Draft:Khôlle (preparatory classes)

Mathematics's khôlle in the board

In the French Classe Préparatoire aux Grandes Ecoles (CPGE for elite universities), a “colle” (also spelled khôlle in prep school jargon) refers to an oral examination designed to prepare students for the highly selective competitive exams required for entry into top-tier institutions such as École normale supérieure, HEC, École polytechnique, etc. These exams are held two to three times per week, depending on the track (scientific, literary, economic), and are often regarded as one of the most intense and psychologically demanding aspects of the French preparatory system. These oral exams are not just assessments; they are tools for maintaining a constant pressure on students, ensuring they study and revise regularly under conditions mimicking the real competitive oral exams. Typically, each session focuses on a specific part of the syllabus and lasts around one hour (or 30 minutes for literature and language subjects). In science and economics tracks, the session usually involves three students solving problems on a whiteboard, whereas in literary or language subjects, students are examined individually.

Oral exams (khôlles) generally last one hour or 30 minutes for literature and language subjects and are graded on a 20-point scale.

Psychological Intensity and Pedagogical Harshness

While the khôlle system is designed to cultivate intellectual rigor, oral fluency, and deep mastery of course content, it is also widely regarded as psychologically taxing. The environment is intentionally high-pressure, and students are routinely exposed to a demanding, and at times harsh, pedagogical approach, particularly in language and humanities subjects.

The dynamic often involves sharp questioning and rapid-fire exchanges that leave little room for hesitation. In some cases, students report experiences that border on humiliation, especially when performance does not meet expectations. This is not accidental: within this culture of academic excellence, pedagogical severity is sometimes viewed as a tool for resilience-building.

As a result, many former students describe the khôlle as a form of intellectual sparring that develops stamina and composure under stress. Yet for others, the cumulative effect of weekly oral examinations and critical feedback can contribute to long-term stress, self-doubt, or burnout, especially in the absence of constructive support mechanisms.

Origin of the Term

The term “colle” originally comes from French school slang, where it metaphorically referred to particularly difficult oral tests. Over time, it became a specialized and institutionalized term for the oral preparation sessions used in French preparatory classes (classes préparatoires) to train students for competitive entrance exams. It was students from the khâgne classes who humorously altered the spelling of the word colle, mimicking the name of their own class and giving it an artificial, pseudo-Greek flourish. In the French preparatory system, khâgne refers to the second year of the classes préparatoires littéraires, intensive, highly selective humanities tracks that prepare students for entrance to elite institutions like the École Normale Supérieure (ENS). The name khâgne itself is a play on words: originally slang (cagne) for "a miserable place to study," it was transformed into khâgne with a mock-classical Greek spelling, reflecting both a self-deprecating wit and an ironic reverence for intellectual rigor. In the same spirit, students reshaped colle into khôlle, making the word look more sophisticated (and intimidating) than its original form.

Content of the Oral Examinations

Scientific Subjects

Physics and Mathematics

The board is divided among the students, usually three of them who use it as a workspace to answer the examiner’s questions.

The oral exam usually begins with a theory question, during which the student is expected to reproduce a mathematical proof previously covered in class with their teacher These questions are typically selected from a repertoire of 50 to 150 key exercises per chapter, meticulously learned and practiced throughout the year. This structured preparation forms the backbone of the course and serves as the foundation for both written and oral assessments.

The examiner then presents several problems that students must solve individually, reporting their reasoning and progress step by step as they work through them. Typically, two to three problems are covered during the session.

Biology

Following the 2022 reform, each student is required to deliver a 5- to 8-minute presentation at the board on a synthesis topic, based on a supporting document provided by the examiner which must be addressed. This is followed by an interactive discussion on one or more scientific documents that combine theoretical and experimental knowledge. The entire exercise is prepared individually, with 25 minutes of preparation time.

Literature and Language Subjects

For literature and language subjects, a text or essay topic is used as the basis for the oral exam.

The student is given a preparation period during which they read the text or topic and prepare their presentation.

The second part of the khôlle takes place in front of the examiner and consists of a 20-minute presentation, during which the student develops a personal reflection based on the text or topic prepared earlier. This is followed by a 10-minute interactive discussion. In practice, this exchange often goes well beyond the original document. Students are expected to mobilize references to a broad literary canon often encompassing 50 to 100 major works from antiquity to the 21st century, depending on the year and specialization. These include not only the official syllabus texts, but also a wider body of classics considered part of the “common culture” of French literary tradition.

Importantly, colleurs (examiners) may implicitly expect knowledge of certain authors or works they deem “canonical,” even if those texts were not part of the student's official program. A student referencing an unconventional or non-standard "classic" might be penalized, either explicitly or subtly not for error, but for deviating from what the examiner considers the intellectual norm. This creates an additional cognitive burden: mastering vast literary content while also navigating unspoken cultural expectations and hidden evaluative biases.

The overall exercise demands not only deep literary knowledge, but also quick thinking, critical distance, stylistic precision, and a refined sense of academic codes all under significant time pressure.

Geography in Preparatory class BCPST

Students individually prepare, over the course of one hour, an IGN map of France at a 1:25,000 scale in order to respond to a given topic. They may use supporting documents, an atlas, and the 1:1,000,000 geological map of France. The oral exam, lasting 15 to 20 minutes, is followed by a question-and-answer session aimed at refining, clarifying, or correcting the student’s responses.