HEC Paris admissions:
which tests to take and scores by application pathway

Which pathways lead to HEC Paris, and which tests do they require?

For direct admission to the Master in Management, HEC Paris receives applications through its own portal; the admissions test is one part of the application, alongside a résumé, transcripts, essays, and a recommendation. Another pathway is through Join a School in France. The table distinguishes these and several other programs; the deadlines cited are for 2026–2027 applications for the September 2027 intake.

All master’s programs require an undergraduate degree, but the required length varies: the MSc X-HEC Entrepreneurs, for example, requires four years of study (240 ECTS). The Master in Management is open to applicants with a bachelor’s degree of at least three years (180 ECTS), in any field, with little or no work experience. Final-year students may apply by providing proof that they will earn their degree. Direct admission is therefore not available after a two-year degree; if that applies to you, the article about AST 1 and AST 2 pathways can help identify schools that accept applicants at that level.

The Master in International Finance has two tracks: the Business Track for business or management graduates who have studied the fundamentals of finance and financial accounting, and the Accelerated Track for applicants in economics, econometrics, engineering, mathematics, or sciences without that background. The Master in Strategic Management is open to recent bachelor’s or master’s graduates, including those from management, applied economics, engineering, law, or sciences. In both programs, native English speakers and holders of a degree taught entirely in English may qualify for an English-test waiver.

Which admissions test should you choose for your pathway?

For the Master in Management, the three tests are treated equally: the school requires one official score, your choice, and specifies how to submit it. Upload the TAGE MAGE result directly to your application; the GMAT also requires an official score report through mba.com; send GRE scores through ETS using the institution code provided by HEC. The school does not prefer one test. Your choice depends on your schedule, the language in which you perform best, and other schools you are considering.

Two factors can help you decide. First, scope: if you are also applying to the dual degree with Yale, the TAGE MAGE is not accepted for that program, while a GMAT or GRE score may work for both applications, subject to their application rules. Second, validity: the French direct-admission page says both admissions and English tests are valid for five years; the FAQ exempts Cambridge certificates, which it accepts without an expiration limit. These are HEC’s score-acceptance rules; also check the rules of the organization that issues or sends your score. The score-validity article explains this distinction.

To compare these tests rather than choose at random, see the “TAGE MAGE or GRE” article; the TAGE MAGE is scored out of 600, and the test guide explains its scoring.

Which English test, and what level is required?

For direct admission to the Master in Management, the English test is required in addition to the admissions test unless waived; one does not replace the other. HEC accepts the four-section TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, or a Cambridge exam. The French page specifies that the TOEIC must cover listening, reading, writing, and speaking; the Listening and Reading alone is not enough for this pathway. The article comparing the TOEIC Listening and Reading with the four-skills test can help you check what your application requires.

Requirements are worded differently. The Master in Management FAQ states C1 for all programs; the dual-degree page with Yale says no minimum TOEFL or IELTS score is required to apply. The MSc X-HEC Entrepreneurs page requires B2 in English and French but sets no numerical English-test minimum. A CEFR level and a test score are not the same type of requirement. For the Master in Management, prepare to meet the C1 level in the FAQ; for X-HEC or Yale, ask the program to confirm its rules if your situation is unclear.

The cited MBA pages publish these minimums: TOEFL at CEFR C1 (5 out of 6); TOEIC 850 in Listening and Reading and 340 in Speaking and Writing; IELTS 7.0, with 6.5 in each section; Cambridge 185, with 176 in each component; PTE 72; and Duolingo 135. Scores must be less than two years old. These figures apply only to the MBA. For the Master in Management, native English speakers (copy of the passport photo page) and holders of a degree taught entirely in English (proof of the language of instruction) are exempt from the English test. The MBA also offers waivers to native English speakers and graduates of a university where English is the language of instruction; check the required documents for your pathway.

Which scores does HEC Paris publish?

The Master in Management FAQ says there is no minimum score and the admissions-test requirement cannot be waived. The school recommends aiming for its average scores, which it lists together for the GMAT Focus, GRE, and TAGE MAGE. An average describes a typical level; it is not an admissions requirement, and the page does not say which class it is based on.

The table includes only what HEC itself publishes, with scope and time period where specified. “Not reported on the cited page” means that page does not give an average for the pathway; it does not mean the information is absent from the entire site. The reported TAGE MAGE average is 440 out of 600. The FAQ is undated, so it does not say whether this figure was calculated before or after the 2025 scoring-scale change discussed in the scoring article.

What happens after you submit your application?

For direct admission to the Master in Management, the application includes a résumé, transcripts, an academic recommendation, essays, proof of degree or enrollment, and an ID photo. HEC first reviews applications to shortlist candidates; shortlisted applicants then complete a 30-minute English-language video interview, according to the English page (25–30 minutes according to the French page). The score is one part of a broader application; these pages do not assign numerical weights to the components.

The direct Master in Management application has four deadlines: October 7, 2026; November 26, 2026; February 17, 2027; and April 28, 2027, at noon Paris time according to the English page. The French page lists April 26 for the last deadline; confirm the date before planning your submission. As of October 15, 2026, the first round has closed. The FAQ exceptionally allows provisional scores if the tests were taken before the deadline, while the MiM page says all materials are due by then. Ask admissions to confirm any exception; otherwise, target the next round. This schedule does not apply to every master’s program; X-HEC Entrepreneurs, for example, does not have a first round.

The Master in Management application fee differs by page: €180 on the English page and €140 on the French page. The master’s FAQ lists fees of €125–€180 depending on the program, with exceptions for some shortlisted students from partner universities, CROUS scholarship holders, applicants eligible for the Imagine Fellowship, and former Summer School participants. The French page mentions CROUS scholarship holders and applicants from CEMS member institutions. Confirm the fee and any waiver on the portal before paying. Join a School in France has its own schedule (October 2, 2026–April 19, 2027) and a €250 fee; HEC requires applicants to choose one pathway and, if they submit twice, processes only the first validated application.