Country education guide
France
National programmes are organised by cycles; enrolment and placement are completed through the commune, education authority, and receiving school.
📚 School stages
Grades, stages, and local pathways
École maternelle · petite, moyenne, grande section
Cycle 1 covers the three preschool sections.
French primary school · five-year elementary sequence
The local year names run from CP (first elementary year) through CE1, CE2, CM1, and CM2 (fifth elementary year). The receiving school confirms the applicable year.
Collège · sixième to troisième
Cycle 3 continues into sixième; Cycle 4 covers cinquième through troisième and leads to the DNB.
Lycée · seconde, première, terminale / baccalauréat
General, technological, and vocational routes lead to different baccalauréat pathways.
Higher education / Parcoursup
Programme and institution requirements are published through the national admissions ecosystem.
📝 Examinations and qualifications
Selectable records for France
Each record links to the authority that publishes its current rules.
Baccalauréat
France’s national upper-secondary diploma pathway, with general, technological, and vocational routes.
- Completion or score rule
- The baccalauréat is awarded from an overall average of 10/20. Subjects, coefficients, continuous assessment, and final examinations depend on the route and session.
- Where it applies
- France
🔗 Official source library