Grandes écoles and entrance exams in Cameroon
Alongside the faculties open to every school-leaver, the state universities house selective schools and faculties that recruit by competitive exam: engineering schools, teacher-training colleges, medical faculties, institutes of technology, schools of journalism and of international relations. The exams are opened by MINESUP decision, sometimes jointly with another ministry. This page lists the institutions whose entrance exam was confirmed by an official document in 2026, with conditions, places and fees where published.
Information checked on
Table of the main schools
| School | City | Supervision | Training | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENSP Yaoundé (Polytechnic, founded 1971) | Yaoundé (plus Eseka, Meyomessala sites) | University of Yaoundé I | Engineers, bachelor's in engineering science, digital arts | Exam after science Baccalauréat (C, D, E, TI, F) or science A Level; also 3rd-year entry |
| ENSP Douala (ENSPD) | Douala | University of Douala | Engineers (initial training and special scheme) | Exam at level 1 and level 3 |
| ENSP Maroua (ENSPM) | Maroua | University of Maroua | Engineers | Exam for 1st and 3rd year |
| ENSPB (Bamenda Polytechnic, NAHPI on Wikipedia) | Bamenda | University of Bamenda | Engineers | Exam for 1st year and levels 3-4 |
| ENS Yaoundé | Yaoundé | University of Yaoundé I | Secondary-school teachers | Exam for first cycle (Baccalauréat / A Level) and second cycle |
| ENS Bambili, Bertoua, Buea and Maroua | Bambili, Bertoua, Buea, Maroua | State universities | Secondary-school teachers | Exam for first and second cycle |
| ENSET Douala (founded 1979), Bambili, Ebolowa, Kumba | Douala, Bambili, Ebolowa, Kumba | State universities | Technical-education teachers | Exam for first and second cycle |
| Medical faculties (FMSB, FMSP, FHS) | Yaoundé, Douala, Buea, Bamenda, Dschang, Garoua, Sangmélima | State universities | Medicine, pharmacy, dentistry | Single national exam (Baccalauréat C or D, A Level Biology and Chemistry) |
| ESSEC Douala (founded 1977) | Douala | University of Douala | Economics, business, management | Entrance exam |
| ESSTIC | Yaoundé | University of Yaoundé II and Ministry of Communication | Journalism, communication, advertising, information science, publishing | Written and oral exam after any Baccalauréat or A Level |
| IRIC (founded 1971) | Yaoundé | University of Yaoundé II | Diplomacy, international relations (master's) | Entrance exam for first-year master's |
| IFORD (founded 1971) | Yaoundé | Intergovernmental institute, University of Yaoundé II | Demography (master's, doctorate) | Exam after a bachelor's degree |
| SUP'PTIC (formerly ENSPT) | Yaoundé (and Buea) | MINESUP and Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications | Telecommunications, ICT | Exam for 1st year, admission on qualifications to 2nd year, master's |
| IUTs of Douala and Ngaoundéré, Fotso Victor IUT in Bandjoun, Mbalmayo wood IUT | Douala, Ngaoundéré, Bandjoun, Mbalmayo | Universities of Douala, Ngaoundéré, Dschang, Yaoundé I | Short technology courses (DUT, bachelor's) | Exam for 1st and 3rd year |
| ENSAI, EGEM, EGCIM | Ngaoundéré | University of Ngaoundéré | Agro-industry, mining, engineering | Exam for 1st and 3rd year |
Other schools recruit outside MINESUP. The National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM), founded in 1959 in Yaoundé and attached to the Ministry of the Public Service, trains administrators, magistrates and revenue officials: it falls under the civil-service exams. The Combined Military School (EMIA), created on 18 January 1960, trains the armed forces' officer corps.
