Overview
The baccalauréat général (the "bac") is the main school-leaving and university-entrance qualification in France, awarded at the end of lycée (upper secondary school). It is set by the Ministère de l'Éducation nationale. Since the 2021 reform, the old literature/science/economics tracks ("filières") were replaced by a common core of subjects plus a personal choice of specialist subjects (spécialités). Passing the bac is the normal route into French higher education, and bac holders use the Parcoursup platform to apply for university and other post-bac places.
This file covers the baccalauréat général (the general track). A separate baccalauréat technologique and baccalauréat professionnel also exist in France but are outside this file's scope.
Who can apply
The bac général is taken at the end of Terminale, the final year of the general lycée track, usually by students who followed the Seconde (common core) and then chose this track for Première and Terminale. Students who are not enrolled in a school, including candidates preparing independently or through distance learning, can also sit the exam as "candidats individuels" (individual, or "free", candidates) by registering with their académie of residence.
Exam pattern
Common core and specialities
In Première, students take a common core (French, history-geography, two foreign languages, mathematics or scientific culture depending on the pathway, physical education, moral and civic education) together with three spécialités chosen from a list that includes Arts; Physical education and sport sciences; History-geography, geopolitics and political science; Humanities, literature and philosophy; Foreign and regional languages, literatures and cultures; Literature and classical languages and cultures; Mathematics; Digital and computer science; Physics-chemistry; Life and earth sciences; Engineering sciences; Economic and social sciences. At the end of Première, students drop one spécialité and continue with two for Terminale.
How the final mark is built
Two assessment routes combine to make the final grade:
Continuous assessment (contrôle continu), worth 40% of the final grade, covers the spécialité followed only in Première, history-geography, the two foreign languages, scientific culture, physical education, and moral and civic education.
Final exams (contrôle terminal), worth 60% of the final grade, cover: French (written and oral, taken at the end of Première), mathematics for pathways that require it (taken at the end of Première), the two Terminale spécialités, Philosophy, and the Grand Oral.
Philosophy
Every bac général candidate sits a written Philosophy exam in Terminale, regardless of spécialité. It is a 4-hour written exam.
Grand Oral
The Grand Oral is an oral exam taken by every candidate at the end of Terminale. The candidate prepares, with teachers, two questions linked to their two Terminale spécialités; the exam-day jury picks one of the two. The candidate gets 20 minutes to prepare, then presents and answers the chosen question for about 10 minutes standing, followed by an exchange with the jury and a short discussion of the candidate's study or career plans, for a total exam time of 20 minutes.
Marking and results
All components are marked out of 20. The continuous-assessment and final-exam components are combined, each weighted by its coefficient, into one overall average out of 20.
An overall average of 10/20 or more: the candidate is admitted.
An overall average of at least 8/20 but below 10/20: the candidate may sit the "épreuves de contrôle" (second-group oral catch-up exams) in French, mathematics (where applicable), philosophy and the two Terminale spécialités; if an oral score beats the original written score in a subject, the oral score replaces it and the jury recalculates the average.
An overall average below 8/20: the candidate fails that session.
Mentions (honours) are awarded only to candidates admitted after the first group of exams: Assez bien (12 to under 14/20), Bien (14 to under 16/20), and Très bien (16/20 and above), with "Très bien avec les félicitations du jury" for averages of 18/20 and above. For 2025, the ministry reported a 96.4% pass rate for the baccalauréat général.
Important dates
For the 2026 session: the anticipated written French exam is on 11 June 2026 and the anticipated written mathematics exam is on 12 June 2026 (both taken at the end of Première in the relevant pathways); the Philosophy exam is on 15 June 2026 (morning); the Terminale spécialité written exams run from 16 to 18 June 2026; and Grand Oral exams run from 22 June to 1 July 2026, scheduled by académie. Results become available online from 7 July 2026. Dates can shift slightly by académie and by year, so candidates should check the current year's official calendar before the exam period.
Fees
Registration for the baccalauréat général is free for every candidate, French or foreign, including individual ("free") candidates. There is no registration fee and no dossier charge.
After the exam
The baccalauréat général is the main qualification French students use to apply to higher education through Parcoursup, the national platform for first-year undergraduate admissions. Parcoursup lists thousands of post-bac programmes; some are open on application, others select candidates by file review, competitive test or interview. Students register on Parcoursup, list their choices, and receive and respond to offers before starting their chosen programme, all alongside sitting and passing the bac itself.
Preparation tips
Choose Première spécialités with an eye on both personal interest and the Terminale subjects and Grand Oral questions they lead to, since one spécialité is dropped after Première.
Treat continuous-assessment subjects as seriously as the final exams: they make up 40% of the overall grade and are assessed throughout Première and Terminale, not just in a single sitting.
Prepare the Grand Oral's two questions well before the exam period, since they must be agreed with teachers in advance and the oral itself gives only 20 minutes to prepare on the day.
Revise Philosophy methodically across the year: it is compulsory for every candidate regardless of spécialité choice.
FAQs
Do all baccalauréat général candidates take the same exams?
The common core (French, history-geography, languages, philosophy, Grand Oral, and either mathematics or scientific culture) is the same for everyone. The two Terminale spécialité exams differ by the subjects each student chose.
What happens if my average is between 8 and 10 out of 20?
You are offered the "épreuves de contrôle", oral catch-up exams in a set of subjects. If an oral score is higher than the original written score, it replaces it and your average is recalculated.
Is there a fee to sit the baccalauréat?
No. Registration is free for all candidates, including individual candidates who are not enrolled at a school.
How do I use my baccalauréat to apply to university in France?
Through Parcoursup, the national platform where you list your preferred post-bac programmes and receive admission offers; some programmes are open to all bac holders, others select candidates.