The IRIC concours opens the door to Cameroon’s diplomatic service, international organisations,
international law practice, and global business careers. Unlike science concours that reward
technical problem-solving, IRIC rewards strong language ability, broad intellectual curiosity, and
the ability to reason analytically about world affairs. For a well-prepared candidate who reads
widely and writes well in French and English, IRIC is one of the most achievable Grande Ecole
concours in Cameroon. This guide tells you exactly how to prepare.
What You Will Learn in This Guide
• What IRIC is, which programs it offers, and what career paths each leads to.
• The structure of the written papers and why the oral examination carries real weight at
IRIC.
• How to prepare the international relations, international law, and general culture papers.
• Why both French and English are tested at full weight and how to build genuine bilingual
writing quality.
• The preparation mistakes that separate those who pass from those who do not.
What IRIC Is and What It Leads To
The Institut des Relations Internationales du Cameroun, known as IRIC, is Cameroon’s national
institution for training diplomats, international lawyers, international business professionals, and
specialists in international organisations. Attached to the University of Yaounde II, IRIC is a
Grande Ecole in the fullest sense admission by competitive concours, government scholarship
during studies, and careers that cannot be accessed through standard university programs.
IRIC offers four programs. The DSEI (Diplomacy and International Studies) is the flagship it
trains candidates for the Cameroonian diplomatic corps and positions in international
organisations. International Law trains candidates for practice in international arbitration, human
rights law, the ICC, and international commercial law. International Business trains candidates for
international trade, AfCFTA implementation, and global business roles. International Relations
and African Integration trains specialists in African regional politics and integration processes.
IRIC graduates represent Cameroon in embassies worldwide, work at the AU, hold positions at
UN agencies (UNDP, UNESCO, WHO, UNHCR), and practise international law at the highest
levels. For a candidate with strong language skills, intellectual range, and genuine interest in
international affairs, IRIC is a transformative opportunity.
The IRIC Exam Structure
The IRIC concours consists of five written papers followed by a substantive oral examination.
Unlike at ENSP or FMSB where the oral is largely a qualifying formality, the IRIC oral tests
language fluency and analytical thinking directly and has eliminated candidates with strong
written scores.
International relations / world affairs essay (3 hours, highest weight). An analytical essay on
a current or recent major issue in international relations. Makes a clear argument, supports it with
specific evidence, and evaluates counter-perspectives. This is not a factual recall paper it tests
your ability to reason analytically about global political developments.
International law / public law essay (3 hours, high weight). Essay questions on international
law principles, specific treaties and conventions, international organisations and their legal
frameworks, and application of international law to specific scenarios.
General culture (2 hours, high weight). Short essays and factual questions testing breadth of
knowledge across Cameroonian and African politics, major global events, cultural affairs, and
social issues.
French essay (3 hours, high weight). Formal essay and summary on a social, political, or
media-related topic. Tests formal prose quality at a high standard IRIC trains diplomats who
write formal reports and diplomatic cables.
English essay (3 hours, high weight). Parallel in weight and structure to the French paper. IRIC
is genuinely bilingual. Both language papers carry equal weight.
Oral examination (qualifying). Language interview and analytical discussion. Examiners test
your ability to speak clearly and analytically in both French and English, respond to challenges to
your positions, and demonstrate genuine engagement with current international affairs.
How to Prepare the International Relations and Law Papers
International Relations
The international relations paper is the most open-ended paper in the IRIC concours the topic
changes every year. But the skills tested are consistent: Can you identify the key actors and
interests in a complex international situation? Can you construct an argument and defend it with
specific evidence? Can you acknowledge counter-arguments and explain why your position holds
despite them?
The foundational knowledge covers: the architecture of the African Union (organs, Agenda 2063,
the AfCFTA), Cameroon’s foreign policy positions and key bilateral relationships, major ongoing
conflicts and their diplomatic dimensions, UN Security Council dynamics and the veto system,
multilateral climate negotiations (the Paris Agreement, COP developments), great power
competition in Africa (the US, China, France, Russia, the Gulf states), and the major regional
integration arrangements (CEMAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, the East African Community).
Practise writing analytical essays on international affairs topics every week. Choose a current
issue, write a 500-word structured analysis in French, then write a different one in English. After
three months of this, your analytical writing quality will have transformed.
