Practical guides
Writing your motivation text
Ten lines, two questions: what you want to do, and why here. It is the most-read item in the file, and the one that shapes the interview. Here is how to write it in five passes, with no blank page and no wasted evening.
What ten lines must carry
A short text is judged on its precision. Say where you start from, what you are aiming for, why this programme, and what you already know how to do in that direction. Four concrete statements beat a paragraph of intentions: each opens a question at interview, and that is exactly the intended effect.
- Your starting point, in one factual sentence
- The occupation or function you target, named
- What connects this programme to that target
- One thing you already know how to run, with its context
Writing in five passes
- 01
Pass 1 — empty out
Write everything that comes, without order or style, for ten minutes. Material matters; form comes later.
- 02
Pass 2 — name the target
Replace every vague phrase with the exact name of the occupation, sector or tool. Precision creates credibility.
- 03
Pass 3 — anchor in the concrete
Add one thing you have actually done. A dated fact beats three adjectives.
- 04
Pass 4 — cut
Bring the whole down to ten lines. What survives the cut is what matters, and what will be remembered.
- 05
Pass 5 — read aloud
A sentence that speaks badly reads badly. Reread the next day, aloud, then paste the text into the form.
The text in figures
- lines expected
- 10
- statements to place in it
- 4
- minutes of interview that extend it
- 30
The length asked for in the file.
Four sentences, four roles
| Sentence | What it says | What it sets up |
|---|---|---|
| The first | Your current situation, factually | The reading frame of the file |
| The second | The target occupation, named | The interview question on the target |
| The third | The link between this programme and that target | The exchange on the syllabus |
| The fourth | One concrete achievement, dated | The discussion of your experience |
Questions about the free text
Should the style be formal?
A clear, direct text reads better than a polished one. Write as you would speak to someone in the field: short sentences, facts, precise names. It is the content that carries the application.
Can I write in English?
Yes, the file is completed in French or English, and the interview is held in the language chosen. Write in the one where you are most precise: precision is what gets read.
What if the project is still broad?
Say so plainly, and give the two or three directions you are exploring with what draws you to them. A stated project, even a broad one, is worked on at interview: that is exactly what the conversation is for.
Explore next
- The interviewThe IHETC admission interview: thirty remote minutes, announced running order, the questions asked and one hour of preparation.
- The calendarThe IHETC application calendar: continuous filing, interview within a week, decision within ten working days, access from enrolment.
- Tracking your fileTracking your IHETC application: successive states, timestamped receipt, adding documents and a named contact at each step.
- The decisionThe IHETC admission decision: detailed content, written reason, the amount that binds you, response times and possible next steps.
- EnrollingEnrolling at IHETC after admission: online confirmation, choice of payment schedule, immediate opening of the learning space.
- Estimating your costWorking out the total cost of an IHETC path: amounts by level, billing unit, services covered and a five-minute calculation method.