About CPGEs

A Physic session in CPGE

CPGE (Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles, or "Classes Prépas") are a first higher education cycle that prepare students for the competitive entrance exams to the "Grandes Ecoles". These include engineering schools, military academies, National Veterinary Colleges, Business and Management Schools and PPE Institutes.

Taking students after the Baccalauréat, they offer a different path to the one proposed by Universities to a level of "Bac+5" (5 years of post-"Bac." studies). They are part of the European "3-5-8" system.

Classes Préparatoires have many advantages:

• a diversified, high quality education
• teaching methods that are sensitive to students' needs
• a success rate close to 100%
• numerous openings to a wide variety of jobs.

Students are accepted for CPGE on the quality of their application. The personal qualities required are strong motivation and a liking for hard work and study.

CPGEs exist in France (including overseas territories) and in a few other countries (Algeria, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Vietnam). In total, there are some 7 500 CPGE teachers for 75 000 students.