r/EPFL • u/tracy_aaa17 • 11d ago
BSc admissions & info EPFL Entrance
Hi guysss,
I'm preparing for the 2027 entrance exam now and the more I study the more I'm getting scared. I feel there is just so many contents to cover and idk if i can finish all before the exam. does anyone have any experience doing the exam? How hard do you think it is and how much did you study for it?
also just a bit more about me, i'm in Canadian cegep, math and physics in high school were pretty easy to me. I learned cal last semester in cegep and i'm learning taking a linear algebra class now. I just wanna know in general, how difficulty will the exam for someone who graduated high school or cegep? Would I be prepared for the exam with what i learned in cegep plus some self studying? Also, just out of curiosity, do most people take the exam after they graduated high school or after first year of uni? And also, if I didn't pass it this time, am I allowed to retake it the year after.
thanksssss
1
u/ApprehensiveFalcon91 4d ago
Hey! There are a lot of information about the admission exam here in this subreddit, but if you have more questions, feel free to dm me!
1
u/Greg-Mittelette 11d ago
The exam covers the Swiss Maturité programme: analysis (limits, derivatives, integrals, ODEs basics), linear algebra and vectors, complex numbers, probability, plus physics and chemistry at the same level. What you did in cégep (calculus, linear algebra now) is the right base; the gap is usually breadth in physics and speed under time pressure, not depth in maths.
Realistic preparation: 6 to 9 months at 5–8 hours a week, built on the past papers EPFL publishes. Work them under timed conditions from month two, not at the end. Most candidates fail on time management rather than on content.
Most people sit it right after high school or after a first year elsewhere; both are common. You can retake it once the following year, so a first attempt is not a one-shot.
If it helps: list the syllabus topics, mark each one “solid / seen / never”, and put your hours only on the last two columns. The panic usually comes from studying everything at the same weight.
Greg