Entrance in the first year
Entrance in the first year
Entrance requirements
Admission to the first year of Villa Arson bachelor’s program is by examination.
This entrance exam is open to all candidates: holders of the Baccalaureate, or an equivalent French or foreign diploma; students in the final year of secondary school; on art foundation courses; or undertaking other training post-Baccalaureate.
Applicants who have not obtained the Baccalaureate must submit an exemption request to the director of the school.
The number of students admitted is determined each year by the director of Villa Arson. For the 2025 examination, 50 first-year places are available. A waiting list will also be drawn up.
For those who pass the exam, admission is conditional on obtaining the Baccalaureate (all streams considered) or an equivalent qualification.
How do I apply?
Registration for the exam is done online via Parcoursup. Alongside registering on Parcoursup, students must sign up on the Taïga platform, which will be available to access from 15 January to 2 April, 2025: https://taiga.archi.fr/taiga/cnd.
The academic secretary can be contacted for any questions at: ensa@villa-arson.org.
An invitation will be sent to candidates on 4 April, 2025, following their registration. The registration fee is €38, but scholarship holders are exempt (on providing written proof).
How to register for the exam
1. Candidates must complete their online registration, which includes the following steps:
- fill out the admissions form including the specified attachments (in digital format);
- attach a detailed cover letter outlining your interest in studying art and any relevant experience or knowledge of art and the art world;
- pay the registration fee (online), which is compulsory for the registration to be validated.
2. Candidates are invited for an individual interview with the jury, during which time they present their personal work (a portfolio is obligatory).
3. Admissions are based on the quality of each candidate’s application, the exam and their portfolio, also taking into account Villa Arson’s specific pedagogical remit and the number of available places.
The examination
Candidates sit the exam individually.
The exam includes:
1. A commentary on an artwork or a subject of your choice from the selection provided. This test aims to measure the candidate’s clarity of written expression and their aptitude for analysis. The idea is to avoid well-trodden paths and produce an original and personal piece of work. It is therefore inadvisable to resort to copying and pasting received ideas from the Internet. This commentary must not exceed 3500 signs including spaces and must be delivered as a Word document or PDF.
2. A response to the creative exercise on one of three proposed subjects, without restrictions on the chosen medium or format, assembled in a single digital file (images, texts, video, sound, etc.), and limited to 20 MB or else provided as a downloadable link.
3. A document in any format (text, images, video, multimedia, links to online works, etc., gathered in a single file with a 20 MB limit or available as a downloadable link), in which each candidate presents their personal work, giving priority to recent output.
These three elements must be sent to the school by the candidate, using the e-mail address examen@villa-arson.fr, by 22 April, 2025.
4. An interview lasting a maximum of 20 minutes, during which the candidate discusses his/her application with a jury. Interviews take place between the 12th and 15th of May, 2025. The admissions secretary informs candidates of the date and time of their interview.
In support of the presentation of their work, each candidate is interviewed about their motivations for studying art, and their experience and knowledge of art and the art world.
Topics for the creative and commentary exercises
Candidates must send their answers to the e-mail address examen@villa-arson.fr before midnight on 22 April, 2025, making sure to include their first name and surname.
Results
The entrance exam results are communicated via Parcoursup for those candidates concerned. The results of candidates who are not applying via Parcoursup are communicated individually by e-mail.
Successful candidates are informed of the registration procedure.
Candidates who do not have a Baccalaureate but who can provide evidence of a professional and artistic background may, exceptionally, request a dispensation.
To apply, send a cover letter, portfolio and CV demonstrating a professional artistic background to the director of Villa Arson at: direction@villa-arson.fr.
