Concours Faculté de Droit (Antananarivo) exam-day guide
Concours Faculté de Droit (Antananarivo) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Convocation / convocation letter
Print the convocation you received when registering for the Concours Faculté de Droit (Antananarivo) and keep it in a plastic sleeve. It usually carries your candidate number, the room assignment and the timetable. If you have not received it, contact the faculty administration well before the date; do not assume you can be admitted without it.
National identity card or passport
Bring the original photo ID used at registration, valid and not expired. A photocopy is normally not accepted. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted for candidates who have lost their ID or have not yet received a CIN.
Several black or blue ballpoint pens plus spares
Written law papers are handwritten. Bring at least three pens that you have already tested, a pencil and eraser for rough work, and a small pencil sharpener. Avoid erasable or gel inks if the provider requires ink that scans clearly; confirm with the provider.
Correcting fluid or tape (only if permitted)
Many examination centres forbid correction fluid because it can be used to alter scripts. Pack it but ask the invigilator before the start of the paper; if it is refused, leave it in your bag outside the room.
Wristwatch (non-connected)
Phones must be switched off and stored away, so a simple analogue or digital watch is the practical way to pace yourself. Smartwatches and connected watches are almost always prohibited; confirm with the provider.
Clear water bottle and a small snack
Long written papers can run several hours. Bring water in a transparent bottle and a snack to eat outside the room during any break. Check whether food and drink are allowed at the desk; confirm with the provider.
Printed summary of the timetable and room number
Write the date, reporting time, building, room and paper order on a single sheet kept with your convocation. Campus buildings can be confusing on the day; arriving at the wrong amphitheatre is a common and avoidable cause of lateness.
Transport plan and backup
Antananarivo traffic and taxi-be queues can be unpredictable. Plan a route, identify a backup (a second taxi-be line, a friend with a car, or a taxi), and aim to arrive at least 60 to 90 minutes before the reporting time. Confirm the exact reporting time with the provider.
Small cash for transport and photocopies
Keep small notes for taxi-be fares, a taxi in an emergency, and any last-minute photocopy of your convocation or ID. Do not carry large sums into the examination room.
Nothing electronic at the desk
Phone, earphones, smartwatch, calculator and any connected device must be switched off and left outside the room or in a bag as instructed. Possession at the desk can lead to disqualification even if the device is off; confirm with the provider.
Read the faculty's published instructions for the current session
Rules on authorised documents, dictionaries, calculators, lateness and dress can change from one session to the next. The official notice from the Faculté de Droit is the only reliable source; confirm with the provider rather than relying on what previous candidates tell you.
Rest and a proper meal the day before
A written law paper rewards clear reasoning more than last-minute cramming. Sleep, eat a normal breakfast, and prepare your documents and clothes the evening before so the morning is calm.
Plan the day
Re-read the official convocation and the faculty's instructions line by line. Note the reporting time, building, room, paper order and duration, and write them on a single sheet. Check that your ID is valid and that your convocation is printed. If anything is missing or unclear, contact the faculty administration immediately, since the last 48 hours are a bad time to discover a problem.
Do a final content review organised by subject rather than by chapter. For each subject on the programme, write a one-page skeleton: the main notions, the leading rules, and two or three classic pitfalls. This skeleton is for memory, not for the room, since notes are normally forbidden; confirm with the provider what may be brought in.
Practise under time pressure at least once: take a past-style question or a subject you invent, and write a full answer in the allotted time without notes. This trains you to allocate time between reading, planning, drafting and checking, which is where most marks are lost.
Confirm your transport plan and, if you are travelling from outside Antananarivo, confirm your accommodation and allow a buffer day. Traffic, rain and transport strikes can turn a 30-minute trip into two hours. Identify a backup route and a person to call if you are stuck.
Pack the night before: convocation, ID, pens, pencil, eraser, watch, water, snack, small cash, and the printed timetable sheet. Put everything in one bag and leave it by the door. Charge nothing you cannot bring in; leave the phone charger at home or in your accommodation.
Stop learning new material. Re-read only your one-page skeletons and the structure of a good answer: introduction with the problem, announced plan, developed parts, short conclusion. Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy caffeine in the evening, and set two alarms. Check the weather forecast for the morning.
Wake early, eat a real breakfast, and leave with a large margin. Aim to be at the campus well before the reporting time rather than exactly on time. Carry your bag yourself and keep your documents in one pocket you can reach without searching.
Locate your room from the posted lists, check your name and candidate number, and note where the toilets and the exit are. Switch off your phone completely and put it away. Use the toilet before entering, since breaks during the paper may be limited or accompanied.
Once seated, check that your script and any answer sheet carry the correct identification and that pages are not missing. Fill in the identification fields immediately, before the paper starts, so that a forgotten name cannot cost you the whole script. Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions and ask about anything unclear before writing.
Read the whole paper and any choice of subjects before writing anything. Choose your subject deliberately, then spend a few minutes on a rough plan: definitions, problem, announced plan, and the key rules or cases you will use. A planned answer scores better than a page of improvised prose.
Keep to the time budget you set, and write legibly with clear headings and paragraphs. Watch the clock at fixed checkpoints rather than constantly. If a question blocks you, leave a space and move on; return to it at the end. Reserve the last 10 to 15 minutes for checking identification, page order and any unfinished sentence.
Number your pages, make sure your name or candidate number appears where required, and re-read the instructions to confirm you have answered every required part. Hand your script to the invigilator personally and do not leave anything on the desk. Once outside, avoid comparing answers with other candidates, since it only adds stress before the next paper.
Rules to check
Identification is checked at the door. Bring the original photo ID used at registration together with your convocation, and expect your name to be checked against the room list. If your ID is lost, expired or not yet issued, contact the faculty administration before the examination day; confirm with the provider which substitute documents are accepted, since a photocopy is generally not enough.
Arrive before the reporting time. Candidates arriving after the paper has started may be refused entry, and the exact cut-off is set by the faculty for each session. Confirm with the provider the lateness rule and whether any extra time is granted to latecomers; do not assume you will be admitted.
Electronic devices must be switched off and kept out of reach. A phone, earphones, smartwatch or connected watch found at the desk can lead to the script being cancelled even if the device is off. Confirm with the provider where bags and phones must be left and what happens if you need to keep a phone for transport reasons.
Only authorised documents may be on the desk. Notes, textbooks, printed summaries and, depending on the paper, dictionaries or calculators may be forbidden or restricted. The list of authorised materials is published with the convocation; confirm with the provider rather than following what other candidates do.
Breaks during a paper are usually limited and may be accompanied by an invigilator, and leaving the room may require permission. Use the toilet before the paper starts. Confirm with the provider the rules on leaving the room, on food and drink at the desk, and on what happens if you feel unwell.
Any irregularity, including talking, looking at another candidate's script, passing material, or using an unauthorised device, can lead to the script being cancelled and, depending on the faculty's rules, to exclusion from the competition. If you believe you have been wrongly accused, stay calm, note the invigilator's name and the time, and raise it through the official channel afterwards.
Scoring rules, including coefficients, the pass mark, the oral stage and how ties are broken, are set by the faculty and published in the competition notice. Read them before the day so you know how much each paper weighs. Confirm with the provider the current coefficients and whether any paper has a minimum mark requirement.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on identification of the script, page numbering and handover. Hand your script directly to the invigilator, keep nothing that belongs to the faculty, and leave the room quietly so as not to disturb candidates still writing.