APPROXIMATElast verified 2026-10-20GIGN — Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale
Gendarmerie entry physical test — EPG (épreuve physique gendarmerie)
The GIGN is the counter-terrorism and hostage-rescue unit of the French Gendarmerie. It recruits only serving gendarmes: officers with the rank of lieutenant and NCOs from gendarme to maréchal des logis-chef, aged 24 to 34. The GIGN publishes no fitness thresholds for its week of selection tests. The calculator therefore uses the official physical test every candidate has already passed to join the Gendarmerie as an NCO: the EPG obstacle course and combat simulation, with a pass mark of 4:31 for men. Treat it as an approximate bar, not as the GIGN standard.
Move the sliders to your latest results. The verdict updates instantly against the published standards — calculated in your browser, nothing stored.
The test, event by event
| Event | Gendarme NCO competition — pass mark (6/20), men |
|---|---|
| EPG: obstacle course followed by a combat simulation, in sports kit (parcours d'obstacles + simulation de combat) | 4:31 |
Higher levels (e.g. competitive or elevated standards) and your gap to each are in the paid report.
Also required
- Who can apply: serving gendarmes only — officers with the rank of lieutenant and NCOs from gendarme to maréchal des logis-chef — aged 24 to 34 (Gendinfo, “GIGN 3.0”, 5 September 2022).
- Path: the operational branch (OPS, central GIGN) starts with one week of tests and an 8-week pre-course, followed by one year of training; the specialised intervention branch (IS, regional GIGN antennas) has one week of tests and an 8-week course (GIGN recruitment pages, updated 1 April 2025).
- The selection week includes, with no published thresholds: swimming tests, an 8 km march with an 11 kg pack (no time limit published), land navigation with 17 markers to find in under three hours, a session in water at about 10 °C with squats, burpees, push-ups and planks, a timed confidence course (rope climb, zip line), a bridge jump, a climbing wall, a beam at 25 m and an interview (Gendinfo, “GIGN 3.0”, 5 September 2022).
- EPG details: after the timed obstacle course and combat simulation comes a weight carry, marked pass or fail; failing it takes one point off the score, and any score under 6/20 eliminates. For women the pass mark is 4:41 and the top score (20/20) 3:20.
- Gendarme NCO competition — pass mark (6/20), men — Concours SOG — Barème Épreuve physique gendarmerie (EPG), arrêté du 27 avril 2011 modifié (art. 23, modifié par l'arrêté du 25 février 2020) (2026-10-20)
- Top score in the gendarme competition (20/20), men — Concours SOG — Barème Épreuve physique gendarmerie (EPG), arrêté du 27 avril 2011 modifié (2026-10-20)
Questions
Why is the GIGN calculator based on the gendarmerie entry test?
Because the GIGN publishes no fitness thresholds for its selection week, and every candidate must already be a gendarme. The EPG pass mark (4:31 for men) is the only official physical minimum all of them have met. GIGN selection itself is far harder, so treat the calculator as a floor, not as the GIGN standard.
Do serving gendarmes take a regular fitness test?
Yes. Like all French military personnel they must pass the CCPM every two years: a sports block (a 3,000 m run, push-ups or pull-ups, and abdominals or a plank) and an operational block. Since 1 January 2024 a weak event can be offset by the others, and some personnel may choose alternatives such as a 400 m swim. The Gendarmerie has not published per-event scoring tables, so the CCPM is not in the calculator (Gendinfo, 16 April 2025).
Where do the numbers come from?
The EPG pass mark and top score come from the official scoring table on the Gendarmerie recruitment site (“Concours SOG — Barème Épreuve physique gendarmerie”), based on the order of 27 April 2011 as amended (Art. 23, amended on 25 February 2020). GIGN eligibility, selection path and test week come from Gendinfo (“GIGN 3.0”, 5 September 2022) and the GIGN recruitment pages (updated 1 April 2025). We read them on 20 October 2026.
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