By Cyril KimbiA GCE science candidate in Upper Sixth has more entrance exams open to them than any other profile in Cameroon — and that abundance is the problem. Preparing for everything means preparing properly for nothing. This is how to narrow the field to two or three that genuinely fit.
The routes open to a science candidate
| Route | Papers that decide it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering (ENSP, ENSTP, ENSPD, NAHPI, FET, COT) | Mathematics, physics | Heaviest overlap between exams |
| Medicine, pharmacy, nursing | Biology, chemistry, physics | Very few places, ranked |
| Military (EMIA and similar) | General knowledge, plus physical and medical selection | Preparation starts a year out |
| Computing (IAI and similar) | Psychotechnic tests, mathematics | Psychotechnic format is the differentiator |
| Administrative (ENAM and similar) | General knowledge, essay, reasoning | Open to science candidates too |
The overlap principle
This is the single most useful idea for a candidate choosing between many exams. Pick concours whose papers test the same things, and the marginal cost of the second and third is small.
Mathematics and physics preparation transfers almost completely across the engineering set. A candidate preparing seriously for one engineering concours is already most of the way prepared for three more. Adding them costs the application and the travel, not another six months of work.
Contrast that with adding a psychotechnic-based exam or a military route to an engineering plan: those need genuinely separate preparation — the IAI psychotechnic tests respond to format drilling, and the EMIA medical and physical requirements need a year’s lead time. Both are worth doing deliberately; neither is worth adding casually.
Ranking, not passing
Every one of these selects by ranking on a fixed number of places. There is no threshold to clear.
Two things follow that most candidates never adjust for. Speed is a scoring factor, so untimed revision systematically overestimates your position. And a strong candidate can miss out purely on the ratio of places to applicants that year, which is why every plan needs a second and third route in the same cycle.
Narrowing to a shortlist
- Name the work, not the school. Building infrastructure, treating patients, writing software, commanding a unit. The school follows from the work.
- Check eligibility properly. Series, age, and whether a year of higher education is required — EMIA, for example, is not open directly from the Baccalaureat.
- Group by overlap. Choose one primary route, then add every concours that shares its papers.
- Add one where you will rank well, even if it is not your first choice.
- Register at a faculty regardless. This is the step that prevents a lost year.
The orientation calendar sets out when each of these has to happen, and several deadlines fall during Upper Sixth rather than after results.
What to do in the twelve months before
The pattern that works is the same across routes: rebuild foundations untimed, then move to timed sections, then to full papers, then to drilling only your logged losses.
What changes by route is what you add. Engineering candidates add mathematical speed. Medical candidates add biology depth and, importantly, the general-knowledge and comprehension sections that look easy and are consistently under-prepared. Computing candidates add psychotechnic format practice, which is where the highest return per hour sits. Military candidates add physical conditioning built slowly enough to avoid injury, and a medical check a year in advance.
The past papers library and the concours guides cover the material; the revision timetable method covers how to allocate the hours you actually have.
Frequently asked questions
How many concours should I sit?
Two or three, chosen so their papers overlap, plus a faculty registration as security.
Can a GCE candidate sit francophone concours?
Yes. Practise past papers in the language of the exam from early on, because translating under a clock costs marks.
Is Further Mathematics required for engineering?
Not formally. It converts into speed on harder questions, which matters on a ranked paper.
Can I sit medical and engineering concours in the same year?
Yes, but the preparation overlaps far less than within either group. Choose one as primary.
What if I do not place anywhere?
Re-sitting is common and many admitted candidates succeed on a second attempt. The faculty registration is what keeps the year from being lost entirely.
