If you are searching for brevet date, when is the bac in France, or a brevet exam study guide, here is the full French exam calendar in one place, plus a simple plan to prepare in good time. The brevet and the baccalauréat both land in June, and the timing barely moves from year to year, which makes them easy to plan around once you know the pattern. For revision help, our tutors support collège and lycée students right through exam season.
Quick answer: The French bac written exams run in mid to late June, with philosophy first and the grand oral in the final week; the brevet follows in late June. In 2026 the bac falls in mid-June and the brevet in late June, with results in early to mid July. Because so much of both exams is continuous assessment, serious preparation should start months ahead, not in the final weeks.
When Is the Brevet Exam in France?
The brevet (DNB) written papers are held at the very end of the school year, in late June. They come just after the baccalauréat's main written exams, so the two calendars sit back to back. Results are published in July, before students move up to lycée in September. If you want the full picture of what the brevet is and how it is scored, see what is the French brevet.
When Is the Bac Exam in France?
The baccalauréat written exams run in mid to late June. The sequence is well established:
- Philosophy — the first paper, a four-hour essay for every general and technological candidate
- Speciality subjects (spécialités) — the main written papers over the following days
- The grand oral — spoken exams in the final week of June
French (the written and oral papers) is sat a year early, in première, so terminale students face philosophy, their specialities and the grand oral. Results land in early July, in time for the Parcoursup admissions process. For the full breakdown of the exam, read what is the French bac.
Why Does Philosophy Come First in the Bac?
Philosophy has opened the bac for generations, and it remains the symbolic start of exam season. Every general and technological candidate sits the same four-hour essay on the same morning, which is why the philosophy topics make national headlines in France each June. It is tradition as much as timetable.
What Are the Brevet and Bac Dates for 2026?
Here is the 2026 shape at a glance:
| Exam | When (2026) | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Bac (général and technologique) written | Mid-June, philosophy first | Early July |
| Bac grand oral | Final week of June | Early July |
| Brevet (DNB) written | Late June | July |
Treat these as the reliable pattern rather than exact days: the precise dates are set officially each year by the ministry and your académie, so confirm them with your school. The structure, though, rarely shifts.
How Far in Advance Should You Prepare?
Because a large part of both exams comes from continuous assessment (contrôle continu) across the year, the real answer is all year. For focused revision, a plan that starts three to four months out, around March, gives you room to cover everything without cramming.
A simple approach that works:
- March — map every subject and topic, and rank them by weight and by how confident you feel. Our guide to making a study schedule walks through this step by step.
- April to May — work through topics, weakest and highest-weight first, using past papers.
- June — switch to timed past papers and light review, and protect your sleep.
If one subject is dragging, that is the moment to bring in help. A few focused sessions on your weakest speciality or on maths can move a grade more than another month of solo revision.
What Should You Revise First?
Start where the weight and the weakness overlap. For the bac, that usually means your speciality subjects and philosophy; for the brevet, French and maths. Whatever the subject, the single most effective tool is past papers (annales), because both exams reuse familiar formats and question styles from year to year. Practising under timed conditions is what turns knowledge into marks on the day.
Key Takeaways
- The bac written exams run mid to late June (philosophy first, grand oral last week); the brevet follows in late June.
- In 2026 the bac falls in mid-June and the brevet in late June, with results in early to mid July.
- Exact dates are set officially each year, so confirm with your school or académie.
- Serious preparation should start months ahead because continuous assessment counts all year.
- Revise by weight and weakness first, and lean on past papers as your main tool.
Getting ready for the brevet or bac? Find a tutor on iTutorOnline for French, maths, philosophy or your speciality subjects, and see the full French exam preparation guide.