The Piscine

A month of total immersion in coding. Free, open to all, no pre-requisites.

La Piscine is the selection process for 42 Lausanne. For 26 days, you are immersed in programming from morning to night. You don't need to have coded before, you learn on the job, solving real-world problems, asking your peers for help. It's intense, demanding, and completely free.

The Piscine of 42 Lausanne is a unique selection and learning experience designed for people who have passed the online tests and want to discover IT development under real conditions.

For 4 weeks, candidates evolve in an intensive environment based on practice, autonomy and collaboration.
No traditional courses, no teachers, no technical prerequisites'learning is done by testing and exchanging with others.

La Piscine in figures

26 days

Length of immersion

0 CHF

Completely free of charge

4×/year

Sessions per year

What is a Piscine?

A practical approach to teaching

42's teaching model is based onpeer-to-peer learning :
Students learn together through practical projects and peer assessment.

During the Piscine, participants will discover :

the basics of the C language,
algorithmic logic,
Linux environment,
use of the terminal,
problem-solving methods,
collaborative working in a tech context.

The aim: each exercise is designed to develop autonomy and adaptability, two essential skills in digital professions.

An intense and immersive rhythm

La Piscine is designed as a complete immersion in the world of software development.

The days alternate between :

individual projects,
technical challenges,
corrections between candidates,
teamwork,
Collaborative "Rushes" organised at weekends.

The campus at 42 Lausanne remains accessible 24 hours a day so that everyone can organise their work schedule freely.

A selection process open to all profiles

Piscine 42 Lausanne is not just looking for people who have already coded. When you join the Piscine, you'll be working with future 42 students with very different profiles, just like in a company.

Students, people changing careers, self-taught people, professionals, people with a passion for technology - you don't need a computer science degree.

The most important criteria for 42 are :

motivation,
involvement,
the ability to collaborate,
the desire to learn.

Prerequisites

The admission process

To join 42, you need to be over 18 and pass the selection process (online test, check-in and the Piscine).

Online Test

First stage: testing cognitive skills using online tests in the form of games. This stage is carried out remotely throughout the year, from the age of 18.

Duration: 2 hours
When is the event held? All year round

Check in

If you have passed the online tests, come to our campus and find out more about our training. Don't forget to register.

Duration: 1 hour
When: consult the calendar of student events

The Piscine

A month's immersion in our methods to find out if 42 is the right course for you. You get to work on real tech projects and you don't need any programming experience, just motivation. This stage takes place on site only. Sessions are limited.

Duration: 4 weeks
Where: On campus

Back to school

Welcome to 42, just a few weeks after completing the Piscine! You're starting the Common Core, and the start date depends on the Pool you've passed: you can't postpone it.

Duration: 12 to 18 months
When: consult the student calendar

Calendar

Upcoming pools

Admissions procedure Once you've passed your online tests, which are logic and memory exercises done remotely, you'll have to do your Check-in on campus, a step in discovering the 42 Lausanne environment. You will then be invited to the next Piscine, a 4-week intensive immersion in programming. Candidates selected after the Piscine then join the 42 Lausanne training programme.

Tue 16 Jun 2026

Curriculum