Can you take a National Education exam as a free candidate?

Verified 28 July 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Do you want to register for a national education exam (certificate, baccalaureate...) or higher education exam (BTS...) without having taken the courses in a school? You then take your exam in free candidate (also called individual candidate or non-academic candidate). To do this, you need to meet conditions that vary by degree. The steps to be taken to register are determined by the rectorate.

Several exams can be taken as a free candidate. This is the case, in particular, for the following examinations:

  • National Certificate of Qualification (DNB) and General Training Certificate (GTC)
  • Certificate of Professional Competence (CAP)
  • Professional patent (BP)
  • General, Technology or Professional Baccalaureate
  • Senior Technician Certificate (BTS)
  • Diploma in Accounting and Management (DCG)
  • Senior Diploma in Accounting and Management (DSCG)

The conditions to be met vary depending on the exam you wish to take.

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National Certificate of Qualification (DNB) and General Training Certificate (GTC)

You can pass your degree as a free candidate if you are in any of the following :

  • Student educated beyond class 3e (in seconds, for example)
  • Student of 3e private education outside the contract
  • You follow education in the family
  • Adult not enrolled in a patent preparation or GCF at an institution

Professional patent (BP)

In order to take the examination, you must have proof of one of the following periods of professional activity:

  • 5 years in a job related to the purpose of the diploma prepared, without qualification requirement
  • 2 years in a job related to the purpose of the diploma prepared. In this case, you must have a diploma or qualification classified at level 3 or at a higher level, on a list drawn up for each specialty by the minister responsible for education
  • Between 6 months and 1 year in a job related to the purpose of the diploma prepared. In this case, you must have a Bachelor's degree with a specialty from the same professional sector.

Plus, you must not be registered in a school.

CAP and BEP

You're doing distance learning

You can register as a free candidate without any age or diploma requirement.

Other

You must be at least 18 years of age by December 31 of the year of the exam.

Plus, you must not be registered in a school.

General or Technology Bac

You can register as a free candidate without qualification or qualification.

However, you must not be registered in a school.

Please note

you can register as a free candidate even to take the early tests (tests taken at the end of class of 1re for school pupils).

Pro Tray

To register as a free candidate, you must be in one of the following situations:

  • You take your training in distance learning
  • You're out of school, but you have already passed at least once the same test in the same specialty as a candidate enrolled in a school
  • You justify 3 years of professional activity in employment of a level at least equal to that of a skilled worker or employee. Secondly, the professional field must be related to the purpose of the diploma. I mean, you don't must not be registered in a school.

BTS

To register as a free candidate, you must be in any of the following:

  • Justify to1 year professional activities in a job relevant to the purpose of the prepared BTS.
  • Have already failed BTS in the same specialty by being enrolled in a school
  • Be a distance learning candidate

Plus, you must not be registered in a school.

Diploma in Accounting and Management (DCG)

You must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent.

Plus, you must not be registered in a school.

Senior Diploma in Accounting and Management (DSCG)

You must have one of the following diplomas :

  • Accounting and management diploma (DCG) or equivalent
  • Diploma in accounting and financial studies (DECF)
  • Master's degree

Plus, you must not be registered in a school.

You must register for the exam with the rectorate of your place of residence.

Registration can be done online or at the rectorate's office. Ask the rectorate of your place of residence.

Warning  

registration with the Cned does not constitute registration for the examination.

Who shall I contact

FYI  

if you have failed an exam, you can sometimes benefit from the postponement of certain scores obtained.

Get more information from the rectorate as soon as you return to school. In general, registrations are made between October and November before the exam.

Who shall I contact

You will receive your summons a few days before the date of the tests.

This meeting will tell you the place, the schedules and the equipment to be planned.

Who can help me?

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