FAQs

Training at 42 is completely free of charge. There are no hidden fees, now or after 42.

You’ll need a place to sleep in and cover your daily costs (transport, allowances, etc.) if you don’t live in Madrid, which will be at your own expense, except for your studies at 42 which, as we mentioned, are 100% free of charge for students.

Any person of legal age can submit an application to the campus. There’s no age limit.

Everyone is welcome at 42, but we don’t recommend training to students before they’re of legal age to prevent them from dropping out of secondary school.

As we mentioned above, the only requirement is to be of legal age. No previous knowledge of computing or programming is required, you’ll just need motivation and commitment to the learning programme.

Three years on average, with the first part (the core study plan) lasting no more than 18 months.

The training at 42 is intensive. It isn’t advisable to have a full-time job. Part-time work is more reasonable, but it requires a large degree of personal discipline.

No preparatory diploma or specialisation course is required to become a student at 42.

42 does not offer official academic qualifications within the Spanish formal education system. However, students who complete certain specialisation projects can obtain RNCP certification — Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles —, a professional certificate officially recognised by the French Ministry of Labour and valid throughout Europe under the European Qualifications Framework.

Of course! You can learn more about the 42 methodology during our Open Days. You can also find out how you can learn on the campus in person for five days via the “Piscine Discovery Web”. All the info’s available here.

Sign up here. Once you’ve registered, you’ll have to pass two online tests, the first one lasting 10 minutes and the second one lasting a maximum of two hours.

You don’t need any specific training, education or qualifications, as we expect you to commit to the methodology and learning plan at 42. All we ask is for you to be of legal age.

Logical thinking skills and, above all, a resolute attitude are advisable. You have to be able to adapt and overcome difficulties. Proactivity, curiosity, creativity and teamwork are also highly desirable.

Not at all. You don’t need to have any programming skills to join us and succeed at 42.

At 42 we offer a study methodology that challenges our students with projects with increasing complexity. Each problem is unique and requires you to think differently alongside the other people studying on the campus.

Once you’ve passed both of the online tests, you’ll be able to pre-register for the Piscine, the 26-day immersive selection period on the campus.

The dates will be announced throughout the year by email and on our social media.

This is the last step before you become a student at 42 and you reach it after you’ve passed the two previous online tests. This is an in-person challenge lasting 26 days in a row during which you’ll undertake daily projects giving you the chance to gain solid foundations in C language while you learn to work alongside the other candidates.

We don’t have any selection quotas at 42. There’s no fixed number of applicants for selection. However, we temporarily reserve 30% of the places to allow women to register throughout a longer period of time.

No, it isn’t necessary either during the Piscine or after you become a student. We have around 200 iMacs, which are more than enough to cater for the candidates and students. Although you can use your own laptop, it’s advisable to use the ones on the campus, particularly during the piscine.

The Piscine is demanding and requires spending numerous hours programming and working with the other candidates throughout the 26 consecutive days that it lasts. Although it isn’t impossible to complete it while you work, we recommend making this period a priority.

Not getting through the Piscine stage means that 42 might not be for you, at least for the time being. The Piscine is designed to enable you and 42 to find out whether this educational model is right for both of us. You’ll have to wait for 300 days to re-apply for the Piscine if you don’t get through it the first time.

The start of the studies is a continuation of the Piscine; we always recommend not interrupting this learning process. If you know that you aren’t going to enrol on the campus after the selection process, it would be advisable to give your place to someone who’s eager to start.

All the stages of the application, from the two online tests to the Piscine, must be completed on the same campus.

Their specific dates are always available on our website and social media.

The 42 method is based on peer learning, during which the students learn and face challenges on their own and in teams with other students.

As we mentioned above, 42 is based on peer-to-peer learning, during which the environment obliges you to learn how to learn, one of the most important skills that you’ll need to develop. However, there’s a pedagogical team that makes sure that the learning environment functions and that everyone makes progress.

It’s an educational model that enables students to learn from each other through collaborative work, sharing and overcoming challenges and, above all, evaluating each other.

This kind of learning increases knowledge of a subject by means of active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. You learn by doing and thinking critically, rather than by following instructions and memorising.

The projects are evaluated by the students by using a mark sheet and the general guidelines provided by the teaching staff. The students should be able to explain their code to the evaluator in a way that the latter will understand it, even if he/she has no knowledge of it prior to the evaluation. The mark will be determined by how well your code works and how well you can explain it.

Once students have passed the ‘pool’ stage, they follow a core curriculum across all campuses worldwide, alongside a technical specialisation component. The learning pathway consists of 21 levels.
The first part, the ‘Common Core’, comprises seven layers of projects and exams, focusing primarily on learning C, Python and JavaScript. Once the final layer has been completed, students become eligible for their first work placement. From this point onwards, it is up to the student to decide when to undertake it. The second part focuses on the areas of specialisation that each student wishes to develop at their campus. Topics covered include: cybersecurity, web development, programming, AI, blockchain, DevOps, etc. This content is constantly updated to keep pace with developments in the technology sector.

