The professional administrative examination for secondary and higher education is taken in accordance with the Decision on the conditions and manner of taking the professional administrative examination for trainees, persons with higher education and employees at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Official Gazette of BiH" No. 104/10), the Decision on Amendments and Supplements to the Decision on the Conditions and Method of Taking the Professional Administrative Examination for Trainees, Persons with Higher Education and Employees at the Level of Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Official Gazette of BiH" No. 105/12) and Decision on the Supplement to the Decision on the Conditions and Procedure for Sitting the Professional Administrative Examination for Trainees, Persons with Higher Education and Employees at the Level of Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Official Gazette of BiH" no. 61/14).

The examination is taken in accordance with the Programme for the Professional Administrative Examination for Trainees, Higher-Education Graduates and Employees at the Level of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH No. 12/13), which prescribes the content, syllabus and legal sources for sitting the professional administrative examination.

In accordance with the Law on Work in the Institutions of BiH ("Official Gazette" no. 26/04) and the aforementioned Decision, the examination is mandatory for trainees and employees with secondary and higher education employed in the administrative bodies of BiH, services, bodies and institutions of the Council of Ministers of BiH and in enterprises (companies) and other legal entities entrusted by the law of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the performance of public authority.

The professional administrative examination is taken in order to meet the requirements for work in administrative and other professional positions within the core activities of administrative bodies and other bodies at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or in administrative positions in institutions that have public powers, in accordance with the regulation on core activities, or on auxiliary and technical duties of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The professional administrative examination for candidates with secondary and higher education is taken upon fulfilling the requirements for this examination and upon the application of the interested candidate.

The application is submitted to the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina.