diff --git a/cmake/python.cmake b/cmake/python.cmake
index a3cb2de324..b6976ac712 100644
--- a/cmake/python.cmake
+++ b/cmake/python.cmake
@@ -684,20 +684,44 @@ endfunction()
 # add_python_example()
 # CMake function to generate and build python example.
 # Parameters:
-#  the python filename
+#  FILE_NAME: the Python filename
+#  COMPONENT_NAME: name of the ortools/ subdir where the test is located
+#  note: automatically determined if located in ortools/<component>/samples/
 # e.g.:
-# add_python_example(foo.py)
-function(add_python_example FILE_NAME)
-  message(STATUS "Configuring example ${FILE_NAME} ...")
-  get_filename_component(EXAMPLE_NAME ${FILE_NAME} NAME_WE)
-  get_filename_component(COMPONENT_DIR ${FILE_NAME} DIRECTORY)
-  get_filename_component(COMPONENT_NAME ${COMPONENT_DIR} NAME)
+# add_python_example(
+#   FILE_NAME
+#     ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/foo/bar.py
+#   COMPONENT_NAME
+#     foo
+# )
+function(add_python_example)
+  set(options "")
+  set(oneValueArgs FILE_NAME COMPONENT_NAME)
+  set(multiValueArgs "")
+  cmake_parse_arguments(EXAMPLE
+    "${options}"
+    "${oneValueArgs}"
+    "${multiValueArgs}"
+    ${ARGN}
+  )
+if(NOT EXAMPLE_FILE_NAME)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "no FILE_NAME provided")
+  endif()
+  get_filename_component(EXAMPLE_NAME ${EXAMPLE_FILE_NAME} NAME_WE)
+
+  message(STATUS "Configuring example ${EXAMPLE_FILE_NAME} ...")
+
+  if(NOT EXAMPLE_COMPONENT_NAME)
+    # example is located in example/<component_name>/
+    get_filename_component(EXAMPLE_DIR ${EXAMPLE_FILE_NAME} DIRECTORY)
+    get_filename_component(EXAMPLE_COMPONENT_NAME ${EXAMPLE_DIR} NAME)
+  endif()
 
   if(BUILD_TESTING)
     add_test(
-      NAME python_${COMPONENT_NAME}_${EXAMPLE_NAME}
-      COMMAND ${VENV_Python3_EXECUTABLE} ${FILE_NAME}
+      NAME python_${EXAMPLE_COMPONENT_NAME}_${EXAMPLE_NAME}
+      COMMAND ${VENV_Python3_EXECUTABLE} ${EXAMPLE_FILE_NAME}
       WORKING_DIRECTORY ${VENV_DIR})
   endif()
-  message(STATUS "Configuring example ${FILE_NAME} done")
+  message(STATUS "Configuring example ${EXAMPLE_FILE_NAME} ...DONE")
 endfunction()
diff --git a/examples/contrib/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/contrib/CMakeLists.txt
index 302c3f245f..4915e2e431 100644
--- a/examples/contrib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/contrib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ if(BUILD_PYTHON_EXAMPLES)
   #list(FILTER PYTHON_SRCS EXCLUDE REGEX ".*/project_scheduling_sat.py") # ISSUE
   #list(FILTER PYTHON_SRCS EXCLUDE REGEX ".*/sports_schedule_sat.py") # ISSUE
   foreach(FILE_NAME IN LISTS PYTHON_SRCS)
-    add_python_example(${FILE_NAME})
+    add_python_example(FILE_NAME ${FILE_NAME})
   endforeach()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/examples/python/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/python/CMakeLists.txt
index 3cfa96d08f..8a38e49b65 100644
--- a/examples/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,5 +22,5 @@ list(FILTER PYTHON_SRCS EXCLUDE REGEX ".*/bus_driver_scheduling_sat.py") # too l
 list(FILTER PYTHON_SRCS EXCLUDE REGEX ".*/cvrptw_plot.py") # depend on numpy
 
 foreach(FILE_NAME IN LISTS PYTHON_SRCS)
-  add_python_example(${FILE_NAME})
+  add_python_example(FILE_NAME ${FILE_NAME})
 endforeach()
diff --git a/examples/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 4781cbda3c..5547a97b3c 100644
--- a/examples/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ endif()
 if(BUILD_PYTHON_EXAMPLES)
   file(GLOB PYTHON_SRCS "*.py")
   foreach(FILE_NAME IN LISTS PYTHON_SRCS)
-    add_python_example(${FILE_NAME})
+    add_python_example(FILE_NAME ${FILE_NAME})
   endforeach()
 endif()