The students who participated in this particular pilot were studying for their provincial exams, which were being held the week after, so there was no real the opportunity to study, so they took it, as we say, cold.
Les étudiants qui ont participé à ce projet pilote préparaient leurs examens provinciaux qui devaient avoir lieu la semaine suivante, ils n'ont donc pas eu vraiment la possibilité d'étudier; ils l'ont donc passé, comme on dit, à froid.