Mathematics, legal and managerial economic culture… Candidates for the BTS (higher technician certificate) must take common written tests every year regardless of their specialty.
A few days before these are held (from May 18 to 21), the Ministry of Higher Education has already revealed the theme which will be studied for the 2027 session for the general culture and expression test.
As a reminder, the general culture and expression exam lasts 4 hours and is divided into 2 distinct parts: “The synthesis of documents” and “Personal writing”. In this second part, the candidate must answer a question related to the theme. He must rely on his knowledge, the works studied in class and his current affairs.
The 2027 theme: “True from falsehood”, an echo of digital news
After a very general theme this year “Animals and us: imagine, know, understand the animal”, the choice of this new theme “The true from the false” for the 2027 session is part of the news and the spirit of the times: with an information war increased, the rise of virtual reality, fake news, deepfake, artificial intelligence…
The problem defined by the ministry is very well argued (via a publication in the Official Bulletin). She underlines that our daily lives fluctuate constantly between reality and fiction: mentioning in particular the use of generative artificial intelligence, capable of producing speeches and images without guarantee of veracity.
The theme also concerns the concept of “post-truth” and the difficulty of disentangling information from fake news or propaganda. The program proposes to explore the idea of hyperreality, already theorized by Umberto Eco in the 1970s, where the artificial world ends up replacing reality.
Information is not the only thing that fuels this theme, but also the field of consumption: “Imitation leather, fake jewelry, counterfeit money aim to look exactly like it” and the cultural field “where does the homage end, where does the plagiarism, or even mystification, begin?” HAS”. A very broad theme for BTS students.
Works and materials to be revised
The ministry has provided an indicative bibliography to support teachers and students. It covers a variety of fields, from classic literature to pop culture.
- Littérature : The classics of manipulation and illusion are highlighted, such as 1984 de George Orwell, Dangerous Liaisons de Laclos or even Lost illusions by Balzac. Science fiction is also represented with Philip K. Dick (Simulacra).
- Cinéma : Films such as The Truman Show de Peter Weir, Inception by Christopher Nolan or Catch me if you can by Steven Spielberg are in the list of suggested references.
- Essays and Arts: The work of Umberto Eco on forgery or Walter Benjamin on the technical reproduction of works are part of the avenues for reflection. Their work allows us to deepen our reflection on the nature of truth, illusion and disinformation.
- Comics: Titles like “Les Indes fourbes” by Alain Ayroles and “V for Vendetta” by Alan Moore and David Lloyd are also suggested, showing the transversality of the theme through different mediums.
- Visual arts and architecture: Artists and works such as Giuseppe Arcimboldo, the trompe l’Å“il gallery of Palazzo Spada by Francesco Borromini, The Calumny of Apelles by Sandro Botticelli, Salvador DalÃ, René Magritte, or Eugène Viollet-le-Duc are mentioned for their work on visual illusion and representation.
The theme also specifies the expressions to master: distinguishing the true from the false, the true lie, the vivid metaphor, a noble lie, making a cinema, creating illusions, showing discernment / unblinking someone’s eyes, tearing the veil / Potemkin village / the king is naked. But also a few key words like: disbelief, mimesischaracter effect, stage illusion, romantic illusion, chimera, fake news, disinformation, mystification, post-truth, controversy, artifact, virtual world, metaverse, hyperrealism…
In 2027, the year of the presidential election, candidates (for BTS) will have to show their capacity for discernment. It will not only be a question of denouncing falsehood or lies, but also of understanding how fiction, in theater or cinema, can paradoxically help to reveal a truth.
