Admissions 1st year - Master in Management

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admission 1st year Master in Management

Admission to ESCE’s 1st year Master in Management is via Parcoursup, through the SESAME competitive entrance exam.

To apply, you must hold or be in the process of obtaining your baccalauréat (or equivalent foreign qualification). Formulate the SESAME competition wish list on Parcoursup (SESAME competition = 1 wish list = unlimited sub-wish lists).

Parcoursup

International admissions

Are you an international student living outside France?
Apply directly on esce.fr or contact our dedicated team at
internationaladmissions@omneseducation.com

International application

What is the SESAME exam?

The SESAME competitive entrance exam is common to several business schools, including ESCE. It is aimed at candidates wishing to enter a post-bac management school. The competitive entrance exam consists of written tests, which assess your skills in logic, reading comprehension, general culture, English and sometimes other languages. It also includes oral tests, often in the form of a motivational interview or an assessment of communication skills. The SESAME competitive entrance exam is designed to identify candidates with the potential to succeed in an international academic and professional environment.

competition calendar

registration fees

sesame competition

not-to-be-missed stages

The SESAME competitive entrance exam is made up of stages according to its own timetable, but also and above all according to the stages of the Parcoursup timetable. To be a candidate for the SESAME competitive entrance exam, you need to follow these key dates carefully, so that you’re ready before, during and after the exam.

SESAME exam preparation from October to April

Prepare for the SESAME entrance exam with prepaSESAME and the Concours SESAME mobile application

Mid-January to mid-March: I activate my account on mySESAME

This reserved area allows you to :

-Switch their language choices for the written tests

– Download documents (time arrangements, test invitations, etc.)

– Check and obtain a summary of SESAME school/program applications

-Consult their marks for written tests, portfolio notes and oral tests

-Make appointments for oral exams

March to April: download and print your invitation on mySESAME

End of March: I take the mandatory prerequisite test on TestWe

Discovering Parcoursup From December 17, 2025 to January 18, 2026

From December 17, 2025, you can discover all the courses available on Parcoursup thanks to an updated search engine.

Registration on Parcoursup January 19 to March 12, 2026

Formulate your wishes on Parcoursup
On Parcoursup, choose the Concours SESAME and select ESCE International Business School. You can choose one or more Cursus (no extra fees):
1. International Business curriculum
2. International Political Science curriculum
3. Cursus Regions America, Asia, Europe
4. International Sales curriculum
5. Trilingual French/English/Spanish or Chinese/Arabic curriculum
6. CurriculumFrench-German triple diploma

You can choose these courses in Paris and/or Lyon.

Once you have made your wishes on Parcoursup, activate your mySESAME account and visit the SESAME Competition website.

Confirmation of wishes until Wednesday April 1, 2026

Confirm your SESAME wish list and ESCE sub-wishes on Parcoursup

SESAME written exams on April 8, 2026

The day is divided into 2 parts:

Morning

8:30am – 10:00am: Sequence 1 – “Understanding“, max. duration 1:30 hours
– Contemporary issues: 40 questions – max. duration 30 min.
– Mathematics: 20 exercises – max. duration 40 min.
– Digital skills: 20 questions – max. duration 20 min.

10.30am – 12.00pm: Sequence 2 – “Communicating“, max. duration 1h30
– French: 40 questions – max. duration 30 min.
– English * : 40 questions – max. duration 30 min.
– Other foreign language: 40 questions – max. duration 30 min.

* compulsory among 2 foreign languages

Afternoon

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Sequence 3 – “Analyze“, max. duration 2 hours
Documentary analysis – 20 questions :
– 6 identification questions
– 6 analysis questions
– 8 synthesis questions

Eligibility results on Thursday, April 23, 2026 (6:00 pm)

Thursday, April 23, 2026 (6:00 pm): Log on to the mySESAME website to find out your eligibility results
April 23 (8:00 pm) to April 26, 2026: Log on to the mySESAME website to book your appointment for the ESCE oral exam.

Admission orals April 25 to May 18, 2026

You can take the orals on the Paris or Lyon campus (depending on your choice of campus). It is only possible to take the oral by distance learning if you live outside mainland France.

The oral test consists of an individual personality and motivation interview.

Admission results in early June 2026

You can log on to the Parcoursup website to find out your results.

Your grades will be shown on mySESAME.

Choose ESCE

As soon as your admission to ESCE is announced on the Parcoursup website, choose ESCE, and within 24 hours you will receive a link to finalize your enrolment on the ESCE website and confirm your enrolment by paying the deposit.

Written tests

The written exams for the SESAME competition are held on a single day. For the 2026 session, this day will be April 8, 2026, for all candidates regardless of their place of residence (metropolitan France, outside metropolitan France and international).

Please note: the competition does not offer a make-up session, regardless of the nature of the candidate’s absence.

