CPGE - MPSI

CPGE — MPSI (Mathématiques, Physique et Sciences de l'Ingénieur) is a two-year non-degree preparatory programme taught in French at the Ecole des Pupilles de l'Air — lycée de la défense in Montbonnot-Saint-Martin, France. Classes begin in September. Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles (CPGE) are intensive post-secondary preparatory courses designed to train students for the competitive entrance examinations of France's grandes écoles — elite higher education institutions in engineering, science, business, and other fields. The MPSI track is one of the scientific CPGE streams, with a core focus on mathematics, physics, and engineering sciences. The first year concentrates heavily on mathematics and physics, establishing the rigorous theoretical grounding needed for competitive examinations. Engineering sciences and chemistry are studied alongside these core subjects. The second year deepens the material and introduces more specialisation depending on the pathway chosen. Students are trained to solve complex, multi-step problems quickly and accurately under examination conditions. The Ecole des Pupilles de l'Air is a lycée de la défense, a school operating under the French Ministry of Defence, which gives the programme a particular institutional character. Instruction is entirely in French. Completing CPGE MPSI prepares students to sit entrance examinations for engineering grandes écoles such as the Ecoles Normales Supérieures and Ecoles Centrales, leading to master-level degrees in scientific and engineering disciplines.