Brevet DNB

Overview

The Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB), usually called "le Brevet," is France's qualification for the end of collège (lower secondary school), taken at the end of troisième (grade 9). It is set by the Ministère de l'Éducation nationale and run locally by each académie. It is the first national diploma most French students sit, and for session 2026 the ministry changed how the final grade is built: continuous assessment now counts for 40% of the grade and the end-of-year written and oral exams for 60%, with the result expressed as a mark out of 20 rather than the previous points-out-of-800 system.

Who takes it

The DNB is sat by students finishing troisième (the last year of collège), typically around 15 years old, in both the general track and the professional ("prépa-métiers") track within collège. Candidates who were home-schooled or are otherwise outside the normal school system can also register as "candidats libres" (independent candidates) through their local académie.

Exam pattern

For session 2026, the final grade combines two parts:

The final written exams, taken on the same dates nationwide, are:

• French: comprehension and language questions, a dictation, and a writing exercise.

• Mathematics.

• History-Geography and Civic and Moral Education (EMC): for 2026, EMC is marked as its own distinct sub-component within this exam rather than folded into the History-Geography mark.

• Science: a written exam drawing on Physics-Chemistry, Life and Earth Sciences (SVT) and/or Technology, with the exact subjects tested varying by year.

The oral exam (soutenance orale) is separate from the written exams. The student presents a project or topic they worked on during cycle 4 (fifth, fourth and third grade), typically in a short individual presentation followed by a question-and-answer discussion with a two-teacher panel from the school. A collective presentation is also allowed, with an individually awarded mark.

Marking and results

The overall result is reported as a mark out of 20, built from the 40% continuous-assessment share and the 60% exam share described above. A candidate needs an average mark of 10/20 or higher to be awarded the diploma.

Students who clear that bar can also receive a mention (distinction), based on the same overall mark:

A mention carries no further academic weight on its own; it is a recognition shown on the diploma and transcript.

Important dates

For the 2026 session in metropolitan France, the written exams ran over several days in late June: French on 26 June 2026, and History-Geography/EMC and Science both on 29 June 2026, with Mathematics on 30 June 2026. The oral exam is scheduled separately by each school, generally in the weeks before or around the written exams. Results are typically published by schools and académies in the first half of July. Candidates outside metropolitan France (overseas territories, certain international centres) may sit on adjusted dates set by their académie.

How it's administered

Written exams are set nationally and sat under exam conditions at the student's own collège or an assigned exam centre, under the supervision of the local académie (rectorat). Papers are marked by teachers from other schools within the académie, anonymised where practical. The oral exam is organised and marked locally by the student's own school. A jury, convened by the académie, validates final results and mentions based on the combined continuous assessment and exam marks.

After the exam

Passing the DNB confirms completion of collège and is often used as an entry requirement for some vocational pathways (for example certain CAP programmes). For most students, though, progression from troisième into lycée (seconde) is decided separately by the school's conseil de classe (class council) based on the year's school results and teacher recommendations, not by the DNB result itself — a student can move up to lycée without having passed the Brevet, and a student who passes the Brevet is not automatically guaranteed their preferred lycée place. In that sense the DNB is largely a symbolic, end-of-stage qualification rather than a gatekeeper for the next level of school.

Preparation tips

• Treat the continuous-assessment share seriously from the start of troisième: at 40% of the final grade, it cannot be made up for with strong exam performance alone.

• Choose the cycle 4 project or topic for the oral exam early, and practise explaining it clearly in a short, structured presentation, since the exam also marks spoken expression.

• Work through past written exam papers for French, Mathematics, History-Geography/EMC and Science, since the written-exam format and question style repeat from year to year.

• Check the exact exam dates and any local instructions published by your académie and school each year, since oral exam scheduling and science-subject rotation can vary.

FAQs