International Law
Know: the sources of international law (Article 38 of the ICJ Statute treaties, customary law,
general principles, judicial decisions), the UN Charter (Article 2(4) on force, Article 51 on self
defence, Chapter VII on Security Council powers), international humanitarian law (the 1949
Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols), international criminal law (the ICC Statute
complementarity, crimes within jurisdiction, active cases), the law of the sea (UNCLOS
territorial sea, EEZ, continental shelf, freedom of the high seas), and the African Charter on
Human and Peoples’ Rights. For each area: the key legal instrument, its main principles, practical
application, and a recent real-world example.
Building Bilingual Writing Quality
IRIC’s language papers test formal register, structured argumentation, and the ability to write with
the precision and authority that a diplomat or international lawyer needs. A technically accurate
essay that is vague, poorly structured, or informally written will score lower than a slightly
imperfect essay that is clear, well-organised, and formally written.
The preparation is straightforward but requires consistency. Write one formal essay in French
every day and one in English every day for three months on current affairs or social issue
topics from the news you read that morning. After each essay, read it back critically: Does the first
sentence state a clear position? Does each paragraph develop one point with a specific example?
Does the conclusion evaluate rather than simply repeat? Revise until the answer to all three is
yes.
The eStudy Universe app’s AI Tutor can review your practice essays describe the argument
you were making and ask the AI Tutor to assess whether your structure and reasoning are strong,
or to suggest how to strengthen a specific section.
Preparing for the IRIC Oral Examination
The oral is a language and analytical thinking assessment, not a viva on your written papers.
Examiners will speak to you in French and English, raise a topical issue and ask for your analysis,
and test whether you can defend a position clearly when challenged.
Practise speaking analytically for 20 minutes every day: aloud, formally, on a current affairs topic,
to a real or imagined interlocutor. If you have a study partner, take turns posing and responding
to current affairs questions in both languages. The daily habit builds fluency and the automatic
ability to form clear analytical responses under conversational pressure.
Two specific skills the oral tests.
First: structured analytical response. When asked about a current
international issue, respond with a clear structure state your position, develop it with two or
three specific points, acknowledge a counter-argument, and conclude.
Second: defending a position when challenged. Prepare to say ‘I hold that position because…’ and give a specific reason. Examiners sometimes push back not because you are wrong but to see whether you
reason under pressure or capitulate.
The Five Mistakes That Cost IRIC Candidates Their Place
Mistake 1: Not preparing for the oral examination. A nervous, hesitant oral performance in a
language the candidate actually speaks well has eliminated candidates with solid written scores.
Practise speaking daily from month three of preparation onwards.
Mistake 2: Treating the English paper as less important than French. Both language papers
carry the same weight. Francophone candidates who deprioritise English lose marks they cannot
recover elsewhere on the merit list.
Mistake 3: Writing facts without making arguments. The international relations and law papers
reward analytical reasoning, not factual recall. A tightly argued essay that takes a clear position
and defends it specifically will outscore a longer essay that covers many aspects without direction.
Mistake 4: Neglecting recent international developments. The international relations paper is
based on current events. Candidates who stopped reading international news months before the
exam will find the paper unfamiliar. Read daily throughout the entire preparation period.
Mistake 5: Applying only to the DSEI track. The DSEI Diplomacy track is the most competitive.
Candidates who also qualify for International Business or International Law and apply to all three
significantly increase their chances of admission.
Frequently Asked Questions About the IRIC Concours
Do I need a law or politics degree to pass IRIC? No. IRIC admits candidates from humanities,
social sciences, and even sciences. Strong formal writing in French and English and genuine
engagement with international affairs are the essential requirements.
Is English tested at the same level as French? Yes. IRIC is genuinely bilingual. Both language
papers carry equal weight. The oral interview may be conducted in either language or both.
Can the eStudy Universe app help with IRIC preparation? Yes. IRIC past papers, model
essay answers, AI Tutor support for international affairs and law questions, and IRIC-specific
general culture practice tests are all available in the app.
Download Free IRIC Past Questions
Download free IRIC past questions for the Diplomacy, International Law, and International
Business tracks on the eStudy Universe app. Access model essay answers and AI Tutor support
for all papers. Search ‘eStudy Universe’ on Google Play or the App Store.
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IRIC Preparation in the App
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