5 TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN THE ISCOM ENTRANCE EXAM
Are you looking to join a communication school ? ISCOM will help you prepare for your entrance exam with confidence. How should you prepare? What are the most important skills ? How should you approach the oral exam ? Check out our advice.
You’ve made your decision, you want to work in Communication and Marketing. You love nothing more than working in contact with others, combining listening skills, analytical skills and observation. Plus, you’re keen to express your creativity, come up with innovative ideas and be in tune with the latest trends.
TIP 1: PRACTISE!
ISCOM offers online training. This training will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the subjects proposed, helping you to prepare your written tests. You can also register and request a personalised training session for the exams in the city of your choice.
A professional opinion :
Magali Guiramand, Director of Communication at ISCOM
Students taking the ISCOM selection tests are expected to master the French language. We pay particular attention to your analytical skills and your ability to reason, especially in the press review test.
Advice from a student :
Soufiane, 4th year Marketing/Advertising student
There is no magic formula! As with all entrance exams, the ISCOM exam requires preparation, not only for the written test but also for the oral. For both written and oral communication, you will need a good knowledge of current affairs and fluency in English.
TIP 2: DEMONSTRATE YOUR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
In a communication agency as in a company, sound general knowledge is essential. To work in a creative field, to advise a brand or to support a company, you need to have the keys to understand the world around you, know how to analyse it and have a critical eye.
A professional opinion :
Magali Guiramand, Director of Communication at ISCOM
General knowledge is not based on the high school curriculum, it is about being aware of national and international current events. We recommend reading daily and weekly newspapers on a regular basis. A student who starts out in this profession must be curious and open-minded: in short, you must be able to feed off everything around you and know how to talk about it all.
Advice from a student :
Candice, fifth year student in Brand and Innovation Management
Above all, let your imagination run wild, enjoy writing and don’t use “General Knowledge for Dummies” to revise! And one last thing: what I’ve learned at ISCOM is that you should never hesitate!
TIP 3: START “THINKING” IN ENGLISH
When you work in Communication, you will soon understand how essential English is. Companies are surrounding themselves with multicultural teams to target their customers all around the world. “English is the language of business!” The written and oral English comprehension test gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to understand, analyse and reason in English. But rest assured, throughout your studies at ISCOM you will be able to improve your level of English, particularly during the small group conversation classes.
TIP 4: BE CREATIVE
You have ideas, so unleash your creativity. For admission to the first and third years, we have a specific test to allow you to express your creative judgement and let your imagination run wild. If you want to join the Marketing/Advertising, Communication and Digital Creation, Créa360 or Creative Design Branding specialisations, we would also love to see your portfolio, your blog or your vision of creativity.
A professional opinion :
Magali Guiramand, Director of Communication at ISCOM
During the tests, we look at your creative judgement. It is important to
question the relevance of a campaign or any communication, whether in advertising or for institutional purposes. For the tests, I recommend that you start to develop your professional culture. Find out about communication agencies or watch advertising campaigns.
Advice from a student :
Gaspard, second year student
I would say that ISCOM is looking for personality, so if you have a creative or artistic passion, now is the time to let it shine! Try your luck, you won't be disappointed!
TIP 5: PREPARE YOUR MOTIVATION INTERVIEW
The long-awaited moment has arrived: you have 30 minutes to convince. There is no better way to optimise your chances that to have prepared for your interview before you arrive. During this interview, we will discuss your educational background, your career plans and we will also look at your knowledge of Communication and Marketing.
A professional opinion :
Magali Guiramand, Director of Communication at ISCOM
It's not always easy to talk about yourself, so prepare for the motivation interview with those around you. During the interview, we will be paying attention to your personality. We enjoy meeting students who are open to others, caring and curious. Although your career plan will inevitably change, you should find out about professions in the field of Communication. In reality, what is expected at the end of the training is different from what is expected at the time of the entrance exam: the school is there to help its students, to help them develop new qualities.
Advice from a student :
Maxime, third year student
You should prepare both the written and the oral parts of the ISCOM entrance exam. The interview is an important stage: you have to express your whole personality, to convey strong messages. Overall, you have to be creative and show that you are a communicator who is ready to acquire new knowledge.
FIND OUT MORE
Websites and pages to consult to keep you up to date
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN ISCOM THROUGH PARALLEL ADMISSION?
Follow the advice of Audrey, a fourth year International Global
Communications student :
On top of the analytical tests, you also need to know how to value your creative spirit, your ability to find ideas and solutions. And for parallel admission, be sure to focus on the knowledge you have already acquired during previous studies. Of course, the interview is very important: it is an opportunity to show that you are motivated and determined to join ISCOM, but also to demonstrate your ability to adapt and invest in your studies.