It's the most common confusion among parallel admission candidates: should you apply for AST1 or AST2? The choice isn't trivial — it determines your year of entry, the length of your program, the degree level required and, very concretely, your odds of admission. Here's how to decide.
AST1: entering year one after a two-year degree
AST1 — also called Passerelle 1 or Tremplin 1 depending on the exam — is for candidates holding a two-year post-secondary qualification: a technical diploma, two validated years of a bachelor's, or two years of preparatory class.
Admission is into the first year of the Grande École program, meaning three years of study before graduating. It's the longer route, but also the one offering the fullest experience: gap year, academic exchange, final-year specialization, and integration into the cohort from the start.
The Passerelle exam 🔗 and the Ecricome 🔗 Tremplin Bac+2 tests are the two main entry points on the business school side. Each opens several hundred places across member schools.
Who AST1 is really for
Students who want the complete program and have the time for it. It's the natural choice after a technical diploma, where direct entry into year two would be a difficult jump in academic demand.
It's also a useful recovery route after an inconclusive preparatory class: two years of CPGE count as a two-year qualification, and the level acquired there is solid.
AST2: entering year two after a three-year degree
AST2 (Passerelle 2, Tremplin 2) is for holders of a three-year degree or higher: a full bachelor's, a three-year technical degree, or even a first-year master's or engineering degree.
Admission goes directly into the second year of the Grande École program, meaning only two years of study before graduating. It's the fastest and most sought-after route — and therefore the most selective, particularly at top-five schools such as HEC Paris 🔗, whose parallel admission process requires an aptitude test (GMAT, GRE, or TAGE MAGE), an English test, and a motivation interview in English.
The flip side of speed
Entering in year two means joining a cohort already formed, with one year less to build a network, take a gap year, and reorient. Many AST2 admits discover this late. It isn't an argument against AST2, but a factor to weigh if networking and student-society life matter to your plan.
📘 Fundamentals first: if the mechanics of parallel admission aren't clear yet, start with our guide Admission on credentials (AST): definition and how it works.
Comparison table of required levels
| Criterion | AST1 | AST2 | |---|---|---| | Degree required | Two-year qualification (technical diploma, L2, 2 years of preparatory class) | Three-year degree and above (bachelor's, three-year technical degree, M1) | | Year of entry | Year 1 of the Grande École program | Year 2 of the Grande École program | | Time remaining | 3 years | 2 years | | Selectivity | High | Very high, especially in the top five | | Number of places | Larger | More limited at the best-ranked schools | | Gap year possible | Yes, with more flexibility | Yes, but a shorter window | | Main exams | Passerelle 1, Ecricome Tremplin 1 | Passerelle 2, Ecricome Tremplin 2, school-specific processes (HEC, ESSEC) |
Which level to choose based on your background
You're in a two-year technical program. AST1 is the logical route. Attempting AST2 would mean waiting for a three-year qualification, delaying you a year with no guarantee of a better outcome.
You're in the third year of a technical degree. Both options are open, and this is where the calculation is trickiest. AST2 saves a year, but the competition includes bachelor's graduates and engineering students. If your file is strong, aim for AST2; if your results are average, AST1 statistically offers more places.
You're in a university bachelor's program. AST2 at the end of the final year is the standard scenario. Applying for AST1 after year two is possible, but sacrifices the bachelor's year for no obvious benefit — unless you're targeting a school out of reach via AST2 with your current file.
You're leaving a preparatory class without a satisfactory school. AST1 lets you leverage two years of CPGE. It's a frequent route and well accepted by juries.
You already hold a first-year master's or an engineering degree. AST2 is the only coherent option, often as part of a dual-competency strategy.
A simple rule for deciding
If the question is purely about saving a year, AST2 wins. If it's about the probability of entering a better-ranked school, AST1 is often the better bet, because there are more places and the applicant pool is less dense in highly qualified profiles.
Common positioning mistakes
- Applying for AST2 without having completed the three-year degree. Exams verify actual conferral; a non-compliant application is administratively rejected without review.
- Applying at only one level. Nothing prevents you, across several exams, from positioning yourself at your degree level across schools with differing requirements. Concentrating every application on the three most selective schools is the surest route to no admission at all.
- Choosing AST2 only to save a year. The gain is real, but it's paid for in intensity and integration time. If your plan involves a long gap year and heavy student-society involvement, the trade-off isn't obvious.
- Ignoring school-specific processes. Not all schools use a shared exam: some run parallel admission directly, with their own calendar and tests.
- Underestimating the aptitude tests. TAGE MAGE, GMAT, or GRE take months to prepare. A mediocre score sinks an excellent academic record.
- Neglecting the resume in your file. At equivalent academic level, the quality of the application file decides — and the academic resume is its most-read component.
As Onisep 🔗, the French Ministry of Education's official guidance service, notes, parallel admissions are today a full-fledged route into the grandes écoles rather than a second-tier scheme: juries deliberately recruit varied profiles to diversify their cohorts.
On that last point, one practical detail often makes the difference: presenting a clean, well-hierarchized academic resume with no layout defects. FinanceCV handles that part entirely — you enter your background, and structure and typography are generated in a crisp format that's also readable by the screening software you'll encounter when applying for internships — letting you spend your time choosing the right entry level rather than adjusting margins.
Ready to build your application? Create your academic resume for free in a few minutes.
📚 Further reading to strengthen your application:
- 📘 Admission on credentials (AST): definition, mechanics, and schools concerned
- 🎓 HEC Paris parallel admission resume: template and advice
- ⚙️ CentraleSupélec parallel admission resume and application file
- ✍️ HEC Paris parallel admission cover letter and interview
- 🔍 Why recruiters spend only 6 seconds on your resume