Medicine and dentistry admission exam, civil engineering entrance exam, admission tests at the art schools: some higher education programmes start with a selection. These exams are demanding, but you can prepare for them. Here are 5 tips to approach your university entrance exam with a clear method.
Which programmes require an entrance exam in Belgium?
Most bachelor’s programmes are open to anyone holding a secondary school diploma (the CESS in French-speaking schools). A few programmes are exceptions: you must first pass an entrance exam, an admission test or a competitive exam before enrolling in the first year:
- medicine, dentistry and, from 2027, veterinary medicine in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (French-speaking education): a competitive entrance exam organised by ARES, with a number of places set each year;
- medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine in Flanders: the toelatingsexamen, organised by the Flemish government, also with a limited number of places;
- civil engineering: a mathematics admission exam, shared by the engineering faculties of UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège and UMONS;
- the Royal Military Academy, which adds language, sports, medical and psychometric tests to mathematics;
- art schools, where the admission test mainly assesses practical skills and creativity.
Each exam has its own rules. The tips below apply to all of them, with examples from the most common ones.
1. Find out what the exam covers
The first step is to know exactly what you will be tested on. The reliable source is the organiser’s website: ARES for the French-speaking medicine exam, the Flemish government for the toelatingsexamen, the faculty for the civil engineering exam. They publish the official syllabus, the rules and the calendar.
A few examples of what you will find there:
- medicine and dentistry competitive exam (FWB): a single day of multiple choice questions, in two parts. The first covers the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics), the second covers communication and the critical analysis of information;
- civil engineering admission exam: mathematics tests (algebra, calculus, trigonometry and numerical calculation, geometry and analytic geometry), based on the advanced mathematics syllabus of the last two years of secondary school;
- art schools: practical tests specific to each programme, sometimes with a portfolio or an interview.
If a question remains unanswered, feel free to contact the faculty office or attend an information session.
2. Know the question format
Knowing what to study is not enough: you also need to know how you will be tested. You do not prepare in the same way for a multiple choice test, open exercises or a practical test.
- Multiple choice: practise speed, ruling out wrong answers and managing your time over a long exam;
- open exercises: write out your reasoning carefully, every step counts;
- communication or empathy tests: read the scenarios carefully and identify what is really being asked.
Remember too that a competitive exam is decided by ranking: reaching a pass mark is not enough, you need to place high enough among the candidates. To prepare for the medical school exams, see our medical school prep.
3. Take stock of your prior knowledge
Next, compare the exam syllabus with what you actually covered in secondary school. Go through your notebooks and the tables of contents of your courses, then list the chapters you master, those to review and those you have never studied.
A common example: a student finishing secondary school with 4 hours of mathematics a week who wants to study civil engineering. The exam is based on the 6 hour syllabus. Some topics are therefore missing. That does not make success impossible, but it calls for a longer preparation that starts earlier.
The same logic applies to the medicine exam: a student who did little chemistry or physics in the final year should rebuild these foundations before practising on exam questions. Private tutoring in chemistry, physics or mathematics lets you target exactly these gaps.
4. Practise, practise and practise again
For an entrance exam, understanding the material is not enough: practice makes the difference. Start by redoing the exercises from class, then move on to harder exercises, and finish with full exams under real conditions.
- use the official questions: organisers often publish sample questions or exercise collections, the best basis for practice;
- time yourself to learn to manage your time and reduce stress on exam day;
- analyse your mistakes: for each one, note whether it comes from a misunderstood concept, reading too fast or running out of time;
- spread your revision over several weeks, with regular returns to the topics already covered.
Preparing alone is possible, but rarely easy. Some universities offer preparatory courses or remedial sessions. Individual support also helps you organise your work, stay motivated and move forward where you get stuck. For study methods as such, you will find more ideas in our 5 study tips to pass your exams.
5. Sort out the practical side in advance
A forgotten registration or a badly planned journey can undo months of work. Settle these points as early as possible.
Do you need to register for the exam?
Yes. Every admission exam requires prior registration, with a deadline, and there is often a fee. Check this information on the organiser’s website from the start of your final year of secondary school.
When does the exam take place?
Dates vary from one exam to another:
- the French-speaking medicine and dentistry exam is held in a single session, at the end of August;
- the Flemish toelatingsexamen takes place once a year, in early July;
- the civil engineering admission exam offers two sessions, in early July and at the end of August or early September.
The date also sets how much time you have to prepare. Catching up takes several months: starting early is often what makes the difference.
Where does the exam take place?
The exam is not necessarily held on the campus of your future university. The French-speaking medicine exam, for example, takes place at Brussels Expo, at Heysel. Check the venue and the route in advance so you arrive calm.
In conclusion
A well informed, well trained and organised candidate gives themselves every chance. Stress will be part of the experience, but steady preparation makes it easier to manage. Keep your goal and your study plans in mind: they will carry you through the weeks of revision.
Need help preparing for your entrance exam?
Since 2003, My Sherpa has supported pupils and students with coaches chosen by an educational advisor according to the subject and the goal. To rebuild the basics in science or mathematics and practise on exam questions, our private tutoring is available at home anywhere in Belgium or online.
Good luck with your preparation!
