CRPE exam-day guide
CRPE · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Convocation / convocation email
Print or download the convocation you received after registering: it states your session, the address of the test centre or the platform used, the reporting time and the instructions specific to your session. If you registered through a rectorat or a university and have not received it, contact the organising service immediately. Confirm with the provider which document is the authoritative one for your session.
Valid photo ID
Bring an official identity document with a photograph (national identity card or passport are the safest choices). Check with the provider in advance whether a driving licence or a residence permit is accepted for your session, and make sure the document is not expired.
Black ballpoint pens (several)
The CRPE written papers are handwritten. Bring at least two or three black ballpoint pens that you have already tested, plus a spare. Do not rely on fountain pens or erasable ink if you are not sure they are allowed; confirm the permitted materials with the provider.
Pencil, eraser and sharpener
Useful for rough work, diagrams, and for drafting before writing on the answer booklet. Keep them in a clear pouch so they can be checked quickly.
Small ruler and simple geometry tools
A short ruler is handy in mathematics didactics questions involving figures or proportionality. Check whether any instrument is restricted before bringing it.
Wristwatch (non-connected)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock and phones are usually collected or switched off. A basic analogue or digital watch that is not a smartwatch helps you pace the two papers. Confirm with the provider whether connected watches are banned outright.
Food and water for the day
The written sessions are long and often back to back with limited breaks. Bring a water bottle with the label removed if required and a light snack, after checking the room rules on food and drink.
No phone, no connected device, no notes
Phones must be switched off and stored as instructed, and any revision notes must be left outside the room. Possession of unauthorised material during the test is treated as fraud and can lead to disqualification.
Transport plan and arrival margin
Plan to arrive well before the reporting time given on the convocation, allowing for transport delays and security checks. Identify the exact entrance of the building in advance, because large centres often have several.
Rest and logistics the day before
Sleep, eat normally, and prepare clothes, ID, convocation and pens in one bag the evening before. Avoid last-minute cramming that costs you sleep.
Read the instructions on the answer booklet
On the day, read the cover instructions carefully: candidate number, paper code, number of pages, and how to handle rough work. Ask the invigilator if anything is unclear before the start.
Confirm session-specific rules with the provider
Rules on dictionaries, calculators, connected watches and permitted materials vary by session and year. Check the official notice for your session and, if in doubt, contact the organising service before the test day.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Re-read your own summaries of the two written papers' structure, redo one timed exercise per paper, and memorise the plan templates you will reuse (introduction, problem statement, didactic analysis, conclusion). Check the convocation for time, place and materials, print it, and locate the centre on a map.
Confirm practical logistics: transport tickets, accommodation if you are travelling, alarm, and a contact number for the centre. Prepare the bag with ID, convocation, pens, watch and water so that nothing depends on the morning.
Do a light review only: reread your summary sheets for French and mathematics didactics, and the key notions you tend to forget. Do not start a new topic. Stop working early in the evening, eat a normal meal, and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Set two alarms, check the weather and transport disruptions, and lay out clothes and the bag by the door. Re-read the convocation one last time for the reporting time and any instructions about phones or permitted materials.
Eat a real breakfast, arrive at the centre with a comfortable margin before the reporting time, and expect identity checks and phone collection. Keep only ID, convocation, pens and authorised tools on your desk.
When the booklet is distributed, check the number of pages and the instructions, fill in your candidate details carefully, and read the whole subject before writing. Allocate your time explicitly: for each paper, reserve a few minutes at the end for rereading and for checking that every question has been answered.
Work in the order that suits you but respect the time budget per part. Write legibly, structure answers with visible headings and short paragraphs, and always justify a didactic choice by referring to the mathematical or linguistic content and to pupils' learning. If a question blocks you, move on and come back.
For French, watch spelling, grammar and syntax, since language quality is assessed; for mathematics, show reasoning and check calculations. If you run out of time, write a short outline of the missing answer rather than leaving a blank, and use the final minutes to verify candidate details and page numbering.
Rules to check
Bring the convocation and a valid photo ID with a photograph; you may be refused entry without them. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted for your session.
Phones and connected devices must be switched off and stored as instructed; connected watches are generally prohibited. Confirm with the provider the exact rule for your session.
Only authorised materials may be on your desk. Dictionaries, calculators and geometry instruments are permitted or banned depending on the paper and the session, so check the official notice and ask the invigilator before the start.
Any communication with another candidate, exchange of material, or use of unauthorised notes during the test is fraud and can lead to disqualification from the whole examination.
Breaks and exits from the room are usually limited and supervised; follow the invigilator's instructions and do not take your booklet or phone with you if you leave. Confirm the break arrangements with the provider.
The written papers are marked anonymously on content and on expression: in French, language quality counts, and in mathematics, justification and didactic reasoning count, so a correct result without reasoning earns fewer marks.
Respect the time limits set by the invigilators; no extra time is given at the end, and late candidates may be admitted or refused according to the session rules. Confirm the late-arrival policy with the provider.
Do not write anything that identifies you in the body of your answers if the marking is anonymous; use only the candidate details requested on the cover.