ENS is part of France’s very selective group of institutions known as the grandes écoles. These schools are separate from the normal universities of France.

In France, going to university is the more common path, much like Bangladesh. However, the grandes écoles are a selective system where only elite students can attend. Elite as in not social status but the intellectually upper class. 

As one student put it, “In France, ENS is seen for super elites. Like the potential geniuses who don’t go to any other ‘shiny’ schools, they go to ENS.”

Historical background

France has one of the oldest university systems in Europe. The Université de Paris, the first university of France, was founded in the 12th century. But the grandes écoles developed later and outside the main university system. 

ENS was established in 1794 during the French Revolution. It was created to train high-level teachers and intellectuals for the nation. Unlike universities, grandes écoles do not award the usual university diplomas. Students often also enrol in nearby universities to receive degrees. What truly matters is the status of being a graduate of a grande école.

Who knows about ENS?

ENS is not widely known among the general public in France. It is so elite that many people simply do not encounter it. As one former candidate explained, “The ENS is not very well known among the general population in France. It is that elite.” However, among academics and students in the know, it carries huge prestige. 

In the United Kingdom, for example, even strong results in the ENS entrance exam can impress people who understand its difficulty. “It is a matter of those who know about it and those who do not are fortunate enough not to have gone through that brutal meat grinder that the classe préparatoire can be.” The same person added that it was more challenging than getting a PhD.

How students prepare for ENS 

To prepare for this exam, students enrol in classes préparatoires or prépas. This is two or three years of very intense studying. Students specialise in areas such as hard sciences, biological sciences, economics or literature. 

These classes usually take place in elite high schools such as Lycée Henri-IV and Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Even to be admitted to these preparatory classes, students have to be highly intellectual and top of their classes. 

Students face constant testing, including oral examinations known as colles, and many describe the prépa system as brutal.

How hard is the ENS entrance exam?

The ENS entrance exam is extremely competitive. Around 3,000 candidates sit for the exam each year and only about 75 are admitted. These 3,000 students are already studying in classes préparatoires, which means they are already among the best students in France.

The ENS exam itself is long and difficult. There are written exams which last from four to six hours and include very demanding questions. Many candidates are eliminated at the written stage. Those who succeed move on to oral examinations where they must show very advanced knowledge and teaching ability. 

Another student who went through the prépa system said, “You can’t be just a very good student. To get into ENS you need an additional spark and connection for the discipline.”

What happens if you get in? 

Students admitted to ENS have a special status. They are considered civil servants in training and receive a stipend during their studies. In return, they must give ten years of civil service to the French government, including their years of study. 

Graduates of ENS are often described as forming France’s intellectual elite. They go on to become leading researchers, professors and public servants. One Reddit user commented, “Everyone I’ve known who was a student at the ENS, either teachers I have had or my best friend, truly are the most intelligent people I have had the chance to meet, but also the most humble about their educational prowess.” 

ENS alumni are often associated with top positions in French society. France’s current president, Emmanuel Macron, is an alumnus of the École nationale d’administration, another grande école.

The ENS entrance exam represents the peak of academic competition in France. It is not designed for the average student. It is designed to find and train the minds that may shape the country’s intellectual future.

What an honour it must be to be a part of it!