Free Practice Questions for BTS Tourisme

The Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS) Tourisme is a French national higher education diploma at level 5 of the RNCP and the 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 careers as travel consultants, incoming tourism agents, package product managers (forfaitistes), event project coordinators, and destination marketing officers across travel agencies, tour operators, tourist offices, transport carriers, and hospitality providers.

Under the Arrêté du 5 mars 2019 modifié, the diploma comprises six compulsory units totalling 21 coefficients and 120 ECTS: E1 Culture générale et expression (coef 2, 4 h written), E2 Communication en langues vivantes étrangères (coef 4 in total: U21 English coef 2 and U22 second language coef 2, each a 30 min oral for ponctuelle candidates), E3 Tourisme et territoires (coef 3, 3 h written), E4 Gestion de la relation clientèle touristique (coef 4, 45 min oral), E5 Élaboration d'une prestation touristique (coef 5, 4 h written), and E6 Gestion de l'information touristique (coef 3, 40 min oral-and-practical test or CCF). In approved educational institutions, several units are evaluated through contrôle en cours de formation (CCF), whereas independent candidates sit national terminal examinations (forme ponctuelle).

Candidates must achieve an overall weighted average of at least 10/20 across all examination units to be awarded the diploma. There is no eliminating mark on any individual unit. Candidates who achieve an average between 8/20 and 9.9/20 may be invited to sit oral catch-up exams (épreuves de contrôle) in July. Unit scores of 10/20 or above may be carried forward (bénéfice des notes) for up to five consecutive examination sessions.

No examination registration fee is published by the académies; registration is made through the national Cyclades portal. Tuition and training costs are separate. Candidates register online via Cyclades, typically between October and mid-November for examinations taking place in May and June of the following year.

The official French state examination is conducted in French, with mandatory foreign language assessments in Unit E2 (English and an additional foreign language). OpenExamPrep provides an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation of the French national curriculum. It is intended as a rigorous study aid for international and bilingual students to master the theoretical, legal, and operational concepts, but does not simulate the official French written and oral exam papers.

Eligibility is open to students who have completed the two-year post-secondary program in a public or private lycée, an apprentice training centre (CFA), or via distance learning (such as CNED). Additionally, candidates who have completed at least one year of qualifying professional experience in the tourism sector may register as individual candidates (candidats individuels). The qualification is also accessible through the validation of acquired experience (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience - VAE).

Students enrolled in initial school-based training must complete a total of 14 weeks of full-time professional internships (stages en milieu professionnel) divided across the two years of study, including at least one multi-week placement in a direct tourist customer-facing or package production environment. These placements serve as the foundation for the professional portfolios assessed in units E4, E5, and E6. Apprentices fulfill this requirement through their apprenticeship contract.

The curriculum thoroughly examines the French Code du tourisme (notably Articles L.211-1 to L.211-25 on travel packages), the mandatory registration with Atout France, the compulsory financial guarantee (garantie financière, notably via the APST) to protect consumer funds against travel agency insolvency, professional civil liability insurance (assurance RCP), European Package Travel Directive (EU) 2015/2302, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 on air passenger compensation, and the French tour operating VAT margin taxation regime (TVA sur la marge).

Candidates must be proficient in commercial and financial calculations within Unit E5 (Élaboration d'une prestation touristique). These include computing direct costs (déboursé sec), calculating unit package costs (coût de revient unitaire), applying tour operator markups (taux de marque and taux de marge), applying the special travel agency VAT margin scheme (TVA sur la marge), determining break-even participant thresholds (seuil de rentabilité), pricing single room supplements, and managing allotment release quotas.