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
Preschool · first, second, and third years
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.
Lower secondary school · Years 6 to 9
Cycle 3 continues into sixième; Cycle 4 covers cinquième through troisième and leads to the DNB.
Upper secondary school · Years 10, 11, and 12 / baccalaureate
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