2008/2009 school year
ESEC Entrance Examination

The Object of the Entrance Exam

The tests that constitute the Entrance Examination are, first and foremost, a way to determine an applicant’s personality, his or her motivations, and the extent of his or her creativity. It is also a means to determine if he or she will adapt successfully to the various technical and creative careers in the film industry and audiovisual field that are taught at ESEC.

Entry levels and their equivalents

Students eligible for Entrance Examination should have obtained at least the baccalaureat or equivalent (A Levels, High School Diploma) with a background in the arts, and/or have professional or personal experience pertaining to the audiovisual field.

Applications from students who have completed 2 or more years of university studies are strongly encouraged. The latter make up the majority of the student body at ESEC.However, the level of education alone does not exempt students from the Entrance Examination, the sole exception being a dispensation granted to foreign students residing too far from France to be able to attend the examination during the designated period (see below).

Applicants can enter the Entrance Examination before obtaining the diploma they may be currently completing. However, in the case where the applicant is accepted to the school, they must produce a document certifying that their diploma has been obtained at least one month prior to their final admission.

Examination dates

Applications can be made, and are considered by the school, starting from the month of January. The applicants are then invited to attend the examination at dates arranged by the school until the end of the registration period.

If the applicant is accepted, he or she is invited to register within 15 days. After this period, unless a special dispensation is granted, the school considers their admission invalid.

French students, or students residing in France, are strongly advised to send in their application without delay. Foreign students are accorded more flexible deadlines in order so that they may be able to take their last examinations in July and September. A certain number of places are reserved for them exclusively.

The registration period can end without advance notice.

Foreign Students

Under certain exceptional conditions, some foreign applicants can be excused from coming all the way to Paris to take the written examination and interview. This is particularly the case of those who can give evidence of their sufficient artistic or professionnal experience during the last 2 years. In some cases, an additional written examination may be asked of them, as well as any documents or projects from their artistic and/or professional experience.

Conditions of the examinations

1st test (pre-selection process) : Application form

The application form allows a preliminary glimpse of the personality and motivations of the applicant. It is also on this form that information about their practical, professional and artistic abilities appear.

The application form (with the exception of the self-portrait) is not subject to notation but is used as a reference during the pre-selection and later selection process.

Those accepted enter the second part of the Entrance Examination. They will be notified by mail.

2nd Test (selection process) : Artistic evaluation

The subject of the test – which takes place in Paris – is not revealed until the beginning of the examination. Its purpose is not to quiz the applicants on their historical or technical knowledge or on their cultural level as a moviegoer, but to evaluate their level of imagination, their aesthetic sense, their attention to detail and their observation of the subtleties of staging and production.

Duration of the examination: 2 hours.

This examination is taken at ESEC at a date stated on the letter of notification. The date and hour can be modified to suit the availability of the applicant.

3rd Test (selection process) : Interview

The interview takes place on the same day as the artistic evaluation. It aims to explore the applicant’s personal culture, tastes, experiences and projects. It is a way of confirming the personality of the applicant and of comparing his or her needs and motivations with what the School has to offer them.

Duration: a maximum of 45 minutes.

As the interview is of a more personal nature, it will not be graded. If necessary, an appreciation might be needed to complete the final decision. The interview is also held at ESEC on the same day as the written examination.

Students are notified by mail if they are admitted or not to ESEC. A good level of French is mandatory. The examinations are held entirely in French, as well as all the classes taught at the school.

All decisions are final.

For any information, please call: +33 (0) 1 43 42 43 22