if you are a public servant grades of progress
  • Competitions or examinations for access to State or hospital staff or to jobs of the European Union institutions.

Training can take place in-person or remotely.

She can take place on your working time.

When you have received training in preparation for the tests of a professional competition or examination during your working time, you can not benefit from this training until at least 12 months (one year) after the end of your 1re training.

This period is reduced to 6 months if 2 conditions are met:

  • The duration of your 1re training was less than 8 working days, split or not
  • And the cumulative duration of the 2 courses does not exceed 8 working days over a period of 12 months.

FYI  

These 6 or 12 months do not apply if you do not have not could follow fully your 1re training due to service requirements.

Preparation for competitions and professional examinations of the territorial civil service is organized in particular by the CNFPT: titleContent.

You benefit from priority access to training courses to prepare for professional competitions and exams if you are in one of the following situations:

  • You belong to a employment framework or hold a category C job and you do not have a bachelor's degree
  • You are a disabled person benefiting from theemployment obligation
  • It is noted, after consulting the occupational physician, that you are particularly exposed, given your individual professional situation, to a risk of professional wear and tear

When the training requested is insured by your employer or by the CNFPT, you benefit automatically.

If several courses correspond to your request, your employer may decide to have you take the training provided by him/herself.

If the requested training is not not insured by your employer or the NPTC, the conditions for implementing your priority access shall be specified by your employer. Your employer community may have funding caps.

FPH

The competitions and examinations concerned may be competitions or examinations for access to body of the hospital public service, or, if you are a public servant at grades of advancement.

It can also be competitions or exams for access to territorial employment frameworks or to State body or to jobs of the European Union institutions.

Training can take place:

  • By mail or online
  • In whole or in part, during your working time, when the nature of the preparation warrants it or outside working hours
  • Outside of working time.

There are several ways to access it.

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Training Plan

Training in preparation for the tests of a competition or professional examination registered in training plan you are obligatorily granted when you have not benefited from such training for 3 years.

However, your employer may postpone your training start by a maximum of one year due to the service requirements after the opinion of the HEADING: titleContent if you are a civil servant, or PPC: titleContent if you are a contractor.

Your employing institution may not oppose you 2 successive refusals to a training course for preparation for professional competitions and examinations only after notice from the CAP or the CCP.

Authorization for absence

When training takes place during working hours, you may be granted leave to complete all or part of the training.

You must be granted these leave authorizations when they are less than or equal to 5 days of full-time work per year.

Your employer may, however, postpone your leave of absence due to service requirements, unless you request it for the 3e times.

Personal Training Account (CPF)

You can use your acquired training rights on your personal training account.

Vocational Training Leave (VET)

You can apply for the vocational training leave to prepare for a competition or examination.

FYI  

If you have been granted leave to prepare for a competition, you may not be granted leave for vocational training until at least 12 months (one year) after completion of the preparation.

The preparation for professional examinations and examinations of the hospital public service is organized in particular by the National Association for the Continuing Education of Hospital Staff (ANFH).

You benefit from priority access to training courses to prepare for professional competitions and exams if you are in one of the following situations:

  • You belong to a body or hold a category C job and you do not have a bachelor's degree
  • You are a disabled person benefiting from theemployment obligation
  • It is noted, after consulting the occupational physician, that you are particularly exposed, given your individual professional situation, to a risk of professional wear and tear.

When the training requested is insured by your employer, you benefit automatically..

If several courses correspond to your request, your employer may decide to have you take the training provided by him/herself.

If the requested training is not not insured by your employer, the conditions for implementing your priority access shall be specified by your employer. Your employer institution may have funding caps.