Civil engineering entrance exam: private lessons
Aiming for civil engineering or engineering-architecture? At French-speaking universities you must first pass the special admission exam; in Flanders, take part in the starttoets. Both are held in early July and late August.
A My Sherpa coach prepares you for the mathematics of the exam, at home anywhere in Belgium or online.
The admission exam in brief
To enrol in a bachelor in civil engineering or engineering-architecture in French-speaking Belgium, you must pass the special admission exam. No exemption is granted for a diploma or previous studies.
It is organised by the four engineering faculties, on a common programme:
- École polytechnique de Louvain (UCLouvain);
- École polytechnique de Bruxelles (ULB);
- Faculty of Applied Sciences (ULiège);
- Faculty of Engineering of Mons (UMONS).
An exam passed in full at one faculty is valid at the other three. It is an exam, not a competition: there is no limit on the number of students admitted.
The Flemish starttoets in brief
In Flanders, anyone who wants to start a bachelor in civil engineering or engineering-architecture must first take part in the starttoets, organised by the five Flemish universities.
Taking part is compulsory, but the result is not binding: you can always enrol. If you score below 10/20, you must complete remedial work of 1 to 3 study credits (30 to 90 hours), organised by your university, ideally before the academic year starts.
Mathematics only, without a calculator
For civil engineering, the starttoets has a single module: mathematics. It consists of about 30 multiple-choice questions on the curriculum of the last two years of secondary school, based on the minimum goals for advanced mathematics, plus the topic “the circle”.
- no calculator, compass or set square;
- a formula sheet is provided, and you can consult it in advance;
- a blank answer counts as wrong;
- you pass with at least 10/20, or 19 correct answers out of 30.
Engineering-architecture adds a module on spatial insight to the mathematics.
Four subjects, all in mathematics
With the CESS, the French-speaking secondary school diploma, the exam covers mathematics only, at the level of the 6-hour-a-week course of the last two years of secondary school. The universities publish the detailed programme; it covers in particular:
- Algebra: complex numbers, polynomials, systems of equations, combinatorics, probability;
- Analysis: limits, derivatives, integrals, volumes of revolution;
- Trigonometry and numerical calculation: trigonometric formulas, equations, solving triangles;
- Geometry, including analytic geometry.
Without the CESS, the full exam adds French, sciences, history and a second language.
Sessions, registration and results
The 2027 dates and rules published by the universities.
Two sessions
Early July and late August on both sides. French-speaking universities: the common trigonometry test is on Monday 5 July and Monday 30 August 2027. Flemish starttoets: Thursday 1 July and Saturday 21 August 2027.
Registration
French-speaking universities: €50 per session, with the chosen faculty. Flemish starttoets: free, from 15 January 2027, until 15 June for July and 15 August for August.
Results
French-speaking universities: in principle 10/20 in each subject, and subjects passed in July carry over to August at the same faculty. Starttoets: pass mark 10/20, result not binding, but compulsory remedial work if you fail.
Preparation built around you
The coach has you practise every week, at your own pace, on the chapters where you get stuck.
Taking stock
The coach starts from your final-year results and a few past exam questions to see, subject by subject, what you have mastered and what still needs work.
Practising on past papers
The universities publish past exam questions, and every Flemish starttoets since 2013 is online with its answers. You work through them with the coach, who corrects your reasoning, not just the result.
Preparing for the August session
Failed a subject in July? The coach plans your summer to work on it again, without losing the level you have reached in the others.
Preparation by the French-speaking universities
The faculties offer their own preparation, in groups and on fixed dates. For example:
- UCLouvain holds sessions on Wednesday afternoons in March and April 2027, a mini revision camp and a mock exam on 8 May 2027;
- ULB runs preparatory courses in August (3 to 21 August in 2026);
- ULiège prepares students for the late-August session, with a commented correction of the July exams.
Private lessons complement them: your coach follows you all year, on your own difficulties, before and between these sessions.
Preparation by the Flemish universities
The Flemish universities also help you prepare, in groups and on fixed dates. In 2026, for example:
- KU Leuven held free practice sessions on 15 May, 29 June and 19 August;
- Ghent University organised practice afternoons on 6 and 13 May;
- both run a summer course in mathematics in early September, which can also count as remedial work.
Private lessons complement them: your coach follows you all year, on your own difficulties, before and between these sessions.
How does it work?
Analysis of the situation and goals
A My Sherpa educational advisor gets in touch and analyses the pupil's needs.
Designing the coaching programme
Your educational advisor proposes a suitable programme.
Coach selection
Your educational advisor selects the coach who suits your needs and your schedule.
Coaching follow-up
Throughout the programme of lessons, your educational advisor follows up and remains available.
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Your questions about the civil engineering entrance exam
Yes. In French-speaking Belgium, you must pass the special admission exam to enrol in civil engineering or engineering-architecture, with no exemption for a diploma or previous studies. In Flanders, taking part in the starttoets is compulsory, but its result is not binding.
No. With the CESS, the French-speaking exam covers mathematics only. Without it, the full exam adds French, sciences, history and a second language.
Allow several months: UCLouvain, for example, starts its preparation sessions in March for an exam in early July. Starting during your final year gives you time to cover each subject.
In French-speaking Belgium, yes, if passed in full: it is then valid at all four engineering faculties. A partial pass only carries over within the same faculty and the same year.
Subjects passed with at least 10/20 in July carry over to the late-August session, provided you retake the exam at the same faculty in the same year. You then only retake the missing subjects.
In Flanders, civil engineering requires a starttoets: taking part is compulsory to enrol, but the result does not block enrolment. If you fail, remedial work is required. In 2027, it takes place on 1 July and 21 August. Our coaches prepare students for it too.
€45 per hour for a programme of less than 12 hours, €44 from 12 to 24 hours, €42 from 24 to 36 hours and €40 from 36 hours, plus a €75 registration fee per school year and per family. Lessons take place at home anywhere in Belgium or online.
