A diploma will serve as a vital assessment tool for middle school students, consisting of written and oral tests over two days. Starting in 2025, the grading system will shift to prioritize final exams (60%) over continuous assessment (40%). Continuous assessments will be averaged across subjects, introducing new distinctions. The diploma will be mandatory for high school entry by 2027, and academic corrections will be eliminated, reflecting true student performance. Test formats will remain unchanged, focusing on core subjects.
The diploma serves as a crucial benchmark to assess the knowledge acquired at the culmination of middle school, ensuring that students possess the essential skills needed for high school progression. This examination, designed as a stepping stone towards the baccalaureate, unfolds over two days and incorporates written and oral assessments aimed at familiarizing students with evaluations in a less intimidating atmosphere. To pass, candidates must secure an overall score of 10/20 or higher, having completed eight distinct tests.
Initially structured around a total of 800 points, the scoring system divided these points equally between continuous assessment and the final examination. However, a significant revision is in the pipeline, shifting the emphasis towards the final exam over continuous assessment. The newly appointed government, under the leadership of Education Minister Elisabeth Borne, has announced several modifications, particularly in the educational landscape. These changes, set to take effect from the 2025 session, aim to motivate students who tend to underestimate the final exams. The current minister is enhancing the previously proposed adjustments to further support this goal. If you have questions about these changes, don’t worry – we will clarify everything for you.
Key Changes for the 2025 Academic Year
The grading framework for the diploma, which once relied on a total of 800 points, will undergo considerable transformation. This system previously allocated 400 points for continuous assessment and 400 points for the final exam. To earn the diploma, students needed to accumulate at least 400 points. However, beginning in the 2025 academic year, there will be a shift in focus; continuous assessment will be deemed less significant, while final exams will take precedence. This modification aims to inspire students to dedicate more effort to their final assessments in preparation for the baccalaureate. The new grading structure will consist of 60% for final exams and 40% for continuous assessment.
In terms of continuous assessment, the methodology for calculating grades will be revised to reflect the average performance across all subjects. This average will denote the student’s proficiency level, categorized into four distinctions: insufficient, fragile, satisfactory, or very good. These evaluations will be determined by teachers rather than the Academy. Notably, 2025 will introduce a new distinction: ‘Very Good with congratulations from the jury.’ Furthermore, the Academy plans to mandate the diploma for high school entry by 2027. This diploma, often overlooked in the past, is evolving into an essential requirement for advancing to secondary education. Should a student fail to achieve this credential, they will not be required to repeat the year but will instead participate in a “pre-high school” program for a year to address learning gaps and ensure a seamless transition between middle and high school.
A More Realistic Grading Reform
The Ministry of National Education is also set to abolish academic corrections, meaning that grades will reflect true student performance without artificial inflation aimed at aligning average grades nationally with those of the Academy. This change may lead to a decrease in the national average and consequently affect the success rate, which stood at 89.1% during the 2023 session.
While the grading system is set for transformation at the beginning of the school year, the structure of the tests will remain unchanged. Students will continue to undergo a 15-minute oral examination between April and June on a designated topic, along with four written tests conducted over two days at the end of June. The core subjects will remain consistent, including French, mathematics, history-geography-civic education, and sciences. For history-geography, the government intends to separate the grades for history-geography from those of civic education. If your child is feeling anxious and seeks effective revision strategies, you can discover all our tips here.