I get a lot of emails about hissee what I think of online schools to pass the CAP (EISF, l’école des pros, Youschool…). In my day, most of them didn’t exist. So I haven’t used them, and until now it’s been hard for me to formulate an opinion. But I’ve received quite a few testimonials from students who have invested this year, and I’m now in a position to give you an enlightened feedback!
Edit: I recently re-tested YouSchool, I invite you to read the article I (re)tested YouSchool
Table des matières
What are online schools?
They all work on pretty much the same principle: theory courses (sometimes on paper), videos and the opportunity to have your work corrected by teachers and/or the community. Prices range from 878 to 3,000 euros, depending on the formula (with the option of just the EISF theory courses for 160 euros).
Is it worth it or not?
As I said, I didn’t use these schools. They weren’t as well known (or even didn’t exist) and I didn’t have the budget. So it’s perfectly possible to do without.
However, I’m more of an academic girl: cramming has never scared me. I’m not extremely organized by nature, but I’ve never had too much trouble opening my books (despite my full-time job).
An important thing for me is that I don’t have any children. So it was pretty easy for me to make a fixed schedule. It’s much harder to do when you have family commitments.
If you’re the organized type, then good books and Facebook groups will suffice. If you find it hard to stay focused, then an environment with teachers and homework will help. That’s why you hear good and bad things about every school: it all depends on where you’re starting from.
Which solution for which situation?
Choosing a school doesn’t just depend on your starting situation. It will also be clearly influenced by your career plans. Indeed, in my opinion, their real strength is the possibility of doing internships. If you’re serious about a career change, then in my opinion it’s essential to do internships. It will help you to be better prepared for the exam and to be more credible in front of future employers.
It’s also worth noting that some schools offer mock CAPs in the lab (usually in Paris), which are included in the price. For me, this is an essential step in passing the exam. So, between the possibility of having internship agreements and the CAP blancs included, I find that investing in a school is not a bad idea if you have a reconversion project (bearing in mind that a CAP blanc alone costs around 200 euros).
It may be a little less necessary if you want to set up your own business later on (in cake design, for example), but overall it’s still a worthwhile investment. You should also find out about funding, as some schools can be covered by the CPF or OPCA.
How do I choose my school?
I’m going to get ahead of myself before I get a billion comments asking me which school I recommend! As I said before, I’ve heard good and bad things about almost all of them. 2, however, really stand out from the crowd:
- YouSchool, praised for its value for money and dynamic community (a few comments on the quality of the videos, but they’re apparently re-turning them).
- Patis Coach is a bit of a hybrid concept, offering CAP pastry courses at home + Cap Blancs in the lab. It’s inevitably a little more expensive than online schools, but Fernando comes to your home in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Montpellier, Marseille and surrounding towns. It’s real individual coaching. I’ve had nothing but excellent feedback from the people who’ve used his services. In fact, you’ve probably already seen him in action, as he coaches the Michel & Augustin troublemakers.
And because Fernando is such a nice guy, he made me a special offer just for me (well, for you!).
First, he offered to let one of you win a 4-hour in-home coaching package on Instagram: it’s just perfect for detailing certain problem areas!
What’s more, each participant in the competition will be entitled to a discount code worth 300 euros on the annual CAP pâtissier pro coaching course:
- 75 h of home lessons
- 2 blank CAPs in the lab
- oral preparation and scheduling
- 24/7 telephone support
(the internship agreements are being validated, so it should be ready for the start of the new school year).
That’s €2990 instead of €3290 (which is less than some physical schools!). Payable in 12 monthly installments, courses available from August) if you enroll before July 15.
So if you’re planning to take the CAP next year, this is a great plan and it’s on Instagram!
