The Paris Adult Education Courses (SCAP) offer more than 640 courses and are available at 130 Parisian elementary and middle schools, whether the course is part of a career plan or intended to broaden one’s knowledge. Registration for annual and first-semester courses will take place from Monday, August 17, through Monday, September 7, 2026, inclusive.
News
The 2026–2027 catalog is now online.
Registration will be open from August 17 to September 7, 2026.
View the new courses for 2026–2027
Who can register?
The Paris Adult Education Courses (CAP) are open to anyone over the age of 18, whether they live in Paris or not, subject to availability.
What? Discover the five training areas
- French for Non-French Speakers in School (FLE)
> Test your speaking skills - French for French-speaking learners with limited schooling (FOF) or non-French-speaking learners (FOA) (online registration not available; click here for registration instructions)
- Foreign Languages
- Refresher Courses and General Education
- Vocational Training
A wide range of training programs in 13 professional fields
Courses may be offered on an annual or semester basis, or as intensive programs; they may be in-person or online, with or without assessments.
The City of Paris Adult Education Program offers a wide variety of courses in 13 professional fields.
We offer 5 types of vocational training programs that will help you advance your career, change direction, or start a new one!
- Preparation courses for the state certification exam and civil service entrance exams
- Certification programs that allow you to demonstrate your technical skills
- Certification courses with open badges that grant you access to a digital certification, giving your skills greater visibility—one you can share on social media and that is recognized by companies, which can endorse them
- Career paths that offer you the opportunity to develop or further your career goals
- Initiative to Raise Awareness of Behavioral Skills (Soft Skills): Training programs that include awareness-building on behavioral skills — known as soft skills— which are essential for adapting, collaborating, innovating, managing… and, quite simply, moving forward.
Some examples of soft skills:
- Creativity: the ability to imagine and implement new solutions that go beyond the norm.
- Negotiation: the ability to balance and align one’s own interests with those of others to resolve a situation.
- Time management: the ability to estimate, organize, plan, and measure time.
- Emotional intelligence: the ability to identify, understand, and manage one's own emotions and those of others.
The goal of these training sessions is to help you develop these essential skills, better identify them, highlight their value… and put them into practice, both in your professional life and in your personal projects!
This CAP initiative reflects the changing demands of the job market, particularly in terms of recognizing these skills, which are increasingly sought after by recruiters
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Explore the career paths offered by the 2026–2027 vocational training programs2,58 MB
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How can you develop your soft skills? Our adult classes will show you how!719 KB
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List of training programs that raise awareness of one or more behavioral competencies102 KB
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New Training Programs for 20026–2027 scap.paris.fr
When should I register for courses in 2026–2027?
There are several registration periods throughout the school year. You can register for Adult Education courses only during one of these registration periods.
2026–2027 Registration Schedule
| Class Dates | Registration Period | Processing Requests | Start of classes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Training and First Semester | From Monday, August 17 (10 a.m.) through Monday, September 7, 2026 (midnight) | From Tuesday, September 8, through Friday, September 26, 2026, inclusive |
Classes Begin Monday, September 28, 2026 |
| Second-Semester Courses | From Tuesday, January 5, through Monday, January 25, 2027, inclusive | From Tuesday, January 26, through Friday, February 19, 2027, inclusive | Classes begin on Monday, February 22, 2027 |
Annual Training and First Semester
- Registration Period
- From Monday, August 17 (10 a.m.) through Monday, September 7, 2026 (midnight)
- Processing Requests
- From Tuesday, September 8, through Friday, September 26, 2026, inclusive
- Start of classes
- Classes Begin
Monday, September 28, 2026
Second-Semester Courses
- Registration Period
- From Tuesday, January 5, through Monday, January 25, 2027, inclusive
- Processing Requests
- From Tuesday, January 26, through Friday, February 19, 2027, inclusive
- Start of classes
- Classes begin on Monday, February 22, 2027
Rates
Training course fees range from €50 to €350, depending on their duration or specific focus.
Recipients of RSA, ASS, or AAH benefits are eligible for a half-price discount upon presentation of a document bearing their name that is no more than 3 months old.
The FOF and FOA French courses, designed for adults with little or no formal education in their country of origin, are free.
All rates are available in the brochure below:
How do I register for the Paris Adult Education Courses?
To register, you must use your Paris account or create one to then access the Paris Adult Education website:
- I'm accessing the training catalog
- I'm choosing my program
- I create (or log in to) my "Mon Paris" account
- I'll fill out (if necessary) my "Cours d'Adultes de Paris" profile
- I'm confirming my application in the "My Applications and Payments" tab.