During the ‘common core’, you will learn C, Python and JavaScript, and you will explore general-purpose artificial intelligence, RAG and intelligent agents.

In the specialisation, the programming languages depend entirely on the projects you are working on.

It is a universally applicable programming language, highly compatible with hardware compared to others. By working with C, you develop a deep understanding of computers and their operating systems and learn how applications affect these systems. With the knowledge and insight gained from programming in C, it is often easier to learn other languages later on.

Artificial Intelligence is not an optional extra or a mere add-on; rather, it is woven throughout 42’s learning curriculum, ranging from fundamental concepts to the creation of architectures for fully autonomous systems. AI is integrated by design and in a progressive manner, not simply to follow a trend. The aim is that, upon completing your studies, you will be able to design, develop and critically evaluate AI-integrated solutions to address the current challenges facing the industry.

You progress through the study plan by completing projects and earning points. With these points you go up through the levels and unlock more projects and branches of specialisation. You can also master different skills and complete missions and achievements.

The original curriculum was created in 2013 by the Campus 42 Paris team, a group of veterans in the field of IT education in France. Since then, it has evolved thanks to contributions from teaching staff across the global network of campuses, cooperation with companies, and even input from students. Every quarter, the teaching committee—made up of teaching staff from all campuses—meets to discuss and implement updates to the curriculum based on current industry trends.

The common core is available in Spanish, but it can also be studied in other languages, including English, French, German and Portuguese. Although it isn’t essential to know any English, it’s true to say that most of the information related to programming is in this language. So, if you come to 42, now’s the time to start using it again or study it from scratch. However, this shouldn’t become an obstacle, as there are students on the campus who’ll know English and be happy to help you.

As long as each person needs. We firmly believe that every student is unique and should be allowed to learn at their own pace. Completion of the ‘Common Core’ is normally achieved within a timeframe of 12 to 18 months maximum.

In the case of specialisations – from level 8 to 21 – this block lasts up to five and a half years.

The ‘cursus’ also includes two work placement periods.

Yes, lots of them! The campus is a living space where many things happen, including workshops, hackathons, workshops, talks and so on. Our intention is to enable both students and companies to make proposals to generate high-quality training content and thus add value to the campus.

Our doors are always open for our students! Those who’ve completed their training on our campus can return to continue their studies whenever they like. One of the differential values of the method at 42 is the community.

42 does not offer an official academic qualification within the Spanish formal education system. However, students who complete certain specialisation projects can obtain RNCP certification – Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles –  a professional certificate officially recognised by the French Ministry of Labour and valid throughout Europe under the European Qualifications Framework.

It is the official French catalogue of professional certifications. It accredits skills acquired through both work experience and non-formal training and is valid across Europe thanks to the European Qualifications Framework.

In Spain, it has no direct academic equivalent, but it is highly recognised by European companies as proof of advanced professional competence. Furthermore, it includes a Europass supplement detailing learning outcomes and accessible jobs.

Completing the training will give you access to numerous positions and jobs in the digital world, ranging from startups to world-leading companies, in existing roles and others that are yet to be invented. Try searching online for “jobs in the digital world” and you’ll see what’s out there. At 42 you’ll learn how to learn to enable you to address the challenges in the labour market.

At 42 we don’t teach our students how to resolve a specific problem or use a tool. The study plan is designed so that they can learn about and understand the tools that they use. After 42 they have the ability to resolve difficult problems, because they’ve developed critical thinking and teamwork to seek and share knowledge. The 42 method isn’t confined to a specific technology, as it changes every year. Developing and maintaining relevant skills throughout a career is one of the goals of our programme.

There are two compulsory internships. The first one has to be completed once the common core has been passed and it can take place at all kinds of companies, ranging from technology companies to startups, and in any position or job profile. The second one must be completed in a position or profile related to technology and the learning at 42. Most importantly, each student decides at which company and when he/she wants to complete them.

Finding the internships required to validate the course forms a crucial part of the learning process. The campus provides a way of acquiring knowledge and confidence and gaining access to companies and institutions by means of talks, workshops and other events. However, it’s ultimately up to each individual to make the decision and take up the challenge.

At 42 we offer different kinds of collaboration; we propose some of them here, but there are many others that can be jointly developed and customised:

Yes, companies can request that the real-life challenges that they develop be included in the training pathway. The pedagogical team of Campus 42 Paris will review the suitability of each proposal. If the project is accepted, it will be made available to all the students on the campuses around the world.

Yes, you can. However, 42 does not offer distance learning. You must attend in person for the selection process and throughout the entire course.

42 does not issue visas. Those interested should consult their embassy. International candidates can contact our team via the admissions platform to obtain an invitation to the ‘Piscine’.

Mainly Catalonian and Spanish, although a basic level of English is recommended to facilitate learning.