Job file: Gendarme

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What are the missions of the gendarme?

The main mission of the gendarme is to ensure the protection of people and property, and security. It also participates in the prevention of delinquency, judicial inquiries, relief missions, maintenance of public order, respect for the enforcement of laws, road surveillance, defense of the Nation …

How to become a gendarme?

To become a gendarme, you must pass the entrance exam to a police school.
For volunteer positions, recruitment is done by interview and selection tests.

The conditions for taking the competition:

  • Be at least 18 years old and at most 35 years old
  • Hold the baccalaureate diploma
  • Be of French nationality
  • Not to have presented himself more than 3 times
  • Behave compatible with the function

The content of the competition:

The entrance exam consists of the first practical tests: the writing of a general knowledge note, a MCQ and other questions of logic, a test in a foreign language.

Following these tests, if the candidate is admissible, he will have to: pass an interview with a psychologist, meet with a jury on the candidate’s motivations and the main areas of current affairs and finally, pass a physical test.

Once the competition has been obtained, training at the Gendarmerie school lasts 12 months.

Become a gendarme without a baccalaureate? It’s possible !

The baccalaureate diploma is not an obligation because there is a specific path for young people under 26, wishing to invest and make a career in the gendarmerie.
The Gendarme Adjoint Volontaire (GAV) route gives the possibility of taking the internal examination after one year of seniority. Thus, a GAV can claim to one day become a career policeman (non-commissioned officer).

The selective tests consist of:

  • psychotechnical tests
  • a general knowledge questionnaire (French, culture, calculations)
  • a timed reading comprehension test

It is also compulsory to prepare a cover letter to present on the day of the tests.

What are the possible evolutions for a gendarme?

Developments within the Gendarmerie take place in different ways:
By step: We then speak of advancement in seniority. At the end of certain years of serving under a step, the gendarme is then graded to the higher echelon.
Grade: To move from one grade to another, it is not mandatory to have climbed all the steps (12 in total). This advancement can be done by request.
Of corps: To pass from the corps of non-commissioned officers to that of the officers of the gendarmerie, there are 3 possibilities:

  • pass the competitive examination for Gendarmerie officers,
  • benefit from internal promotion
  • graduate from certain schools.

What salary according to rank?

The salary of a gendarme also called “pay” depends on rank and seniority. Whatever the level, the salary of a gendarme remains attractive and comfortable.

Each grade is also divided into steps, which influence salaries; they are subject to an increase every 2-3 years. Here is an example of salaries according to different ranks:

Trainee policeman: 1,485.47 euros
Gendarme holder in step 1: 1,527, 64 euros
Chef de logis with 7 years of experience: 1923 euros
Warrant Officer with 17 years of experience: 2331 euros
Chief Warrant Officer with 21 years of experience: 2461 euros
Major with 26 years of experience: 2600 euros

Allowances and bonuses are added to basic income. They include: types of assignments, availability, family situation, mobility, specificity of the position, etc.

What specializations are possible for a gendarme?

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the different specializations possible for a gendarme after a few years of service:

  • judicial police (criminal investigation technician, portrait painter, dog handler …)
  • road safety (motorcyclist, rapid intervention vehicle pilot)
  • anti-drug or ecology-environment relay trainer
  • mountain specialist (skiing, mountaineering, caving)
  • helicopter pilot
  • speedboat pilot or armored vehicle pilot
  • scuba diver
  • Lifeguard Master
  • sport coach
  • cavalier
  • musician
  • transmitter
  • computer scientist
  • member of GIGN …

To summarize, the job of gendarme is a military job with multiple missions and responsibilities in the maintenance of order and security. He must protect and serve his country and his fellow citizens.