The Sesame competition combines written tests, academic records, and specific oral exams for each school. Choosing a prep course for this competition means identifying what it offers beyond the free official resources and the specific areas it addresses. Comparing formats, content, and result commitments allows you to distinguish genuinely useful offers from redundant services.
Prep Sesame and official tools: what each format covers
The competition provides its own platform, prepaSESAME, with multiple-choice questions, explanatory videos, corrected subjects from previous years, and preparation checklists. Before paying for a prep course, one must assess the gap between these free resources and what a private organization offers.
| Criterion | Official platform (prepaSESAME) | Private prep (common type) |
|---|---|---|
| Corrected subjects | Previous editions’ archives, free access | Commented archives, sometimes enriched with new subjects |
| Timed training | Unstructured (the candidate manages alone) | Mock exams under real conditions with corrections |
| Individual feedback | None | Variable: some prep courses offer personalized follow-up, others do not |
| Preparation for oral exams | General guides and advice | Interview simulations in front of a jury (when included in the program) |
| Work on the academic record | Not covered | Rarely covered, to be explicitly verified |
This table highlights a often overlooked point: a prep course that offers neither mock exams nor oral simulations does not provide much compared to independent work on the official platform. The distinguishing criterion lies in individualized support and preparation for oral tests.
Candidates looking to find the best Sesame prep on Harakiwi can cross-reference these criteria with detailed sheets from organizations to refine their selection.
Preparation for the Sesame competition oral exams: the underestimated aspect
The majority of online content dedicated to the Sesame competition focuses on the written tests. The seven tests of the written phase capture attention because they are common to all candidates and structure the revision schedule.
The oral exams, organized by each school after the eligibility phase, follow different formats depending on the programs. Some schools prioritize a motivation interview, while others add an English oral or a group test. Each school in the Sesame competition defines its own oral exam modalities, complicating standardized preparation.
A prep course that announces an “oral” module without specifying the targeted schools or the format of the simulations remains vague. Three concrete elements allow for assessing the quality of this aspect:
- The number of interview simulations planned in the program and their duration (a single twenty-minute simulation is not enough to correct posture or speech)
- The profile of the juries involved in the simulations, ideally professionals or teachers familiar with the expectations of the competition’s partner schools
- The presence of written or filmed feedback after each simulation, allowing the candidate to work on their weaknesses between sessions
An organization that provides no details on these three points does not guarantee differentiated support for the oral exams.
Academic record and high school grades: a blind spot in Sesame prep courses
The Sesame competition does not rely solely on performance on the day of the tests. The academic record plays a role in the selection process, alongside the results of the written and oral exams. This component is rarely addressed by prep organizations, which focus on training for the tests.
The reason is simple: a prep course cannot change the report cards from the first and final years of high school. However, some candidates underestimate the impact of the coherence between their record and their application project. An average report in languages, combined with an application to a very international program, creates a gap that the oral juries may notice.
Checking whether a prep course offers a proofreading or advice module on the positioning of the academic record constitutes an additional selection criterion. Few prep courses incorporate specific work on the academic record, and those that do stand out significantly.
Preparation schedule and compatibility with the baccalaureate
The Sesame competition takes place during the final year of high school, alongside baccalaureate revisions. This overlap requires a scheduling arbitration that varies according to profiles.
A candidate with solid academic results can devote more time to the specific tests of the competition without jeopardizing their baccalaureate grades. A candidate whose academic record requires improvement in the final year must maintain a sustained effort in the core subjects.
The modalities of the competition evolve from one edition to another, which makes dated advice potentially misleading. Prep courses that update their content each year and communicate on changes in format or coefficients provide a guarantee that fixed resources cannot offer.
- Favor organizations that publish a preparation schedule aligned with the official dates of the competition for the current year
- Check that the training materials correspond to the latest edition of the competition and not to previous formats
- Ensure that the proposed workload remains compatible with the deadlines of the baccalaureate, especially between March and May
The choice of a prep course for the Sesame competition boils down to a question of measurable added value. Timed mock exams, oral simulations with individualized feedback, and content updates are the three markers of an organization that exceeds what the candidate can achieve alone with the official tools. A program that does not meet any of these criteria does not justify its cost.
