If you have searched for bac exam, what is the bac, or exams in France, this is the explainer you want. The baccalauréat, or bac, is the exam that ends secondary school in France and decides whether a student can go on to university. Here is exactly what it covers, when it happens, and how it is scored. For revision strategies, see our full French exam preparation guide.
Quick answer: The French bac (baccalauréat) is the national exam taken at the end of lycée, at around age 18. It combines French and philosophy papers with two chosen speciality subjects, the grand oral, and continuous assessment. It is marked out of 20, needs an average of 10 to pass, and is the gateway to university through Parcoursup.
What Is the French Bac?
The bac, in full the baccalauréat, is the national qualification that marks the end of lycée, the three years of upper secondary school (seconde, première and terminale). It has existed in France since 1808 and is treated as a genuine national event, with philosophy essay topics making the news each June.
More than a leaving certificate, the bac is the key to higher education. A student who passes can apply to university through Parcoursup, France's central admissions platform. A student who does not pass cannot enrol, which is why the exam carries so much weight for families.
What Subjects Are in the Bac?
The bac is not a single test but a set of components spread across the final two years of lycée. For the bac général, they are:
- French (français), sat a year early in première, with a written and an oral paper
- Philosophy (philosophie), the flagship terminale paper
- Two speciality subjects (spécialités), chosen by the student, such as maths, physics-chemistry, life sciences (SVT), economics (SES), history-geography-geopolitics, or a modern language
- The grand oral, a 20-minute spoken exam built around the speciality subjects
- Continuous assessment (contrôle continu), the marks earned across première and terminale
Because the specialities carry the most weight, the choices a student makes at the end of seconde shape both the bac and the university courses open to them afterwards. Maths and a science speciality are common where a student is aiming at engineering or medicine. If your child is weighing up their spécialités or catching up in one, our tutors regularly support lycée students in maths, French and the sciences.
When Is the Bac Exam in France?
The main written papers run in mid to late June. Philosophy is traditionally the first paper, a four-hour essay, followed by the grand oral in the final week of June. In 2026, the written exams fall in mid-June, with results published in early July, in time for the Parcoursup admissions process.
The French exam calendar is fixed and predictable, which makes planning revision straightforward. We break down the full timeline, alongside the brevet, in our guide to when the French exams take place.
How Is the Bac Graded?
The bac is marked out of 20, with each component weighted and combined into a single average.
| Average (out of 20) | Result |
|---|---|
| 10+ | Pass (bac awarded) |
| 12+ | Mention assez bien |
| 14+ | Mention bien |
| 16+ | Mention très bien |
A student needs an average of 10 out of 20 to pass. Anyone landing between 8 and 10 can take the rattrapage, an oral catch-up session in two subjects of their choice, to try to lift the average over the line. Distinctions (mentions) from 12, 14 and 16 can matter for selective university courses.
What Are the Different Types of Bac?
There are three routes, and they lead in different directions:
- Bac général — academic, built around speciality subjects, the usual path to university
- Bac technologique — applied and technology-focused, often leading to a BTS or BUT
- Bac professionnel — vocational, geared towards a trade or going straight into work
The général and technologique routes are the standard paths into higher education. The label a student holds also shapes which Parcoursup courses are realistic for them.
Is the Bac the Same as the Brevet?
No. The brevet is taken at around 15 at the end of collège and marks the end of lower secondary school. The bac is taken at around 18 at the end of lycée and is the university gateway. Families often mix the two up because both are national exams, but only one gates entry to higher education. We compare them directly in our bac vs brevet explainer, and cover the brevet on its own in what is the French brevet.
Key Takeaways
- The bac (baccalauréat) is France's end-of-secondary exam, taken at the end of lycée at around age 18.
- It combines French and philosophy papers, two speciality subjects, the grand oral, and continuous assessment.
- Written exams fall in mid to late June; in 2026 they are in mid-June with results in early July.
- It is marked out of 20, needs an average of 10 to pass, and offers a rattrapage between 8 and 10.
- It is the gateway to university through Parcoursup, which is what sets it apart from the brevet.
Preparing for the bac? Find a tutor on iTutorOnline for maths, French, philosophy or science support, and see the full French exam guide for revision strategies.