Apply and Audition

Who is eligible to sit the entrance examination ?

Students are admitted to both the undergraduate and the graduate course on the basis of an examination open to French and foreign students within the age limits specified for each examination. The age limit refers to the age of the applicant on October 1 of the academic year for which application is being made.

No person may sit the entrance examination more than three times in the same discipline. However, applicants who have been accepted twice at the eligibility may sit the examination a fourth time.

With the exception of the teacher training (pedagogy) department and the dance performance graduate course, both of which are covered by specific requirements (see the pages for these departments), the entrance examination for the graduate course is open to :

Holders of an undergraduate diploma (DFS – Diplôme de Formation Supérieure) with distinction (Très Bien or Bien) with the exception of voice, for which a merit pass (Assez Bien) is accepted.
Holders of a French or foreign undergraduate diploma of the same nature.
Exceptionally, and on presentation of a dossier, applicants who can provide proof of background and experience related to the graduate course for which they are applying.

ATTENTION : To the attention of the candidates who passed the entrance examinations in 1st or 2nd superior cycles and who are not citizens of a French-speaking country

The candidates who passed an entrance examination in 1st superior cycle and who are not citizens of a French-speaking country will have to present, if it is their 1st registration to the Conservatoire, before June 30th, a certificate from an institution approved by the French Government. This certificate must attest that the candidate’s level in French language is at least equivalent to B1, on the scale of the common levels of reference of the Council of Europe.

The same measure applies to the candidates for the exam of admission to the preparatory classes of superior cycle 1 and 2 of the classes of dance.

The candidates who passed an entrance examination in 2nd superior cycle and who are not citizens of a French-speaking country will have to present, if it is their 1st registration to the Conservatoire, before December 31st, a certificate from an institution approved by the French Government. This certificate must attest that the candidate’s level in French language is at least equivalent to B2, on the scale of the common levels of reference of the Council of Europe.

For any information regarding the accredited exam centers, in France as well as abroad, please visit the CIEP (Centre International d’Etudes Pédagogiques) website.

CENTRE INTERNATIONAL D’ETUDES PEDAGOGIQUES, 1 avenue Léon Journault- 92310 SEVRES, Tel : 33 (0) 1 45 07 60 00

For any information regarding the institutions whose aim is to help you reach the required level in French language, please contact :

the cultural services at the French Embassy nearest you

the Alliance Française nearest you

In order to obtain the appropriate certificate, several types of exams are available to you :

Le TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français) for all levels (B1, B2, C1)
Le DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française) for B1 and B2-levels
Le DALF (Diplôme approfondi de Langue Française) for C1-level

For any further information, please contact : (33) 01 40 40 45 11 or by e-mail

How to enrol for the entrance examination

The enrolment procedure for the entrance examinations consists of three phases :

Requesting an application dossier

The applicant must request an application dossier for the entrance examination of his/her choice within a specified period (NB: these dates are binding – no request will be admitted past the cut-off date). The applicant is then awarded a dossier number.

Fill in the application dossier

In response to the request, the Conservatoire sends applicants an application dossier comprising :

the list of documents required
useful information concerning the entrance examination (exact dates and details of tests, list of teachers, etc.)

The applicant must ensure that all the documents required are included in the dossier.

Returning the completed application dossier

Applicants must return the completed dossier within the time limit indicated (postmark), accompanied by the enrolment fee for the examination (60 euros per discipline - 120 euros per ensemble for chamber music).

NB: the cut-off dates for return of the dossier are binding.

The Conservatoire will send a letter of confirmation to the applicant on receipt of the dossier, followed by an official convocation a few days prior to the tests.