The expression “classes prépas”, used in everyday language, is a diminutive of “classes préparatoires”.
The official nomenclature of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research uses the term “classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles” and its abbreviation “CPGE”.
Elite, very demanding.... but increasingly open to all profiles: more than 20 sectors are represented and more and more high school graduates are interested in them to access the best engineering and business schools...
Here is our advice for finding out about this type of training, knowing their opportunities, their constraints, their costs, how to register... and even, for some, how to avoid them!
Why a preparation?
The advantages of prep to start your higher education.
Accessible after the baccalaureate, the prep classes prepare you in 2 years to take the entrance exams for many major schools, often prestigious (HEC, Polytechnique, etc.).
You are therefore committing to ambitious... but lengthy studies.
It is only after these two years that you will take competitions to try to integrate schools, competitions which may be common to several establishments or specific to each of them.
Business schools, engineering schools but also veterinary schools, ENS (Ecole Normale Supérieure), military schools, statistics schools... 800 preparatory classes in France welcome around 80,000 new students each academic year in public or private high schools, but also in establishments which are not under contract with the State.
These prep classes are grouped into 3 types corresponding to the 3 main families of schools: literary, scientific and economic.
Also readParcoursup: why are prep courses less dreamy than before?
In public or private high schools, these prep classes offer courses specially adapted to the targeted competitions, in small numbers, well supervised in the continuity of high school, but with a sustained pace and pressure every day.
The CPGEs are essentially intended to enter the most reputable schools and therefore direct you towards long studies
(minimum 5 years), you must therefore have a high training plan;
but also the prep classes allow you to refine this project: if you are not yet sure which field you want to focus on: 2 additional years of reflection with working methods (reflection, expression, general knowledge, etc.) will be useful to you all your life... few students regret their choice.
The preparatory courses (CPGE labeled) also allow you to return to studies at university or other courses with LMD equivalences...
What profile to enter prep?
Who can register for prep?
There is therefore no risk of wasting your time in prep: you just need to be very motivated and know how to cope with the pressure of this type of very demanding study.
Do you have the profile to become a mole, a kâgneux or even a grocer?
: nickname for students in scientific, literary and economic preparatory courses).
All final year students can enroll in prep regardless of your specialties or a technological series (STI2D, STI2A, STL, STMG, STAV).
The conditions are above all to be motivated, hardworking and to have correct results
.
Be careful, prep courses are not reserved for cracks, but it is better to only have above average grades.
Also read: Grandes écoles: are you made for prep?
Any Terminal student, and any student already in higher education, but wishing to reorientate themselves in a CPGE
can apply to join a prep class.
CPGEs often have the reputation of classes welcoming an elite number of students.
Moreover, it is often high school graduates who have obtained their diploma with honors who find themselves in French prep classes.
Parallel admissions have developed in recent years to open the door to the grandes écoles to as many people as possible, while the post-baccalaureate grandes écoles are also gaining popularity.
To encourage access of disadvantaged students to CPGE, the French State has put in place several measures in recent years to promote greater social diversity, particularly scholarship recipients.
Generally speaking,
prep classes are recommended for hard-working students who can present a good academic record, and who do not fear the stress caused by competitive
exams.
Stress which is already present in many prep schools, but which schools are working to eliminate.
That being said, the selection criteria differ depending on the preparatory class categories.
For example, literary CPGEs do not in principle welcome holders of a technological Baccalaureate.
Conversely, the Arts and design prep classes are recommended for technological baccalaureate holders in the STD2A series (design sciences and technologies) and the ATS classes are reserved for holders of a BTS or BUT.
To join a prep class, you absolutely must have obtained your Baccalaureate (general, technological or professional) and be accepted by the establishment.
Prep class: how does schooling work?
Two more years of high school... if the scenery doesn't change, the pace picks up!
Teachers follow lessons without worrying about the assimilation of students who must adapt and concentrate during long hours of lessons (40 hours of lessons / week).
In addition to the courses, we must add Table Assignments (DST) and oral tests (famous “colles” or “khôlle”) which take place every week or even more regularly depending on the high school.
