The Sesame competition brings together several post-bac business school programs accessible via Parcoursup. The written tests are common, but each school applies its own coefficients and organizes its oral exams independently. Given this complexity, targeted preparation makes a difference, provided you choose a program suited to your profile and the programs you are aiming for.
Digital skills in the Sesame competition: the test that many prep schools ignore
You may already know this: the Sesame competition is not limited to mathematics, English, and general knowledge. Digital skills constitute a test in their own right, with a framework similar to that of Pix.
Specifically, this test evaluates your ability to search for and organize information online, communicate on digital platforms, create content, and protect your personal data. These are not skills you can revise the night before.
The problem: several preparation organizations still focus their programs on traditional subjects. If your prep school does not offer any module dedicated to digital skills, you are approaching part of the competition without specific training. Before committing, check that the seven written tests are covered by the program, including document analysis and digital skills.
To choose the best Sesame prep, you need to compare the programs test by test, not just the overall hours.
Coefficients by school: why a generalist prep is not enough
The written tests of the competition are common to all candidates. However, each program weighs the results differently. A brilliant candidate in mathematics will be better ranked in a program that overweights this subject, and less so in a program that values English or contemporary issues more.
Why does this matter so much in choosing a prep? Because a preparation that provides a diagnosis by school helps you focus your efforts on the subjects that weigh the most in your target schools.
A purely generalist prep, with the same number of hours for each subject, does not allow for this optimization. Ask the question during your first contact: does the organization offer a personalized assessment based on the targeted programs?
The stakes of specific orals for each school
The orals take place in each school where you are eligible. The formats vary: individual motivation interview, group interview, foreign language test. A complete prep trains for the orals school by school, not with a one-size-fits-all format.
Check if the organization organizes interview simulations tailored to the schools you are targeting. Generic training for a “typical competition” oral is useful, but it does not replace preparation for the specific codes and expectations of each program.
Contemporary issues: work on recent news, not outdated notes
The contemporary issues test covers the ten months preceding the competition. It encompasses geopolitical, social, environmental, and economic themes. This temporal scope has a direct consequence on your preparation.
Outdated general knowledge notes are not enough. If your prep hands out a collection covering two or three years of news without updates, you are partly revising off-topic.
A good preparation organization offers regularly updated editorial monitoring, with thematic summaries focused on the period covered by the test. Some provide weekly newsletters or current affairs quizzes to reinforce knowledge over the weeks.
In-person or remote Sesame prep: concrete selection criteria
The format of the preparation depends on your geographical situation, your high school schedule, and your ability to work independently. Here are the criteria to consider before deciding:
- In-person is suitable if you need a regular framework and can travel (Paris, Lille, or Nice for some organizations). It also allows for direct exchanges with trainers and other candidates.
- Remote training offers more flexibility but requires personal discipline. Check that the program includes corrected mock exams and individualized support, not just freely accessible videos.
- Intensive courses during school holidays represent a compromise: a week focused on methodology and training, compatible with preparing for the baccalaureate the rest of the year.
Regardless of the format, one non-negotiable point: the organization must offer at least one mock exam under real conditions. There is no retake session on the day of the written tests. An absence on that day cancels your application.
Parcoursup and calendar: synchronize Sesame prep and academic record
The Sesame competition is part of the Parcoursup calendar. Your wishes, your academic record, and your results in the competition interact. Preparation is therefore not limited to the tests themselves.
Check that the scope of schools and programs sometimes changes from one session to another. A serious organization updates its list of partner programs every year and informs you of changes before the wish phase.
Starting preparation early, ideally from the first term of senior year, allows you to spread the effort without sacrificing baccalaureate revisions. Intensive courses scheduled during the February or April holidays leave time to progress on the most technical tests.
The choice of a Sesame prep relies on verifiable criteria: coverage of the seven tests, personalized diagnosis by school, recent news in the materials, format suited to your pace, and mock exams under real conditions. Compare programs on these specific points rather than on promises of success rates, which are often difficult to verify.
