High School
French Baccalauréat
Preparation for the Diploma
The CNED (National Centre for Distance Education) courses, along with the FASN teachers, prepare students in Première (11th grade) and Terminale (12th grade) for the Baccalauréat. Students take written and oral “mock” exams, just as they would in France, for the subjects taught at FASN.
The Status of Independent Candidate (candidat libre/individuel)
Students are registered as independent candidates (candidats libres) for the Baccalauréat. For obtaining the diploma, only the final exams taken at the end of the school year are considered (there is no continuous assessment). These exams take place at the Lycée Rochambeau in Washington, according to a schedule that differs from that of France.
It is important to note that, as of now, Lycée Rochambeau does not allow students to take exams for certain specializations. It is therefore necessary to inquire with the exam coordinator for further details.
Contact: brigitte.buchmuller@ambafrance-us.org
Examination Procedures
The modalities for taking the exams are different from those in France (see the comparison tables below).
In France, continuous assessment grades in certain subjects count towards the Baccalauréat. This is not the case for students enrolled as independent candidates. For these students, continuous assessment (i.e., grades obtained throughout the year at FASN) does not count for the Baccalauréat. Instead, continuous assessment is replaced by an end-of-year exam for each subject. These evaluations are called “final exams” (épreuves ponctuelles), and they take place at the end of the year in Washington. For these subjects, the Baccalauréat for an independent candidate is similar to the old system, as the student is evaluated in a single exam at the end of the year.
Key Decision for Parcoursup
You will need to make a critical choice regarding Parcoursup:
- Choice 1: Your child takes the Première exams at the end of Première and the Terminale exams at the end of Terminale. In this case, the Première exam results will be included in the Parcoursup file, just like a student who remains in France.
- Choice 2: Your child takes all the Première and Terminale exams (except for French) at the end of Terminale. In this case, only the French exam results will be included in the Parcoursup file, differing from a student who remains in France.
This decision must be made at the beginning of Première and is final.
Please carefully read the comparison tables below.
CHOICE 1
Examination Procedures in Première
For a student in France
- French Exam:
- – French (written + oral)
- Continuous Assessment:
- – Abandoned Specialization at the end of Première
- – History-Geography
- – Foreign Languages A and B
- – Moral and Civic Education
- – Scientific Education
- – Physical Education (EPS)
- – Options
For an Independent FASN student
- French Exam:
- – French (written + oral)
- Final Exams:
- – Abandoned Specialization at the end of Première
- – History-Geography
- – Foreign Languages A and B
- – Moral and Civic Education
- – Scientific Education
- – Options
- Note: The results of these exams will be included in the Parcoursup file, just like a student who stays in France. See the “Parcoursup” tab.
Examination Procedures in Terminale
For a student in France
- Final Exams:
- – Two retained specializations
- – Philosophy
- – Grand oral
- Continuous Assessment:
- – History-Geography
- – Foreign Languages A and B
- – Moral and Civic Education
- – Scientific Education
- – Physical Education (EPS)
- – Options
For an Independent FASN student
- Final Exams:
- – Two retained specializations
- – Philosophy
- – Grand oral
- Final Exams (final evaluations):
- – History-Geography
- – Foreign Languages A and B
- – Moral and Civic Education
- – Scientific Education
- – Physical Education (EPS)
- – Options
CHOICE 2
Reminder: For a student who completes both Première and Terminale at FASN, an alternative examination procedure is possible. The student will take all the exams for the Première and Terminale programs (except for French) at the end of Terminale, and only the French exam results will be included in the Parcoursup file, differing from a student who remains in France.
Exams taken at the end of Première:**
- Anticipated Exam:
- – French (written + oral)
- ** Note: Only the results of the French exam will be included in the Parcoursup file, differing from a student who remains in France.
Exams taken at the end of Terminale:
- Final Exams:
- – Two retained specializations
- – Philosophy
- – Grand Oral
- Punctual Exam:
- – Specialization dropped at the end of 1ère:
- – Physical Education (EPS)
- On both Première and Terminale program:
- – History-geography
- – Foreign languages A and B
- – Moral and Civic Education
- – Scientific Education
- – options
