(), officially known as , is a two-year academic program in the French “” (≈undergraduate) system, with a specialization in literature and the humanities. It is one of the three main types of (CPGE, informally ), contrasting with other CPGE majors such as in mathematics and engineering, or in the business domain. Strictly speaking, the word refers to the final year of that program. Indeed, the course articulates into two years with separate names: year 1: officially , casually year 2 (+3 +4): officially , casually The two-year program as a whole is commonly called hypokhâgne-khâgne , or simply khâgne. In 2020, about 130 lycées scattered across France proposed hypokhâgne classes (1st year), and at least 30 had a khâgne (2nd year). Historically famous institutions for preparing the khâgne program – some since the 19th century – include prestigious lycées in Paris (lycées Henri IV, Louis-le-Grand, Condorcet, Fénelon, Janson-de-Sailly…), around Paris (Lycée Lakanal in Sceaux, in Versailles, …) and in major cities of the country (e.g. Lycée du Parc in Lyon, Lycée Montaigne in Bordeaux…). Main features of the khâgne program Once they have graduated from secondary school (), French students with a strong interest in the Humanities may choose to follow a Licence curriculum in a university (l'université, slang la fac); or they may opt for the more selective course, which is situated outside the university system, taking place in a just like secondary school. One of the formal differences between the two competing systems (university vs. khâgne) is that, while university students discover a new form of academic organization (with typically large gatherings of students in lecture halls), students continue the organization they were familiar with in high schools (lycée), characterized by a stable class group with a maximum of 35 to 40 members. This is conducive to more substantial interaction between students and their professors, which is commonly understood as favouring high-quality learning. When the khâgne program is based in a public school, the tuition fee normally ranges between 0 and 300 euros per year; private schools require higher fees. The most prestigious khâgne programs in France are found in public schools, and are thus essentially free of charge. The official objective of is to prepare undergraduate students for the competitive entrance examination () to the three (ENS) — more specifically to their Humanities and Social science departments (, Section Lettres et sciences humaines). In case of