Personal work outside of class
is also very important in the evenings and weekends to follow teachers' feedback and prepare lessons and homework on the table.
No more TV evenings or late-night distractions.
The first months are very hard but after 4 months the rhythm is established and the students get their heads above water... :)
The level of demands
of the teachers is higher, the grade averages are plummeting, rote is no longer enough, the methods of argumentation and reflection are pushed to the maximum, to the students' limits... but the teachers are there to know these limits and support student progress;
because even if the grades are low (you can go from an average of 15 in final year to an average of 5 in prep) only progression counts!
The atmosphere in prep
: there are many false ideas about an anxiety-provoking competitive atmosphere that could exist in prep;
on the contrary, there is great solidarity between students, the teachers are also very available, they supervise the students' personal work a lot.
Repetition
: the transition from first to second year is made by decision of the class council, repeats in the first year are exceptional (illness or other important reason), and repeats in the second year are more common, and also take place on advice. of class if you do not obtain any competition.
Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône.
According to the students in the prep class at the Jean-Perrin high school, the atmosphere is more one of mutual aid than competition.
If your entry into a Grande École Program (PGE) is not guaranteed by taking a prep class, the latter is still supposed to offer you sufficient background to integrate one of the schools you are targeting in 2 or 3 years.
In fact,
the prep classes are planned over 2 years, but they can be repeated once in the 2nd year
.
This is the only possible repetition, in order to give you two years, and therefore two possibilities, to take and succeed in competitive exams.
The 3 types of prep classes
Depending on your career desires and your preferences in terms of subjects, there are three main types of preparatory classes: economic and commercial preparatory classes, literary preparatory classes, and scientific preparatory classes.
These three courses include several study paths.
For example, the economic and commercial sector provides a technological path (ECT) and a general path (ECG), the latter itself offering four possible paths (with differentiated disciplines according to these four training courses).
In addition to these three main courses, ATS preparatory classes are now being added.
Economic and commercial preparatory classes
These classes in the economic and commercial sector prepare you for:
competitive examinations for higher business and management schools (BCE and Ecricome groups);
competition for the ENS (Écoles Normales Supérieures) of Paris-Saclay in Economics and Management, and of Rennes in Law and Economics.
Literary preparatory classes
These classes prepare you for literary competitions for admission to national higher education schools and their partners, with two distinct paths planned:
The Literature route (A/L) prepares you for the Literary Test Bank (BEL) competitions at ENS Paris-Saclay, Ulm and Lyon.
But also for competitions from other schools, such as the National School of Charters, the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, the higher schools of commerce and management of the BCE and Ecricome groups, the political studies institutes of Aix -en-Provence, Lille and Lyon, the École du Louvre (Art) and CELSA (journalism).
The Literature and Social Sciences (B/L) route prepares you for the competitive examinations of the three ENS previously mentioned, as well as for the competitive examinations of the business and management schools of the Ecricome group, and of engineering schools (of the GEIDIC group, the ENSAE and ENSAI, etc.).
Read also Prep classes: the specialties most coveted by candidates on Parcoursup
Scientific preparatory classes
These science classes prepare you for competitive exams:
of the four higher education colleges in France (ENS Ulm, ENS Paris-Saclay, ENS Lyon and ENS Rennes);
engineering schools (joint Mines-Ponts competition, INP, etc.);
veterinary schools (agro-veto competition, inter-ENS BCPST Bank competition);
military schools, such as Polytechnique;
art schools (national higher art schools and higher schools of applied arts in particular).
These art schools are integrated more specifically via the Arts and design preparatory classes.
Belonging to the scientific sector, this prep class focuses on artistic education.
Also readEngineering schools: “Today, only a third of graduates and our students come from prep classes”
ATS preparatory classes
The ATS preparatory classes (adaptation of higher technicians) are reserved for holders of a BTS or a BUT (BUT classic Bac+3 or BUT intermediate Bac+2 which is equivalent to the old DUT).
These specific CPGE prepare for entrance exams for:
higher business schools (via the Passerelle 2 competition in particular);
engineering schools (ATS competition in particular);
national higher education schools of landscape;
veterinary schools (agro-veto competition).
How to choose a prep/choose a high school?