Medicine: 1,140 places in 2026-2027
Entry to medicine, pharmacy and dentistry is through a single national exam, opened by an order of 6 July 2026. It offers 1,140 places for 2026-2027 in authorised public and private institutions. Each candidate may apply to only one institution and one course. Requirements: be aged 23 or under in 2026 and hold the Baccalauréat C or D, or A Levels in Biology and Chemistry passed at the same sitting. Fee: 20,000 CFA francs, paid online only on concoursdauq.com by Orange Money or MTN Mobile Money. Applications closed on 21 August 2026 and the exam took place on 4 September 2026.
| Institution | Medicine | Pharmacy | Dentistry | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FMSB, University of Yaoundé I | 170 | 30 | 60 | 260 |
| FMSP, University of Douala | 100 | 60 | 0 | 160 |
| FHS, University of Buea | 80 | 20 | 0 | 100 |
| FHS, University of Bamenda | 70 | 20 | 0 | 90 |
| FMSP, University of Dschang | 60 | 25 | 0 | 85 |
| FMSB, University of Garoua | 70 | 0 | 0 | 70 |
| FMSP Sangmélima, University of Ebolowa | 70 | 30 | 0 | 100 |
| SHMS, CATUC Kumbo (private) | 50 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| ISSS, Université des Montagnes (private) | 100 | 65 | 60 | 225 |
| Total | 770 | 250 | 120 | 1,140 |
Places, fees and dates: official examples from 2026
| Exam | Places | Fee | Papers | Age limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENSPY, bachelor's in engineering science, 1st year 2026-2027 | 70 | 20,000 CFA francs | Maths and physics (3 hours each), 16 July 2026, in 10 cities | 29 on 1 January |
| ENS Yaoundé, first cycle, 2025-2026 | 175 | 20,000 CFA francs | Applications until 13 February 2026 | 29 on 1 January 2026 (non-civil servants) |
| ESSTIC, bachelor's level 1, 2026-2027 | 175 for Cameroonians + 30 for foreigners | 20,000 CFA francs | Written 1 September, orals 2-4 September 2026 | Not specified |
| Medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, 2026-2027 | 1,140 | 20,000 CFA francs | 4 September 2026 | 23 in 2026 |
At ENSPY, holders of a “Très bien” grade in the C and E Baccalauréat, an “Excellent” grade in the D, TI and F Baccalauréat, or five A grades at A Level in the 2026 session may be admitted directly on the strength of their results.
Typical exam calendar
Each year MINESUP sets the exam calendar by decision (the one of 17 February 2026 for 2026-2027). Opening decisions then follow from April to September: ESSTIC in April, ENSAI, ENSPD and ENSPY in May, IUTs and the schools of the 2022 universities in June, medicine and IRIC in July, SUP'PTIC at the end of July. Exams are held mainly from July to October, with results coming out between September and October. The teacher-training colleges are the exception: for 2025-2026 their exams were opened in January 2026 and the results published in April 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many places in medicine in Cameroon in 2026?
1,140 places for 2026-2027: 770 in medicine, 250 in pharmacy and 120 in dentistry, shared between seven public faculties and two private institutions.
What is the age limit for the medical entrance exam in Cameroon?
23 at most for 2026, according to the order of 6 July 2026.
How much does a grandes écoles entrance exam cost in Cameroon?
20,000 CFA francs for the ENSPY, ENS Yaoundé, ESSTIC and medical exams in 2026, non-refundable.
Which Baccalauréat do you need for Yaoundé Polytechnic?
A C, D, E, TI or F Baccalauréat, or science A Levels with at least four O Level subjects. The exam has one maths paper and one physics paper.
Where are the ENS teacher-training colleges in Cameroon?
In Yaoundé, Bambili, Bertoua, Buea and Maroua for general education; the ENSETs, for technical education, are in Douala, Bambili, Ebolowa and Kumba.
Is ENAM under MINESUP?
No. ENAM is attached to the Ministry of the Public Service and its exam is one of the civil-service exams.
Handle with care
The list is not exhaustive: it only includes schools whose 2026 exam was seen on the MINESUP website. Neither a “Faculty of Industrial Engineering” in Douala nor the conditions of the National Police College are confirmed by an official source, so they are left out. Founding years are given only where a source states them. For most schools, the number of places is only published in each exam's scanned decision.