French students sit two national exams, the brevet and the baccalauréat (the bac), and English speakers routinely mix them up. They are not two names for the same thing, nor two levels of one exam — they happen three years apart and serve different purposes. This comparison lays out the differences clearly. For deeper preparation, see our French exam guide.
Quick answer: The brevet (DNB) is taken at the end of collège at around age 15 and marks the end of lower secondary school; it is scored out of 800 points. The baccalauréat is taken at the end of lycée at around age 18 and is the gateway to university; it is graded on an average out of 20. The brevet comes first and is a milestone; the bac comes later and is the qualification that opens higher education.
Bac vs Brevet at a Glance
| Brevet (DNB) | Baccalauréat (Bac) | |
|---|---|---|
| School stage | End of collège | End of lycée |
| Typical age | ~15 (in 3ème) | ~18 (in terminale) |
| Purpose | Milestone / certifies collège | Gateway to university |
| Grading scale | Out of 800 points | Average out of 20 |
| Pass mark | 400 points | 10/20 |
| Required for next stage? | No | Yes, for higher education |
Which Comes First, the Brevet or the Bac?
The brevet comes first. Students take it at around 15, in the 3ème year at the end of collège. The baccalauréat follows three years later, at around 18, at the end of lycée.
The full path looks like this: collège → brevet → lycée → bac → higher education. If you want the detail on the earlier exam, our what is the brevet explainer covers its subjects, dates and pass mark.
How Are the Bac and Brevet Graded?
This is where the two exams look most different, because they use completely different scales.
The brevet is scored out of 800 points, combining continuous assessment from 3ème with the final exams. You need 400 to pass, and distinctions (mentions) come at 480, 560 and 640.
The baccalauréat is graded on an average out of 20. Since the 2021 reform, that average blends continuous assessment (contrôle continu) with final exams — the anticipated French papers in première, then philosophy, two speciality subjects (spécialités) and the Grand oral in terminale. You pass with 10/20, and mentions are awarded at:
- 12 — mention assez bien
- 14 — mention bien
- 16 — mention très bien
For the bac, a strong average and a good mention genuinely matter, because they feed into competitive higher-education admissions.
Is the Brevet or the Bac More Important?
For a student's future, the bac is more important. It is the qualification that universities and Parcoursup require, and it is what employers recognise as the end-of-school benchmark.
That does not make the brevet pointless. It is the first national exam most students ever sit, a useful rehearsal for exam technique and time management, and a genuine achievement. But on its own it does not open doors — the bac does.
Because the stakes rise sharply between the two, the lycée years are where families most often bring in support. Our tutors help students lift their bac average across maths, French and speciality subjects, where a couple of points can change which programmes are within reach.
Do You Need the Brevet to Take the Bac?
No. Passing the brevet is not required to move up to lycée or to sit the baccalauréat. Progression from collège to lycée is decided by the conseil de classe based on the whole year's work, not the brevet result. The brevet certifies the collège years; it is not a filter that blocks the path to the bac.
What Comes After the Bac?
The baccalauréat gives access to higher education. With it, students apply through the national Parcoursup platform to universities, classes préparatoires, BTS courses and other programmes, using their bac results and their lycée record. The bac is the formal end of secondary school and the entry point to university-level study — the destination the whole French system builds towards.
Key Takeaways
- The brevet is taken at ~15 (end of collège); the bac at ~18 (end of lycée). The brevet comes first.
- The brevet is a milestone; the bac is the gateway to university via Parcoursup.
- Grading differs completely: brevet out of 800 (pass at 400), bac out of 20 (pass at 10, mentions at 12/14/16).
- You do not need the brevet to take the bac — progression is decided by the conseil de classe.
- After the bac come universities, prépas and other higher-education routes through Parcoursup.
Working towards the bac or the brevet? Find a tutor on iTutorOnline, and read the full French exam guide for revision strategies for both exams.