Overview
The Concours general des lycees is a national competition of excellence for French upper-secondary students, organised by the Ministry of Education. Pupils sit a demanding paper in a subject and the best are named laureates. A separate Concours general des metiers exists for vocational pupils.
Who can take part
The 2026 session is open to pupils in Premiere and Terminale in the general and technological baccalaureate tracks and the Franco-German baccalaureate. The ministry's service note for the session sets the exact conditions.
Exam pattern
The competition has 30 subjects. Premiere subjects include general ones such as French composition, geography, history, Latin prose composition (theme latin), and Greek and Latin translation (version).
| Subject type | Format |
|---|---|
| General, modern languages and arts subjects | A single written paper at exam centres in each academy, or abroad |
| Technological subjects | Two tests: a first qualifying test at exam centres in each academy, then a practical test at a single centre for each subject |
Durations for each subject are listed in the ministry's annex of subjects and test lengths.
Important dates
For the 2026 session, the tests ran from March 16 to 27, 2026, with specific subjects scheduled on specific days according to the ministry's calendar.
Fees
No fee was stated on the pages checked.
How to apply
The sources checked do not describe the entry process in detail; ask your school and read the ministry's service note for the session.
Preparation tips
Use previous papers and reports published by the ministry for your subject, and practise writing at length under time.
Note
The ministry pages could not all be opened directly, so some details are from search summaries of those pages. Confirm with your school and the ministry for the current session.
Is it the same as the baccalaureate?
No. It is a separate competition of excellence and does not replace the baccalaureate.