What Is Paco Barbié About?

A state lawyer on leave uploading YouTube videos from home. 17,200 Telegram subscribers waiting every Thursday for his 8 PM livestream. Thousands of civil service exam candidates memorizing Article 49 of TREBEP while listening to his voice in the car, at the gym, while cooking.

Paco Barbié isn’t a traditional academy with classrooms and whiteboards. He’s an educational phenomenon who transformed the study of administrative law—that 370-topic monster that terrifies any exam candidate—into digestible content that fits in 15-minute podcast episodes. And he does it for free. Well, almost free. He has a Patreon starting at $4/month, but his main YouTube channel doesn’t ask for a cent.

The question isn’t what Paco Barbié does, but why thousands of people have decided that his way of explaining Law 7/1985 on Local Government is better than academies with decades of experience. The answer lies in something Spanish civil service exams have needed for years: someone who talks like a human being.

The Paco Barbié Ecosystem: More Than a YouTube Channel

When you search for civil service exam preparation in Spain, you find two extremes: insanely expensive in-person academies (€2,000-3,000 annually) or outdated PDFs sold for €20 on Telegram. Paco Barbié built something in between, but better.

His digital empire includes:

Main YouTube channel: Law explanation videos with surgical clarity
Saved livestream channel: Over 90 sessions solving practical cases in real time
Podcast “OPOSITAR ES DE VALIENTES” (Civil Service Takes Courage): 134 episodes with 4.9/5 rating on Apple Podcasts (128 reviews)
Testea App: Free app with official exam questions, justified answers, and progress statistics
Telegram: 17,200 subscribers receiving instant legislative updates
Patreon: 443 exclusive posts with summaries, diagrams, and updated tests
Instagram: 26,000 followers consuming educational content between cat stories

The model works because it attacks the three biggest pain points of a Spanish exam candidate:

The syllabus is oceanic: A1 level exams (the hardest) have between 325 and 465 topics. Paco breaks them down into 10-18 minute episodes
Laws change constantly: A TREBEP modification can invalidate months of study. Paco publishes update videos within 24-48 hours
Studying alone is psychologically devastating: Average time to pass a civil service exam in Spain is 5 years and 7 months. Thursday livestreams create community

Who Really Is Paco Barbié?

Here’s where it gets interesting: Paco Barbié isn’t an “influencer” who invented a character to sell courses. He’s a State Lawyer—one of Spain’s hardest exams, with 465 topics and years of preparation—currently on leave working as Director of Infrastructure Legal Services at Naturgy.

Translation: The guy explaining how the appeal process in Article 121 of Law 39/2015 works is the same one who handled cases for the Spanish State and now leads legal strategy at an energy multinational.

His credibility doesn’t come from marketing, it comes from résumés. And that matters in a sector infested with “trainers” who never passed the exam they teach.

The Method: Why It Works When Others Fail

Traditional academies sell “complete materials”: 2,000 photocopied pages of syllabus, old tests, and 2-hour lectures where a trainer reads the Spanish Constitution index with the excitement of reading a medicine insert.

Paco Barbié does the opposite:

1. Real microlearning His videos last as long as a metro ride. The episode about Title IV of LBRL (Local Government Law) lasts 15 minutes. How long does a traditional academy take to cover the same? 4-6 hours spread across two sessions, with 90 minutes of the trainer’s personal anecdotes.

2. Multi-platform format designed for real exam candidates Studying on the bus? Podcast. At home with time? YouTube video. 5 minutes during work break? Tests in Testea app. Specific questions about your exam? Thursday livestream with real-time Q&A.

3. Permanent updates On October 13, 2025, he published the episode about Title IV of LBRL. Legislative modifications don’t wait for the next syllabus “edition” like in academies—they’re out within 24-72 hours.

4. No fluff, no filler Compare: Traditional academy explains Article 14 of the Spanish Constitution (equality before law) in 45 minutes including Constitutional Court jurisprudence since 1978. Paco Barbié: 8 minutes, relevant 2020-2025 cases, three practical examples applicable to the exam.

The Numbers Explaining the Phenomenon

In a sector where “success” means passing after 5-7 years of intensive study, the question isn’t “does Paco Barbié’s method work?” but “why didn’t anyone do this before?”

