Our 5 tips for passing the university entrance exam

The polytechnic entrance exam is no longer to be presented. He is known and feared, with good reason. Since its recent introduction, the new entrance examination for access to Medicine and Dentistry studies has caused much ink to flow. Of nearly 3,500 candidates for its first edition, only 641 (18.5%) passed the test. Discover our advice to best prepare for these different events

Leaving secondary school to start studying at university or high school is a big step in

education. It is important, in order to build an academic project that holds up, that future students are

informed about what awaits them. Of course, it will be necessary to familiarize yourself with the course programs

(bachelors and masters), the different options, any bridges, etc. It will also be necessary to inquire about

the prerequisites necessary to access the chosen studies and to know if an entrance examination is organized.

Indeed, some courses require you to pass admission tests in order to be able to enroll in the

first year. This is the case for entering a polytechnic school , the Royal Military School or even higher arts schools . Since September 2017, the faculties of medicine and dentistry in the Wallonia- Brussels Federation have also organized a compulsory entrance exam which replaces the TOSS ( public health orientation test ).

Entrance exams are demanding tests that can seem insurmountable. Some prefer to

give it up for fear of facing failure, others dare to tackle it, often with stress and anxiety. But

then, how to best arm yourself and put all the chances on your side to transform this experience into

The first step in preparing for an exam is knowing what it will be about.

To find out about this, there is nothing better than surfing the websites of the colleges and universities that organize the exams. These sites offer reliable and clear information on the material to know. The student should not hesitate either to call the secretariats of the schools or to go directly there if he cannot find all the answers to his questions on the internet.

After some quick research, one can discover that the entrance exam to the polytechnic school (for the faculties of Brussels , Mons , Liège or Louvain-la-Neuve and for the Royal Military School ) includes four tests in mathematics: algebra , mathematical analysis, trigonometry and numerical calculation, analytical and synthetic geometry. The difficulty does not stop there for future students at the Royal Military Academy who will also be invited to psychotechnical, sports and linguistic tests .

Regarding access to faculties and Medicine and Dentistry , students will be assessed on their knowledge and understanding in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. On the other hand, the candidate will be confronted with tests of reasoning, critical analysis, communication and empathy.

As for future students in a higher artistic school, they will also have to present admission tests, the nature of which varies according to the training pursued. For this type of examination, the student will have to demonstrate mainly his practical skills, his know-how and his creativity.

Know the type of tests to pass

Most entrance exams are written tests, but some also offer an oral examination (as for the polytechnic school entrance exam, for example). This information is very important because the way to study the material and to train will vary according to the type of tests to be passed. Knowing whether the exam will be written or oral, whether it will be open questions, a dissertation or an MCQ will be a significant tool!

Make sure you have sufficient prerequisites for the exam

It is now time to ask ourselves where we are compared to our starting level in the subjects and what is the level required to pass the exam. Was the subject seen in secondary school? And if so, in sufficient depth? The student can, for example, take his notebooks, his notes and the table of contents of his secondary courses and compare them with the information provided by the schools on the subject to be studied in order to find out if he has already studied this subject. or if some points are new to him.

On the menu: Drill, drill, drill and more drill!

No one will escape it, to prepare for an entrance exam, it will take a lot of practice! Redoing and mastering the exercises seen in class is a first step, but you will then have to move on to more complex exercises and be able to put yourself in an exam situation. To do this, many exercises with answers are available on the internet.

It is certain that preparing alone is not easy. Many solutions exist to help a student fill in any gaps in one or the other subject. Remedial programs are organized by some secondary schools or by the universities themselves. Private lessons can also be very useful because they allow the student to target the work according to their current level and the objective to be achieved. With a My Sherpa coach, for example, in addition to working on understanding the subject, the student will be able to do a lot of additional exercises. The role of the coach is also to motivate the student, to help him organize his study and his working time. He can also share his personal experience with him in order to thwart certain common pitfalls.

Where, when and how?

In order to avoid any source of stress or moments of last minute panic which could taint his preparation and his entry into higher education, it is important that the student settles all the questions of a practical nature as soon as possible.