Free Practice Questions for BTS Commerce International

The Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS) Commerce International à référentiel européen (BTS CI) is a French national higher education qualification at level 5 of the RNCP and European Qualifications Framework (Bac+2, 120 ECTS). Certified by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and organized by regional académies, it prepares graduates for operational careers in international trade, export sales, global logistics, overseas procurement, and cross-cultural business negotiation.

Under the arrêté du 25 novembre 2020 (first session 2023), the examination comprises six compulsory units totalling 25 coefficients: E1 Culture générale et expression (coef 3, 4 h written), E2 Langue vivante étrangère 2 (coef 3, 3 h written plus a 20 min oral), E3 Culture économique, juridique et managériale (CEJM, coef 3, 4 h written), E4 Relation commerciale interculturelle en anglais et en français (coef 7, CCF in approved institutions or a 3 h written paper plus a 45 min oral for other candidates), E5 Mise en œuvre des opérations internationales (coef 5, 4 h written case study), and E6 Développement commercial international (coef 4, CCF or a 30 min oral). Optional units are a third foreign language and the valorisation of a gap year.

Candidates must achieve an overall weighted average of at least 10/20 across all examination units to receive the diploma. There is no eliminating mark on individual papers. If an overall average between 8/20 and 9.9/20 is obtained, candidates who meet the conditions may be admitted to the oral retake session (épreuve de rattrapage / contrôle) in July. Individual unit scores of 10/20 or higher can be carried forward for up to five consecutive sessions.

The BTS CI European curriculum requires between 14 and 16 weeks of professional internships across the two-year program. Crucially, at least 4 consecutive weeks must be carried out abroad (à l'étranger) in a non-French-speaking environment at the end of the first year, focusing on international business prospecting and market intelligence. This international experience serves as the foundational empirical basis for the E6 oral exam portfolio.

No examination registration fee is published by the académies; registration is made through the national Cyclades portal. Tuition and training costs are separate. Individual and independent candidates register directly online between October and November for examinations held in May and June.

The official French national examination is administered predominantly in French, with modern foreign languages (LVA and LVB) tested rigorously in both written and oral formats, and unit E4 requiring sales negotiation partly in English and French. OpenExamPrep provides an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation of the technical curriculum. It serves as an auxiliary study resource for international students and bilingual candidates and is not an official translation or simulation of the terminal papers.

Unit E5 is a flagship written case study paper (coefficient 5, 4 hours) focusing on the operational execution of international transactions. It evaluates candidates on Incoterms 2020 selection and cost calculations (FOB, CFR, CIF, CIP, DDP), international freight calculation across maritime, air, and road transport modes, customs classification and valuation under the Union Customs Code, payment security via documentary credit (UCP 600) and documentary collections, foreign exchange hedging instruments, and export credit risk insurance (COFACE).

CEJM (Unit E3, coefficient 3, 4-hour written paper) is a common core subject across French tertiary business BTS programs. It tests applied analytical skills across three domains: economics (market structures, monetary policy, EU integration, globalisation), law (contract formation and breach, liability, labour contracts, corporate structures, intellectual property), and management (strategic diagnostics, organizational agility, human resources, CSR/RSE, and digital transformation).

The exam heavily tests precise cost build-ups along the logistical chain: determining Ex Works, adding pre-carriage, export customs, main international carriage, freight surcharges (BAF, CAF), insurance, import customs duties, and import VAT. Candidates must understand the exact point of risk transfer versus cost transfer under Incoterms 2020 (such as the distinction between risk transfer and cost in C-terms like CIF and CIP) and apply the correct customs valuation methods (Valeur en douane CIF).