Real engagement vs zombie academies:

17,200 Telegram subscribers who open legislative update notifications
Livestreams with 100-200 people actively participating for 90 minutes every Thursday at 8 PM
4.9/5 stars on Apple Podcasts versus the sepulchral silence of most civil service exam educational content
Testea app downloaded by thousands without marketing budget

The differentiating factor: Community over curriculum

Academies sell syllabus. Paco Barbié built a community. His Thursday livestreams aren’t “master classes,” they’re collaborative study sessions where people from all over Spain solve cases together while Paco moderates. It’s like educational Twitch but with TREBEP instead of Fortnite.

Typical comment on his Telegram: “Thanks Paco, I’d been three weeks not understanding the sanctioning regime of Law 40/2015 and your 12-minute video saved my life. My academy hasn’t updated the procedure topic in two months.”

The Business Model: Free-to-Premium Done Right

Here’s the silent genius of Paco Barbié: He didn’t ask for money until having 10,000 real followers. His Patreon doesn’t say “pay or don’t learn,” it says “this is free, but if you want PDF summaries and early access, here’s the option.”

Value distribution:

Free (80% of content): YouTube videos, podcast, basic Testea app, livestreams, Telegram updates
Premium ($4-10/month): PDF summaries, visual diagrams, advanced tests with statistics, early content access

For context: A traditional online academy charges €80-150/month. Paco’s Patreon: €4/month. The model isn’t “cheaper,” it’s “free with optional premium.” Psychologically different.

How does he monetize without seeming like Judas?

Brutal transparency: Clearly states “I work at Naturgy, this is my side project”
Quality first: Free content is better than many academies’ premium
No toxic FOMO: Doesn’t say “without this you’ll fail,” says “with this you study more comfortably”

The Format That Changed Rules: Thursday Livestreams

Every Thursday at 8 PM, for 60-90 minutes, Paco Barbié does something revolutionary for the sector: He solves practical cases in real time while the audience participates.

Why this is disruptive:

Spanish civil service exams aren’t memorization multiple-choice tests (well, some are, but not the important ones). The real filter is practical cases: real situations where you must apply 5-6 laws simultaneously under time pressure.

Typical case example: “A citizen files an appeal against a traffic fine on the 25th of the month. The appeal arrived by certified mail but lacked a signature. How many days does the administration have to request correction according to Law 39/2015? Which body is competent? What would happen if the citizen doesn’t correct?”

Correct answer involves:

Art. 68 and 121 of Law 39/2015
Deadline calculation (Art. 30)
Jurisprudence on correction
Organic competence

Manuals tell you theory. Paco’s livestreams show you how to think under pressure.

The streaming element:

17,200 people don’t connect to “watch a class.” They connect because:

Other candidates ask questions you hadn’t thought of
Seeing live mistakes (Paco gets it wrong sometimes and admits it) normalizes the process
Chat is group therapy: “I’ve been studying for 3 years” meets “Me 5, this year’s the one”

The Limitations: What Paco Barbié Is NOT

To make this analysis honest, let’s talk about what Paco Barbié does NOT offer:

1. It’s not personalized An in-person academy adapts syllabus to your pace. Paco uploads general content. If you need 1-on-1 coaching, this doesn’t cover it.

2. Doesn’t cover all exams His specialty is administrative exams level A2/C1 (State Administrative, Assistants). If you’re preparing for Notary exams (370 pure Law topics), his content helps but isn’t enough.

3. Requires self-discipline The content is there, but you decide if you consume it. In-person academies force you to show up. For some candidates, that structure is necessary.

4. The model depends on one person If Paco decides in 2026 he doesn’t want to do this anymore, the ecosystem deflates. There’s no team of 15 trainers like in large academies.

Real Impact: Testimonials from the Front

In exam candidate forums (abroparaguas.com, Facebook groups), Paco Barbié appears constantly:

“Paco Barbié’s videos have been great for LGP. My academy hasn’t updated the finance topic in 3 months.” – Anonymous user, exam forum 2021

“I follow that man, even have his Patreon. Worth every cent.” – Public forum comment

“Have you seen Paco Barbié’s videos? He has various things, but specifically the LGP ones are essential.” – Recommendation between candidates

The common denominator: Complement, not substitute. Most use him alongside their main academy, not instead of it. He’s the “invisible third trainer” who explains what your academy didn’t have time to cover.

Why This Matters Beyond Civil Service Exams

The Paco Barbié phenomenon isn’t just “another educational YouTuber.” It’s a case study on how traditional sectors (formal education, exam preparation) are being disintermediated.

Three extrapolatable lessons:

1. Credibility beats marketing Paco never did Facebook ads or collaborated with influencers. Grew 100% by recommendation between candidates. In a sector full of academies with metro ads promising “pass in 1 year,” his absence of empty promises made him stand out.

