I am studying for a public exam/competition.
'Concorso' = kon-KOR-so — three syllables. Stress on the second. 'Pubblico' = POOB-blee-ko — three syllables, stress on the first.
Use when you are preparing for a competitive public sector exam. 'Concorsi pubblici' are a major part of Italian professional life — millions of Italians sit them at some point.
'Concorso pubblico' = competitive public exam for government employment. Italians must pass these rigorous exams for most permanent public sector jobs. Studying for a 'concorso' is a full-time endeavour for many young Italians.
Studio per diventare magistrato.
I'm studying to become a magistrate.
Specific concorso — one of Italy's most competitive and prestigious.
Ho superato il primo step del concorso.
I passed the first step of the competition.
Progress update — concorsi often have multiple selection rounds.
I concorsi in Italia sono lunghissimi.
Public exams in Italy take extremely long.
Structural complaint — Italian public recruitment is notoriously slow.
Italian public school teachers must pass a rigorous national 'concorso' to obtain a permanent position. Many teach for years on temporary contracts before finally gaining permanence. The process can take a decade — a widely criticized systemic inefficiency.