The agrégation externe d'histoire is a French competitive examination for the recruitment of associate professors who teach history or geography at the collège, or lycée level. There is also an agrégation externe de géographie and the agrégation interne d'histoire et géographie. In practice, though not an absolute requirement, it is often used as a selection criterion for teaching history in the CPGE and in higher education.^[1]

History

The agrégation d'histoire et de géographie was created in 1831. The division of agrégations between the two disciplines was established under the influence of the geographer Emmanuel de Martonne and with the agreement of the minister, the historian and antiquarian Jérôme Carcopino,^[2] in 1941 (decree and order of 28 April) then definitively ratified by the order of 28 September 1943: "an agrégation in history and an agrégation in geography shall be instituted".

Since 2010, it has been necessary to have a master's degree to take this exam, one of the most attractive and selective literary agrégations^[3] and remains de facto required to teach history in Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles or at university.^[4]

Structure of the examinations

• Qualifying examinations (written):

Each of the history written tests must deal with a different historical period. These two essays are given in chronological order: if medieval history, for example, is the subject of the first essay, the second essay will automatically deal with the question on modern history or contemporary history (but not ancient history, which may be given as a commentary).

• Practical and oral exams:

Programme questions

In history, two out of four of the questions are renewed each year, with each question remaining on the curriculum for two years. In geography, one question on France is included every year, while the other question changes. Since 2008, the question on France has been topical.

Success rates

(58.9%)

(36%)

(10.4%)

(53.2%)

(31.5%)

(7.4%)

(51.5%)

(23.5%)

(11.4%)

(12.5%)

Between 2003 and 2009, the number of successful candidates decreased by 30%, without offsetting the decrease in the number of posts (-37% over the period). From year to year, the competition has become more and more selective: since 2005, the real admission rate has never exceeded 7%, and from 2003 to 2010 (except in 2007), the percentage of admitted candidates compared to those not eliminated was lower than that of the agrégation de philosophie. In 2011, following a sharp drop in the number of candidates not eliminated, the agrégation in history became less selective than that in philosophy.

The success rate varies greatly from one academy to another. It is exceptionally high in the academies of Créteil-Paris-Versailles and Lyon because of the presence of the École Normale Supérieure of rue d'Ulm, Lyon, Cachan (students from the latter benefiting from the preparation offered by rue d'Ulm^[17]), the École des Chartes, and renowned faculties such as Paris-I and Paris-IV.^[18]

Historians' views on the agrégation d'histoire

Ernest Lavisse

In 1883, Ernest Lavisse, speaking to Parisian students, said:

"The agrégation will not require of those of you who choose the history of antiquity the slightest notion of epigraphy or archaeology; nor will it require of those who choose the history of the Middle Ages the slightest notion of palaeography or diplomacy or medieval philology [...] and all that you will not be asked for will be indispensable."

In 1888, Ernest Denis, who was to hold the chair of modern history at the Sorbonne, and who was himself an agrégé, said of the agrégation that "there is only one way to improve it, and that is to abolish it!" - what Jacques Le Goff described in 1966 as "words that are, alas, still relevant and likely to remain so". In 1892, it was Ferdinand Lot (who was chartered, not an agrégé and ended his career as a professor of medieval history at the Sorbonne) who judged "that the agrégation is an evil institution which, more than any other, has contributed to our scientific degradation, that it is a gnawing canker which devours the intelligence of teachers and students."

Controversy at the 2011 session

The agrégation d'histoire received unusual amount of attention from the general public in 2011: the text given for the historical commentary test was presented as an authentic medieval text written in the 15th century, when in fact it was a fictionalized reconstruction of Palémon Glorieux, published in 1964.^[19] The two historians behind the subject, Catherine Vincent and Denyse Riche, resigned from the jury after their error was revealed by the French media. The Ministry of Education officially took a position by announcing that this error, although not in line with the required scientific rigour, did not lead to the cancellation of the test since the principle of equality between candidates had not been violated.^[20]

Famous winners

Famous recipients of the agrégation in history-geography and later in history include:

References