The 1-day course

The day is divided into 2 parts:

Morning

8:30am – 10:00am: Sequence 1 – “Understanding“, max. duration 1:30 hours
– Contemporary issues: 40 questions – max. duration 30 min.
– Mathematics: 20 exercises – max. duration 40 min.
– Digital skills: 20 questions – max. duration 20 min.

10.30am – 12.00pm: Sequence 2 – “Communicating“, max. duration 1h30
– French: 40 questions – max. duration 30 min.
– English * : 40 questions – max. duration 30 min.
– Other foreign language: 40 questions – max. duration 30 min.

* compulsory among 2 foreign languages

Afternoon

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Sequence 3 – “Analyze“, max. duration 2 hours
Documentary analysis – 20 questions :
– 6 identification questions
– 6 analysis questions
– 8 synthesis questions

Remote written tests

SESAME exams are taken remotely from the candidate’s home. Semi-offline mode enables all candidates to take their tests even if there is a connection failure during one or more tests. Data (copies) are stored on a server, enabling data to be retrieved if necessary.

The software solution used by candidates to take the written tests remotely includes a monitoring system, so the computer must be equipped with an internal or external camera and microphone.

Candidates must follow the instructions given in the guides available on prepa-sesame.net and mySESAME (open from January) toavoid being suspected of attempted fraud and subject to sanctions.

Equipment needed on the day of the event

A computer with an Internet connection:
- Personal computer PC (Windows versions Windows 10 and higher) or Mac (Mac OS X versions 10.13 and higher)
- Minimum 4GB RAM (8 recommended)
- 1GB free hard disk space
- Built-in or external webcam
- Built-in or external microphone
- Wired or WIFI Internet connection

Equipment not authorized :
- Dictionary
- Connected object: watch, etc.

Your cell phone must be switched off throughout the tests and kept out of reach.

To do before the tests :

Technical prerequisites:

Before taking the tests for the grande école program, you must complete the technical prerequisites to ensure that your equipment is working properly and is compatible with the specifications described above. An e-mail containing a download link for the application used to take the tests will be sent to you a few days beforehand.

Print test invitation

To take the written tests for the SESAME competitive entrance examination, you need to download and print out your invitation to attend from your mySESAME reserved area, where your personal details are recorded.

This document includes :

Your contact details and candidate number
Timetable for each event

The day before the tests, check that you have the following items:

your identity papers (identity card, passport or driving license)
your invitation
an unconnected watch (your cell phone must be switched off and out of range)

To be done on the day of the tests:

On the day of the tests, you must isolate yourself in a closed room (bedroom, office), and your workspace must be free of all documents, with the exception of a valid identity card.

You must be logged in one hour before the time indicated on your invitation to check that your equipment and connection are working properly.

Find out more about the golden rules for written tests here

If you have any further questions, please consult our FAQ or contact us.

Download the rules of the SESAME 2024 Competition

Download the 2025 public report

Prepare to speak

Through the oral exam (coefficient 35), ESCE seeks to get to know you, your background and your career plans.

Read the following instructions carefully:

20 minutes preparation time

You will have 20 minutes to prepare before your oral.

Set aside 10 minutes to fill in your personal file, which will be used to present yourself to the jury: your background, experience, passions, career plans…
Use the remaining 10 minutes to organize your ideas on the international current affairs topic you have chosen. International economic, geopolitical or environmental news. We don’t expect you to do a powerpoint or memorized presentation, but rather to have thought about a current international topic and to be able to discuss it with the jury.

20-minute individual interview

The interview takes place before a two-person jury: a jury chairman (a teacher or member of the management team) and a graduate of the school or a professional from a partner company. The interview is conducted in French.

Then, in just a few minutes, you’ll present your ideas on your chosen topic of international current affairs (economic, geopolitical, environmental). The jury will discuss your ideas with you.

Jury members want to understand what motivates you to join ESCE Paris or Lyon. It’s important to have thought beforehand about the experiences that highlight your personality, your project, your tastes and your aspirations. Think about a career plan that is consistent with the school, your experience and your ambitions.

Set aside 10 minutes to fill in your personal file, which will be used to present yourself to the jury: your background, experience, passions, career plans…
Use the remaining 10 minutes to organize your ideas on the international current affairs topic you’ve chosen. International economic, geopolitical or environmental news. We don’t expect you to do a powerpoint or learn a presentation by heart, but rather to have thought about a current international topic and to be able to discuss it with the jury.

Take part in ESCE’s Open Days and meet our teachers, administrative teams and Grande école students.
Don’t forget to mention it on the day of the interview, as it will demonstrate your commitment and motivation to join the school.

Find out about the school’s programs and how they can help you achieve your goals.

Don’t forget to prepare your international news topic in advance.

Tips for successful orals