Adjoint Administratif Territorial common mistakes
Adjoint Administratif Territorial · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In organisation questions, the candidate systematically confuses the roles of the mayor and the departmental council, for example attributing the power to grant building permits to the departmental council or claiming that the mayor is elected by the municipal council for a fixed term of six years without recalling the renewal of the municipal council.
The candidate relies on vague memories of the general hierarchy of local authorities and does not master the distribution of competences established by the Code général des collectivités territoriales (CGCT). The terms 'mayor', 'president of the departmental council' and 'prefect' are often associated with the wrong acts, because the candidate has not memorised the blocks of competences (état civil, urbanisme, action sociale, collèges, etc.).
What to do instead
Build a two-entry table: on the left, the main acts (building permit, social action, school transport, waste collection, etc.); on the right, the authority responsible and the legal basis (CGCT article). Revise one block per day and test yourself by covering the right-hand column. For each act, state in one sentence who decides, who prepares and who controls.
In administrative law, the candidate answers a case study by invoking the principle of legality without identifying the exact legal norm violated, or by confusing illegality of the act with illegality of the procedure. For example, on a question about a municipal by-law restricting a freedom, the candidate writes 'the mayor did not have the right' without citing the competence of the municipal council or the hierarchy of norms.
The candidate has learned general principles (legality, proportionality, adversarial procedure) in the abstract but has not trained to apply them to a concrete set of facts. Under exam pressure, they produce a general moral judgement instead of a legal qualification. They also confuse the roles of the administrative court and the prefect's control of legality.
What to do instead
Use a method sheet for each case: (1) identify the contested act and its author, (2) identify the applicable norm (law, regulation, general principle of law), (3) check competence, form, procedure and purpose, (4) conclude on legality. Train on 10 short cases by writing only the qualification sentence. Learn by heart the articles on the prefect's control (L. 2131-1 et seq. of the CGCT) and on the ex officio powers of the mayor (L. 2212-2 and L. 2212-4).
In internal administrative management, the candidate describes a procedure by listing steps in the wrong order, omitting the hierarchical validation or the compulsory consultation. For example, on the drafting of an internal note, they propose to send it to all staff before the head of department has validated it, or they forget the prior information of staff representatives when a decision affects working conditions.
The candidate knows the theory of the decision-making process but has not internalised the practical circuits of a local authority. They transpose a private-sector model (direct sending, informal validation) into a public setting where the hierarchy, the signature delegation and the compulsory consultations (social dialogue, health and safety committee) structure the process.
What to do instead
For each type of document (note, circular, procedure, decision), memorise a standard circuit: drafting by the agent, validation by the line manager, possible consultation of the competent body, signature by the authority with delegation, then distribution and archiving. Write it as a flowchart and use it in exercises. Also revise the rules on signature delegation (deliberation, publication, mention on the document).
In public accounting, the candidate confuses the roles of the authorising officer (ordonnateur) and the public accountant (comptable public), or describes the budget cycle by omitting the stages of commitment, liquidation and payment. For example, they state that the mayor can directly pay an invoice without the accountant's control, or they confuse the administrative account and the management account.
The candidate has memorised the vocabulary of public accounting without understanding the separation of functions. The distinction between the authorising officer who decides and the accountant who pays is often reduced to a simple hierarchy, and the stages of expenditure are learned as a list without logical links.
What to do instead
Draw the expenditure chain: commitment (engagement), liquidation, ordonnancement, payment by the accountant. For each stage, write who does it, on what document and with what control. Then learn the difference between the administrative account (compte administratif) and the management account (compte de gestion), and the role of the regional chamber of accounts. Practise with a simple invoice case: identify the authorising officer, the accountant and the control points.
In administrative writing, the candidate produces a note or report without a clear structure: no title, no reference, no introduction stating the object, a mixture of background and recommendations, and an inconsistent use of the administrative register (for example, using 'tu' or familiar expressions).