If the so-called “prestigious” prep classes (Ginette, Henri IV, Sainte-Marie de Neuilly, etc.) are mainly in Paris and only recruit the best students (on application), it is possible to apply to prep courses whose selection is less harsh, even with an average record (average 12 in final year).
First find out which high schools have prep classes.
Don't forget to set a geographical framework and a sector (commercial, literary, etc.).
Also deal with the reputation of the establishments: the more famous it is, the better your results must be!
From December, find out about the preparations.
Preparation with or without boarding school?
Many preparatory schools offer boarding schools (accommodation, catering, etc.) which represent an economical solution for accommodation but also a highly recommended solution for working in the best conditions (concentration, calm, mutual assistance, saving time Vs transport).
More than 11,300 boarding places exist for an additional average cost of 2,000 euros per year, meals included.
How to register for prep?
A national platform allowing pre-registration for the first year of higher education, Parcoursup welcomes students wishing to join a preparatory class for major schools.
Each year since the launch of the platform, a calendar for the annual procedure has been posted online on the website www.parcoursup.fr.
In principle, the Parcoursup calendar provides:
a registration phase for the platform;
a first submission of your wishes for preparatory classes (but you can also choose wishes for other types of higher education courses);
a response phase from establishments accompanied by the possibility of classifying your wishes;
an additional phase providing for a second submission of wishes if you have not received any positive response;
the final answers preceding your administrative registration in an establishment.
Places in prep classes are expensive
.
You will therefore have to fulfill your wishes to enter prep school, targeting both CPGEs whose access rate is quite low and others which are less selective.
Submitting your wishes is accompanied by that of a file.
An essential element of the Parcoursup procedure, this file is even more particularly important if you wish to apply for prep classes.
It includes your high school grades from Year 1 and must include a cover letter to be completed conscientiously.
If you do not yet feel ready to enter CPGE, or if you think that your application is not good enough to be accepted, you can register, still on Parcoursup, for two types of training which can be abbreviated to CPES:
The preparatory class for higher education.
A sort of preparatory class for a prep school, it allows you to refresh your skills in one year.
The Multidisciplinary Cycle of Higher Studies.
This is a specific 3-year course reserving 40% of each promotion for higher education scholarship holders and allowing you to obtain a Bac+3 (Bachelor's degree) to eventually integrate into a major school or a Master's degree.
How much does a preparation cost?
Concerning public high schools: no registration fees, tuition is free (for the moment, because some MPs want to make these preparations payable, at the same level as the university license, i.e. around 200 euros).
Concerning private high schools under contract: it takes around 2000 euros per year.
For non-contract establishments: you need to count between 8,000 and 1,000 euros.
In all cases, scholarship solutions are possible to help you pay for these studies and associated tuition fees (accommodation, books, etc.)
How to skip prep?
A great school without prep!
Finally,
it is important to point out that more and more schools are opening their registrations to non-prep students via parallel admissions
(also called admissions based on qualifications).
Depending on the school, the proportion of students coming from prep only represents 40 to 50% of the student body.
So, if the idea of preparation does not appeal to you, if you need more practice (in business)... there are many other paths to access the major schools.
To accommodate more students and mix the origins of students for more culturally rich promotions... schools organize competitions for Bac +2 / Bac + 3 / Bac + 4.
After training that is easier to access than prep, such as BTS, a license, a DUT... you will be able to join a major school (sometimes with a little catch-up of necessary courses).
It's up to you to find out from the schools which each have their own parallel admissions rules.
Prépa, GPGE or CPES?
The term prep can designate different realities.
Do not confuse the preparatory classes for the Grandes Ecoles (CPGE) described here, post baccalaureate in 2 years, which offer LMD equivalences, which allow you to benefit from scholarships... with the integrated preparatory courses of certain schools or private training institutes who prepare for competitive exams in 1 year or more.
Also to know, the
CPES (preparatory classes for higher studies)
, very few in number, are 1 or 2 year training courses, which aim to prepare students from priority areas with low educational levels and origins to pursue studies in higher education (towards CPGE, or towards university, or direct entry without competition into engineering schools).
Good preparation !