2. Free-to-premium works if free is actually good Most educational “freemium” gives a useless sample and locks everything behind paywall. Paco inverted the model: Gives 80%, charges for additional convenience. Result: Organic conversion without pressure.

3. Community is the product Thursday livestreams aren’t “content,” they’re the social glue that keeps candidates motivated during years of study. Other creators can copy his video format, but can’t replicate that community.

The Verdict: Should You Follow Paco Barbié?

YES, if:

You’re preparing for State Administrative exams (A2, C1, C2)
You already have an academy/syllabus but need quick updates
You study better with brief, direct content
You value community and support between candidates

NOT necessarily, if:

You’re preparing for very specialized A1 levels (Judges, Notaries, Registrars)
You need mandatory external structure to maintain discipline
You prefer paying for complete service and delegating planning

To be brutally honest: Paco Barbié won’t pass your exam for you. No trainer will. What he offers is eliminating two of the three main barriers: outdated syllabus and loneliness during study. The third barrier—your commitment to sit 6 hours daily memorizing Article 103 of the Constitution—that’s only yours.

What’s Coming: The Model’s Future

In 2025, Paco Barbié is an anomaly in a sector that resists change. But increasingly more “working professionals” are replicating the model: doctors making MIRTubers, architects preparing BIM for technical exams, teachers creating PTFore content.

The question isn’t whether traditional academies will survive (they will, some), but how many will adapt before losing an entire generation of candidates who grew up with YouTube.

For students, the message is clear: You don’t pay for access to information (that’s in BOE, free). You pay for how it’s presented to you and who accompanies you while absorbing it. Paco Barbié understood that when academies were still selling photocopies of 2015 syllabi.

Three Steps if You Start Now

Phase 1: Free exploration (Week 1)

Subscribe to YouTube channel “Paco Barbié”
Download Testea app
Listen to 3 podcast episodes during your daily commute
Join Telegram group

Phase 2: Integration (Month 1-2)

Identify which laws Paco covers that your academy doesn’t update
Attend 2-3 Thursday livestreams (record your questions beforehand)
Do app tests after each study session

Phase 3: Premium decision (Month 3+) If after two months of free content you feel Paco has saved you 20+ hours of inefficient study, consider Patreon. If not, stay on free version. No pressure, no aggressive upselling.

FAQs

Can Paco Barbié replace my academy?

Not for most candidates. Paco is excellent as complement or for quick legislative updates, but an academy gives you structure, complete official syllabus, and mock exams. Use him as your “second trainer” who explains what you didn’t understand in class.

Is the content updated to 2025?

Yes, constantly. Unlike academies that update syllabi once a year, Paco publishes legislative modification videos within 24-72 hours after BOE publication. His latest podcast episode is from October 13, 2025.

Does it work if my exam is NOT administrative?

Depends. If you’re preparing for Court Processing, Judicial Assistance, or State Administrative, yes. If you’re preparing for Judges, Notaries, or Registrars, his content will be useful but insufficient (those exams require 350-465 very specialized topics).

Are livestreams recorded?

Yes, all. He has a secondary YouTube channel with over 90 solved practical cases. You can watch them on-demand whenever you want.

Is it legal to use free internet resources for civil service exams?

Totally. Paco’s content is based on public legislation (available free on BOE) that he explains didactically. You’re not buying “pirate material,” you’re accessing legal training on public regulations.

How much does Patreon cost compared to academies?

Patreon: $4-10/month (~€3.50-9). Traditional online academy: €80-150/month. In-person academy: €150-300/month. The difference isn’t price, it’s proposition: Paco doesn’t intend to replace your academy, but complement it.

Is there content for all Autonomous Communities?

Mainly covers state legislation (Constitution, TREBEP, Laws 39/2015 and 40/2015, LBRL). For specific regional legislation, you’ll need to seek local resources.

Key Takeaways

Paco Barbié: State Lawyer on leave who created Spain’s largest free educational ecosystem for administrative exam candidates
Model: Free-to-premium where 80% of content is free (YouTube, podcast, app), with optional premium from €3.50/month
Differentiator: Real-time updates (24-72h after legislative changes) vs academies updating once yearly
Community: 17,200 Telegram subscribers + weekly livestreams with 100-200 active participants
Limitation: Doesn’t replace traditional academies, works best as specialized complement
Impact: Democratized access to updated content and study community for 40,000+ candidates without budget for expensive academies

Useful Links

Last update: October 2025. This article is based on publicly available information across multiple platforms and user testimonials on exam candidate forums.