France opens 2027 recruitment concours for bridges, waters and forests engineers

Three arrêtés dated 21 August 2026, published in the Journal officiel de la République française n°196 of 23 August 2026, set the organisation, nature and programme of the 2027 recruitment concours into the corps of ingénieurs des ponts, des eaux et des forêts (IPEF). Signed by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature, they cover the external, internal and ingénieurs-élèves concours, and introduce new specialities tied to the energy and digital transitions.

The texts implement chapter IV of the decree of 12 August 2025 governing the corps and apply to concours opened for the 2027 session. They replace the arrangements in force for the 2026 session, which remain governed by the rules applicable at their opening. The corps of ingénieurs des ponts, des eaux et des forêts is one of the senior technical corps of the French State, responsible for infrastructure, environment, agriculture and natural-resource management.

Three concours, one corps

The ingénieurs-élèves concours (NOR TECK2622554A) organises three separate competitions:

• the ENS concours, for students in their third or fourth year at an école normale supérieure;
• the ISIVE concours, for final-year students of AgroParisTech;
• the AGES concours, for final-year students of other grandes écoles.

Each candidate submits a CV, a motivation letter and a note describing a scientific or technical project. The tests comprise a written admissibility paper (three hours, coefficient 1) and an oral admission interview (forty minutes, coefficient 2).

New specialities for the external concours

The external concours on titles and works (NOR TECK2622571A) is open by speciality, with eleven listed in the annex. New specialities reflect the ecological and digital transitions, including decarbonation of energy, digital and data science, and assessment and management of natural risks. Candidates holding a doctorate submit their thesis defence report and the rapporteurs’ reports; others must justify equivalent qualifications.

The eleven specialities are:

• Sciences du vivant au service des transitions agroécologiques et alimentaires;
• Connaissance et protection des écosystèmes;
• Évaluation et gestion des risques sanitaires et technologiques;
• Sciences humaines et sociales appliquées aux domaines d’activité du corps;
• Gestion durable des ressources naturelles;
• Sciences des territoires;
• Sciences et technologies du développement durable;
• Évaluation et gestion des risques naturels;
• Numérique et science des données;
• Décarbonation de l’énergie;
• Infrastructures et services de transports terrestres, maritimes et aériens.

Internal concours and juries

The internal concours (NOR TECK2622563A) comprises a written note de problématique (four hours, coefficient 1) and an oral interview (forty minutes, coefficient 2), drawing on a dossier of professional experience. Juries for all three concours are composed of at least eight members, proposed in equal parts by the ministries of agriculture and sustainable development, with alternating presidency and a casting vote for the president in the event of a tie.

For candidates seeking senior State technical careers, the 2027 session offers a renewed framework, with the external concours now aligned on the ecological and digital transitions. The opening and closing dates of registration and of the tests will be set by a joint arrêté of the ministers of agriculture and sustainable development, published in the Journal officiel.

Source: Journal officiel de la République française, n°196, 23 August 2026, section I (official references: NOR TECK2622554A, TECK2622563A, TECK2622571A).