BTS MCO exam-day guide
BTS MCO · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Convocation and exam schedule
Bring the convocation (convocatoria) or individual exam schedule issued by your académie or training centre: it states the date, session times, address and room. Confirm the exact venue and reporting time with the provider in advance; the address on the convocation prevails over any older information circulating at your school.
Valid photo ID
Bring a valid identity document with photograph (national ID card or passport). Check with the provider whether an expired document is accepted, and whether a driving licence is acceptable; do not assume.
Confirmation of registration / candidate number
Bring the registration confirmation or candidate number if one was issued to you. If you are unsure what the centre expects, confirm with the provider before the session.
Basic stationery
Black or blue ink pens (bring two), pencils, eraser, correction tape and a small ruler. For the professional case study you may need to draft a table or calculation, so a clear, non-programmable approach to working is useful.
Non-programmable calculator
Useful for the commercial calculation, margin, mark-up and pricing parts of the case study. Check with the provider whether calculators are permitted and whether programmable or graphing models are excluded; if in doubt, bring a simple non-programmable model.
Printed case study and any authorised documents
The professional case study is distributed at the start of the session. Bring only the documents explicitly authorised by the exam regulations; if you are unsure whether a personal copy of the case is allowed, confirm with the provider. Do not bring pre-prepared answers or model responses.
Watch (non-connected)
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you manage time if the room clock is not visible. Connected watches and phones must be switched off and stored away; do not rely on them.
Water and a light snack
Sessions can be long. Bring a small bottle of water and something to eat during any break. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed in the exam room.
Plan your route and arrival time
Check the journey in advance, including public transport disruptions. Aim to arrive well before the reporting time, as late arrival may be refused or reduce your time. Confirm with the provider what the latest permitted arrival time is.
Read the instructions on the paper first
At the start of each part, read the instructions and the mark allocation. Identify the compulsory questions and any choice between parts before you start writing.
Plan the day
Re-read the case study structure and the four BTS MCO skill areas: commercial development (prospecting, sales, customer relations), management of the commercial unit (team, objectives, performance), customer and client experience, and the digital dimension. Do not learn new content; consolidate the formulas and frameworks you already know: margin, mark-up, VAT, break-even, sales force workload, and the structure of a short action plan. Practise one timed exercise, for example drafting a prospecting plan or a commercial action plan, under the same time constraint as the real case.
Prepare your materials: stationery, calculator, ID, convocation, transport. Check the venue, the reporting time and any instructions about authorised documents. If anything is unclear, contact the provider now rather than on the day.
Protect your sleep. Avoid last-minute cramming sessions that run past midnight; memory and written expression perform better after regular sleep.
Do a light review only: the main formulas, the structure of a written response (context, diagnosis, proposal, expected results, indicators), and the vocabulary of the professional case. Re-read your own notes rather than new material.
Pack your bag and lay out your clothes. Reconfirm the journey and the reporting time. Prepare the ID and convocation in the same place so nothing is forgotten. Switch off notifications on your phone and set two alarms.
Eat normally and go to bed at a reasonable hour. Do not attempt to learn a new chapter the night before.
Eat breakfast, arrive at the venue early, and locate the room and any candidate list. Keep your phone switched off and stored away before entering the room. Read the whole paper briefly to plan your time and the order of the parts.
Start with a short planning phase: identify the case context, the questions asked and the marks. Allocate time per part and leave time to check calculations and reread your answers. Write in structured paragraphs with headings and, where relevant, tables for figures. Show your working for calculations so partial credit is possible. If a question is unclear, state the assumption you are making and continue; do not leave a whole part blank.
Keep an eye on the clock and respect the time allocated to each part. If you finish early, use the remaining time to check the figures, the units (euros, percentages, quantities) and the coherence of your recommendations with the case context.
Do not try to reconstruct your answers with other candidates in a way that disturbs the session. Note any question you found ambiguous and, if the regulations allow, report it through the official channel indicated by the provider.
Rules to check
Bring a valid photo ID and your convocation; you may be refused entry without them. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before the session.
Phones, connected watches and any connected device must be switched off and stored out of reach. Any device found on you during the test may be treated as cheating under the exam regulations.
Only the documents and equipment explicitly authorised by the exam regulations may be used. Check with the provider whether a calculator is allowed and which models are excluded.
Write only in the space provided and follow the instructions on the paper; identify yourself only as instructed. Do not write your name where anonymity is required.
Breaks and leaving the room are governed by the centre's rules. If you need to leave temporarily, ask the invigilator; do not assume you can leave and return freely. Confirm the break policy with the provider.
Cheating, communicating with other candidates, or using unauthorised material may lead to invalidation of the paper and disciplinary consequences under the applicable regulations.
Scoring: marks are allocated per question and per part; partial credit is usually available for correct method even when the final figure is wrong, so show your calculations and justify your recommendations. Confirm the marking scheme and the pass requirements with the provider.
If you believe a question is ambiguous or the conditions were disrupted, report it to the invigilator immediately and follow the official procedure indicated by the provider; do not attempt to resolve it informally after the session.