The candidate focuses on the content and neglects the formal codes of administrative writing, which are implicitly assessed. The absence of a model and the lack of training in drafting under time pressure lead to a conversational style, whereas the expected register is impersonal and standardised.
What to do instead
Memorise a reusable framework for the administrative note: header (author, recipient, date, object, reference), introduction (context, problem), body (facts, analysis), conclusion (proposals, decision). Train by writing three notes per week on current local topics, strictly applying the framework. Use a checklist of formal criteria (title, reference, register, paragraphing) and self-assess before comparing with a corrected model.
In French language, the candidate makes repeated agreement errors with past participles and with collective nouns, and confuses homophones (a/à, ou/où, ce/se). For example, they write 'les décisions qu'il a prit' or 'les agents sont allé'.
These errors stem from a mechanical application of rules without grammatical analysis of the sentence. The candidate relies on ear and fails to identify the subject, the auxiliary and the direct object, especially in complex sentences. Stress and speed reinforce automatisms.
What to do instead
Review the agreement of the past participle with 'avoir' and 'être' using a three-step method: identify the auxiliary, identify the subject or direct object, apply the rule. Do 10 sentences per day by underlining the elements. For homophones, use substitution tests (a = avait, ou = or). Keep an error log and reread it before each session.
In mathematics and logic, the candidate solves a problem by applying a formula without checking the units or the order of magnitude, and in logic series they choose the first plausible answer without verifying the rule on all terms. For example, on a percentage increase question, they add the percentages instead of applying successive coefficients.
The candidate seeks speed and recognises a familiar surface pattern, which leads to skipping the verification step. The lack of training in checking units and orders of magnitude, and in explicitly formulating the rule of a series, favours this shortcut.
What to do instead
Impose a systematic approach: write the data with units, state the formula in letters, substitute, calculate, then check the order of magnitude. For logic series, always write the rule in a sentence before choosing the answer, and test it on the first three terms. Do timed exercises but with a compulsory verification phase.
In digital environment and office automation, the candidate uses the spreadsheet as a simple table and does not master absolute references or sorting/filtering, which produces erroneous results when copying formulas. For example, they copy a formula containing a relative reference and obtain shifted totals.
The candidate has learned the software by imitation without understanding the concepts of relative and absolute references, or of data ranges. The fear of the tool leads them to avoid functions and to do calculations manually, which introduces errors.
What to do instead
Practise on a small dataset: create a total with SUM, then copy the formula while observing the references; use $ to fix a cell and compare. Learn to define a range as a table and to use sorting and filtering. Do three concrete exercises: a budget tracking table, a list of agents with filters, and a mail merge. Check each result by a manual calculation.
In oral communication and interview, the candidate answers questions about their motivation with generalities ('I like public service') without linking them to the specific missions of the local authority, and does not structure their answer (no situation, action, result).
The candidate prepares by reciting a generic presentation and does not research the authority or the job. Stress leads to a monologue or, conversely, to fragmented answers. The lack of training in the 'situation-action-result' method prevents them from giving concrete examples.
What to do instead
Prepare a file on the authority (missions, organisation, current projects) and link each of your experiences to a mission. For each question, answer in three steps: situation, action, result. Train orally with a timer and record yourself to check the length and clarity. Prepare five concrete examples from your professional or personal life that illustrate your skills.
In budget management, the candidate confuses the operating section and the investment section, or treats a multi-year investment as an operating expense. For example, they record the purchase of a vehicle as an operating expense because it is used daily.
The candidate reasons by use rather than by accounting nature. The distinction between operating and investment is not intuitive and requires knowing the notion of asset and the depreciation rules. The candidate has not memorised the typical accounts and the budget documents (BP, DM, CA).
What to do instead
Learn the definition of an investment (durable asset that increases the patrimony) and an operating expense (recurring expense of current operation). Classify 20 common expenses (vehicle, fuel, road maintenance, computer software, building) by justifying each choice. Revise the budget cycle: voted budget, amended budget, administrative account, and the rules on carry-over of investment credits.