- I can submit up to 3 applications at the same time, but only one application for a specific date and time slot
- I receive a confirmation email; I can cancel my request until the end of the registration period.
- I will receive a response to my application via email within the timeframe indicated on the schedule
Services to help you register
The district city halls are available to assist you with the registration process.
The 3975 call center is available to answer all your questions from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Guidance Tools for Foreign Language Training Programs
Guidance Tools for French-Language Training Programs
How do you choose a course and assess your level to take a French language course?
Here are a few tools to help you make your choice.
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Learning French - English Version (English version)1,27 MB
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Learn French - Arabic version available on certain browsers (Arabic version)2,3 MB
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Learn French - Chinese Version (chinese version)2,02 MB
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Learning French - Spanish Version (spanish version)1,25 MB
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Skills by Level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
Training Locations
Discover all the establishments listed by arrondissement:
Paris Adult Classes: How Do They Work?
The quality of the courses offered by Cours d'Adultes de Paris is ensured by 850 expert instructors who teach every evening at the 140 schools and high schools where the classes are held.
The participants in these training programs all have one thing in common: the desire to learn, to push themselves to acquire new knowledge, and to grow in their personal and professional lives.
Selection Criteria
To ensure that all applications are treated fairly, selection criteria have been established and are applied consistently when reviewing applications.
CAPs are exclusively for adults aged 18 and older.
Priority is given to individuals who are enrolled in a training program for professional purposes or who have begun a training program at the Cours d'Adultes de Paris, provided they have followed the registration procedure.
The selection of participants from among the applicants who meet the prerequisites is based on:
- based on social criteria (job seekers, subsidized employment contracts)
- the candidate’s stated goals and motivation—preference is given to candidates who are on a career development path
- attendance and grades earned in the previous level, when the student is enrolled in a program at the Cours d’Adultes de Paris.
For degree programs, selection rounds will be held from Monday, September 13, through Friday, September 24.
Candidates must arrive at the institution on the date and at the time specified in their invitation; the date and time of this invitation cannot be changed. They take their assessment or interview and receive their results the following week.
The Paris High School for Adults
Would you like to return to school and prepare for the general baccalaureate?
The Paris Adult High School is primarily intended for people who are currently working or looking for a job and who wish to return to school.
> More information about the Paris Adult High School
Vidéo Youtube
Frequently Asked Questions and Rules and Regulations
History of Adult Education Courses in Paris
During the French Revolution, Talleyrand—inspired by Condorcet, among others—drafted a report on public education, which he presented to the Constituent Assembly on September 10, 11, and 19, 1791; in it, the benefits of adult education were extolled for the first time (in a country that was still largely illiterate). However, it was not until 1820 that “the Society for Elementary Education” was founded, establishing the first Adult Courses in Paris, including one for women.
François Guizot, Minister of Public Instruction, secured the passage of a law in 1833 on primary education that encouraged every municipality to establish an Adult Education Course, in partnership with the academy rectors. By 1837, 117,000 students were taking courses throughout France.
The year 1872 saw the creation of the first municipal apprentice school on Boulevard de La Villette, now the Lycée Diderot.
By the end of the 19th century, the vocational focus of the City of Paris’s Adult Education Courses was clear.
Industrialization marked a shift in the focus of these courses toward more technical instruction, aimed at equipping workers with the intellectual skills needed to operate machinery.
After World War I, adult education courses experienced a decline throughout France, falling in Paris from 17,000 in 1895 to 5,000 between 1920 and 1935.
In 1939, growing fears of a conflict prompted the government to expand training; a decree authorized the Ministry of Education to create vocational training centers, and the reemployment centers became “accelerated vocational training centers”; vocational training was born.
Since theFifth Republic, Paris has carried on the historical legacy of adult education courses. These municipal evening courses adapt to the diverse demands of the job market and are undergoing a gradual reorganization, the primary goal of which is to keep pace with economic and social changes so that students can better adapt to the job market.
The only limitation is the one each student sets for themselves in their quest to expand their knowledge and achieve greater personal fulfillment in both their professional and personal lives.
Today, more than 850 instructors work in the 140 schools involved on a daily basis.
From elementary schools to high schools, the Cours d'Adultes de Paris offers a wide range of courses in venues that are sometimes prestigious.
These buildings represent a rich architectural and cultural heritage, spread throughout the Paris region. All of these institutions are dedicated to serving Paris’s adult population.
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