Final advices 🇨🇵🇨🇵

Pass the Welcome to the French Foreign Legion push-ups test!

You’ll be asked to do as many pull-ups as you can. (I wrote about it more here: The welcome to the French Foreign Legion push-ups.) The minimum is 4 in the French Army, but 4 isn’t always enough to join the French Foreign Legion. Be prepared and try to go up to 10 at least.

6. Know your medical history

You’ll wait and wait during long hours (time to pull out the book I advised you to put in your bag). The only things to do will be some little jobs around the building and you’ll also have to fill out several papers, including the personality test.

Before heading to Aubagne, a doctor will examine you and make the first medical tests. Don’t be surprised when he’ll check your balls. Note that the medical tests include a urinalysis.

Don’t take drugs and if you took before, don’t mention when they ask you. You shouldn’t drink protein shakes day and night before joining the French Foreign Legion.

This test could show a protein excess in your urine and this condition is often a sign of kidney disease. So, you’ll have to see a doctor in Paris and be examined. This would make you lose money and time.

7. Pass the main selection tests in Aubagne

To pass the tests which will determinate your future, you will go down to Aubagne by TGV (high-speed train). It takes place on each Tuesday and Thursday. A bus will take the candidates to the Headquarter of the French Foreign Legion in Aubagne from the railway station in Marseille. They’ll bring you directly to the recruitment center as you’ve already passed the “preselection” phase.

You will pass the following tests:

The medical tests: it will involve a global check, a urine screen (to measure the drug, blood, protein level), audiometry (hearing test), an eye exam, a dental check and an ECG.

The sport tests: these tests have changed in 2020. Nowadays, you will have to pass the Luc Leger test, do as many clear, military pull-ups as you can and a 2400 meters running tests as fast as possible. In a normal case, you will also have to do a 25 meters long swimming test.

The IQ test: the IQ test doesn’t require any specific knowledge, but a bit practice could speed up your decision making time.

The interviews: during these discussions, you have to convince your interviewer why you would like to join the French Foreign Legion.