EDHEC Business School admissions:
which test to take and what score to aim for

Which EDHEC admission pathways should you consider?

The Grande École admissions page, reviewed October 15, 2026, lists two groups of pathways. After a preparatory class: the BCE competition (economics and business, general, technology, or humanities preparatory classes) and the Pré-Master (science preparatory classes, integrated engineering-school preparatory classes, and ENS D1/D2). After at least a three-year degree: admission to the second year (AST 2) for a French degree, or international admission for a foreign degree. The page lists no direct entry after a two-year degree outside a preparatory class.

The AST 2 competition is open to applicants with a French university degree of at least three years, a degree from a French school requiring at least five years (engineering schools or other schools awarding a recognized degree), or a recognized French bachelor’s degree (three years with bachelor’s degree status, or four years). Applicants with a foreign degree and two years of higher education outside France must apply through the MIM competition. The school limits applicants to one Grande École application per year and three total attempts across all pathways.

The table compares five pathways. Each cell reflects the page for that pathway; differences between pathways are a reminder not to apply one page’s rules to another.

Which admissions test should you take for your pathway?

For the AST 2 competition, the school lists “TAGE MAGE (in French)” and “GMAT (in English),” both with a weighting of 10. It accepts both admissions tests and specifies their language; the passages reviewed do not say which it prefers. Choose based on other factors: the language in which you perform best, available sessions before the test window closes, and other schools on your list.

For international admission to the Master in Management, the list is broader: GMAT, GRE, TAGE MAGE, or CAT for Indian applicants. The page also mentions CFA Level II, but a footnote limits it to finance programs; confirm whether it applies to your track. If you are applying through multiple pathways, GMAT and TAGE MAGE appear on each list, but check the accepted validity period and format for each pathway. For MSc programs, requirements vary by program: the application page says tests are generally required for finance programs and optional for most other MSc programs; Marketing Management lists the test as optional, as does Financial Engineering, while the general application FAQ says a test is usually required for all finance programs. The pages therefore conflict; ask the school to confirm before deciding not to take the test.

The Global MBA accepts the GMAT Focus, GRE, and TAGE MAGE, among others, but the school also allows waivers (for a science degree or certain professional qualifications) and offers an internal test. The Executive MBA says the GMAT is not required and does not list another admissions test in the requirements reviewed. To compare tests directly, the article on choosing an admissions test covers language, format, and timing; the GMAT and GRE guides explain each test in detail.

Which English test, and what is the minimum?

The master’s admissions pages reviewed list these English minimums but no numerical cutoff for admissions tests. For the AST 2 competition, the English test has a weighting of 8. The page says “TOEIC (receptive or productive skills),” also accepts the institutional online TOEIC, and rejects the “TOEIC en autonomie” delivery format and TOEIC Bridge, while the international admissions page specifies TOEIC Listening & Reading. Do not assume the same version works for every pathway; see the article comparing the TOEIC Listening and Reading with the four-skills test.

Native English speakers and holders of a degree taught in English (at least three years for the Master in Management and MSc programs) may request a waiver; the Global MBA also lists citizenship of an English-speaking country and three years of work experience in an English-speaking country among its waiver criteria. The pages reviewed do not give waiver rules for the AST 2 competition; if you studied in English, ask admissions before skipping the test. For the Global MBA, general requirements also list TOEIC, Cambridge, and Duolingo without numerical cutoffs, while the application checklist lists IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 95; confirm if you choose another test. Scores must be less than two years old, except Cambridge. The article about English-test waivers explains how to read these conditions.

Which scores does the school publish?

For the TAGE MAGE, GMAT, and GRE, the admissions pages for the AST 2 competition, Master in Management, MSc Financial Engineering, MSc Marketing Management, and Executive MBA give no minimum score, average, or median. The school’s note on Master in Management admission says it does not publish a minimum GPA or academic average; that refers to academic history, not test scores. This absence is the information: no figure on this site replaces it, and we do not invent one.

The published figures are of a different kind: a score reference on the AST 2 page, AST 2 competition statistics, and a Global MBA scholarship threshold. The score reference—“scores above 350 on the TAGE MAGE are becoming more common”—appears in the 2027 competition application tips; it is neither an admissions cutoff nor an average, and the page does not say which applicants it is based on. The scholarship figure is not an admissions requirement; it describes a tuition reduction in an article dated November 12, 2025. Confirm the requirements for your intake. The text does not specify the GMAT scale, so do not convert the figure to another scale.

What does the school assess beyond test scores?

For the AST 2 competition, the application has a weighting of 12 and covers academic excellence, exchange programs, work experience, and extracurricular activities. For shortlisting, the school considers academic excellence, exchange experience, professional experience, and extracurricular activities; the English test (weighting 8) and admissions test (weighting 10) are also listed with their weights. Oral exams are held in Lille, for a total of 25 points: the 120-minute Trilogie, in three phases (speaking, group decision-making, and a 20-minute individual interview), is worth 15; the English interview, 10; and an optional second language, 2 (only points above the pass mark count).

The application includes copies of qualifications from the baccalauréat onward, transcripts, an English résumé, official proof of the English test, and an official TAGE MAGE or GMAT score. For international admission to the Master in Management, the school also requires a résumé, statement of purpose, two recommendation letters, and an online video interview in English. Our AST application-documents article offers a general checklist to supplement the school’s list.

Which dates should you note?

For the 2027 AST 2 competition, the school lists an application deadline in late February 2027, test scores accepted through March 31, 2027, shortlisting results in May, oral exams in Lille in late May or early June, and final results in June. Only tests taken between January 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027, are accepted, including English tests, TAGE MAGE, and GMAT. An older score therefore does not count for this competition; the score-validity article explains how to interpret such a window.

For the 2027 intake, the general application page now lists these final deadlines: Master in Management applicants with a non-French degree, June 22, 2027; finance MSc in Nice, June 1, 2027; Business Management MSc in Lille, June 22, 2027, for a non-French degree, or June 9, 2027, for a French degree. For MiM applicants with a French degree, it lists February 2027; confirm against the AST 2 page. Early rounds may begin as soon as November 2026. The same page still includes a notice about applications closing and reopening in late September, while the Financial Engineering and Marketing Management pages still show 2026 dates; confirm the actual opening and selected round with admissions. The Global MBA says applications must be received before June 30, without specifying a year.