Presentation of the French school system From nursery school to high school

THE SCHOOL PRESENTATION 3 years oldMaternelle (first year) 4 years oldMaternelle (second year) 5 years oldMaternelle (last year) 6 years oldCP (preparatory period) 7 years oldCE1 (first elementary period) 8 years oldCE2 (second elementary period) 9 years oldCM1 (first medium period) 10 years oldCM2 (second medium period) 11 years old6eme 12 years old5eme 13 years old4eme *14 years old3eme *14 years old: school exam (brevet des colleges). It’s an exam where we get grades in history, geography, maths and French. If you don’t pass this exam it is not very important because you can go in high school. After the “3eme”, you can go in different schools. There are high school and vocational school, or apprenticeship (you work for one week and you work at school for one week)

High school 15 years oldSeconde *16 years oldPremière *17 years oldTerminale 18 years old Further Studies *16 years old: there is a French exam (baccalauréat) *17 years old: there is the final exam : Baccalauréat (maths, history, geography, physical education, foreign languagesBaccalauréat Sciences and optional subjects such as industrial science and technology …) Retour index

Further studies We can make three types of further studies : The D.U.T (technological university degree) : The students make two years of studies after the baccalauréat. After the two years they can go to university. The B.T.S (Patent of high-level technician): after the baccalauréat. Anyway, the baccalauréat allows us to enter university. Retour

The different "baccalauréats" The "baccalauréat“ S SVT(biology): It's a scientific baccalauréat with biology as main subject. The baccalauréat S SI(engineering): It’s a scientific baccalauréat too but here the main subject is engineering. Le baccalauréat S.T.I (industrial and technological sciences) : It’s a technological baccalauréat devoted to industrial sciences. Retour

The last year in high school (« Terminale ») The pupils enter at 17. At the end of this year the pupils take the baccalauréat. After the baccalauréat they can follow their further studies (B.T.S, D.U.T,…) Retour

The first year of the high school (« Seconde ») The students enter their first year at 15. They must choose two main subjects which are suggested at the end of the last year in « collège ». subjects Retour

Subjects The subjects which permit you to choose a type of baccalauréat are : I.S.I, M.P.I, I.S.P, English, French, Spanish, German… They all count for the baccalauréat. Retour

The second year in high school (« Première ») The pupils enter at 16. At the end of this year, the pupils have a French exam. Retour