It is an examination with a difference. There is no exam paper, no grave overseer and, when in difficulty, college students can discuss the problem with their teachers.

The exam is called "Colle" in French and is used to test basic knowledge in third-level education in France.

The format was also recently used at the SJTU-ParisTech Elite Institute of Technology, a joint institute established by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Paris Institute of Technology.