An elite French university has sloppily slopped documents from an entrance exam, so that now 4400 young people have to take the exam again. An envelope with exams in the writing of a French essay did not reach the university administration, said the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Lyon.
After an unsuccessful search by the university and the postal service provider, it was decided to rewrite the exam and all applicants were informed. They are aware of the significance of the decision, but only if all applicants take the exam again will equal opportunities be guaranteed.
As the broadcaster Europe 1 reported, around 4400 young people are affected by the rewriting of the exam. They apply for around 100 places at the university in an extremely selective process and have usually attended a preparatory course for two years that prepares them for the entrance examination.
In France, it is customary to complete two to three very selective and intensive years of preparatory studies – the so-called Classes Préparatoires – for the selective entrance examinations of the Grandes Écoles.