BaccalauréatThe baccalauréat (IPA: /bækælore'ɑ/), often known in France familiarly as the bac, is a academic degree which French students sit for at the end of the lycée (secondary school). OverviewMuch like British A-Levels or American high school diplomas, the baccalauréat allows French students to go on to tertiary education or to obtain a professional qualification that will enable them to get a job in a particular field upon completion of high school. Howewer, it's legally an academic degree, wich means the examination must be headed by a university professor. The students in lycée could choose not to sit for the baccalauréat at the end of the lycée, as it is in law more an exam for entrance into university than a lycée completion exam. The word bac is also used to refer to one of the end-of-year exams that students must pass in order to get their baccalauréat diploma: le bac de philo, for example, is the philosophy exam (which all students must take, regardless of their field of study). There are three main types of baccalauréat degrees:
Each of these categories encompasses several somewhat specialized curricula. For entrance to regular universities, however, there are no real restrictions as to the type of baccalauréat that was achieved (with a few exceptions of course). Furthermore, it is also possible to enter a university without the bac by taking a special exam, the diploma for entrance to higher education. Though most students take the bac at the end of secondary school, it is also possible to enter as a candidat libre (literally, "free candidate") without affiliation to a school. Students who did not take the bac upon completion of secondary school and would like to attend university, or feel that the bac would help them accomplish professional aspirations may exercise this option. The exam is no different than the one administered to secondary-school students. Baccalauréat général streamsStudents who sit for the baccalauréat général choose one of three streams in the penultimate lycée year (première): The baccalauréat permits students to choose to sit for exams in over forty world languages or French minority languages (such as Basque, Breton, Corsican, and Occitan). A majority of French students choose to take the bac S as it is said to open more doors, for a greater range of post-graduation opportunities. This bias is inherent to the French educational system but is more and more contested, especially by teachers from the other two general streams of study. Content and gradingThe majority of the baccalauréat examination takes place in a week in June. For lycée students, this is the end of the last year, terminale. This is a very stressful period for students and preparation starts early in the school year, sometimes even a few years beforehand. Most examinations are given in essay-form. The student is given a substantial block of time (depending on the exam, from two to four hours) to complete a multiple-page, well-argued paper. The number of pages filled-out varies from exam to exam but is usually substantial considering all answers have to be written down, explained and justified. Math and science exams are problem sets but some science questions also require an essay-type answer. All foreign language exams include a short translation section as well. Although multiple-choice exams (questionnaire à choix multiples) do exist in the French educational system, they do not appear for the baccalauréat. (except in Math where they occasionaly appear but often require justification) When taken in mainland France, the baccalauréat material is the same for all students in a given stream. Secrecy surrounding the material is very tight and the envelopes containing the exams are unsealed by a high-ranking school officer (usually a principal or vice-principal) in front of the examinees only a few minutes prior to the start of the examination. The procedure is the same for each subject, in each stream. Students usually have an identification number and an assigned seat. The number is written on all exam material and the name is hidden by folding the upper part of the examination sheet(s). In this fashion, anonymity is respected. The correcting staff is usually a member of the teaching staff in the same district or, at a larger scale, in the same académie. To avoid conflicts of interests, a teacher who has lectured to a student or group of students cannot grade their exam. Unlike the British GCSEs or the American SAT, the French baccalauréat is not a standardized test. Since most answers — even for biology questions — are given in essay form, there is considerable room for subjectivity in grading by the examiner. This is especially true in subjects such as philosophy and French literature. Students generally take the French language and literature exam at the end of première, due to the fact that this subject is not taught in terminale (where it is replaced with a philosophy course). It also has an oral examination component, along with the written part. The oral exam covers works studied throughout première. Passing & honoursThe passing mark is 10 out of 20. The 2004-2005 success rate for the baccalauréat in mainland France was 79.7%. For the baccalauréat three levels of honours are given:
Honours are crucial for students wishing to enter the classes préparatoires, before going to a grande école. French educators seldom use the entire grading scale. The same applies when marking the baccalauréat. Therefore it is practically impossible to get a perfect score of 20 out of 20. It is also very rare to see scores lower than 3 (which is much less than required for a supplemental examination anyway). In the 2004-2005 school year, according to official statistics, 38.6% of successful examinees were awarded honours. This shows that more than 60% of all passing students finished with a grade between 10 and 12 over 20. Here is a useful formula1 to convert a French grade (x) to an equivalent percentage grade (y): For example, a grade of 13 over 20 is comparable to 82%. Supplemental examinationIf a student averages an 8, he or she is permitted to sit for the épreuve de rattrapage (also called the second groupe), a supplemental oral exam given in two subjects of the student's choice. If the student does well enough in these orals to raise the overall, weighed grade to a 10, then he or she receives his or her baccalauréat. If the student does poorly in the orals and receives below an 8, he or she may choose to repeat the final year of lycée (terminale). (He or she cannot choose to sit for the entire examination once again in September, as the September exams may only be taken by those who have not been able to take the June exams : illness or other serious reasons) This page about baccalaureat includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about baccalaureat News stories about baccalaureat External links for baccalaureat Videos for baccalaureat Wikis about baccalaureat Discussion Groups about baccalaureat Blogs about baccalaureat Images of baccalaureat |
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(He or she cannot choose to sit for the entire examination once again in September, as the September exams may only be taken by those who have not been able to take the June exams : illness or other serious reasons). Many acts have been rumored to be playing at the 2006 festival, however none have been confirmed as of yet. If the student does poorly in the orals and receives below an 8, he or she may choose to repeat the final year of lycée (terminale). A limited number of tickets for the 2006 festival went on sale a week after the 2005 festival on Friday, July 15. If the student does well enough in these orals to raise the overall, weighed grade to a 10, then he or she receives his or her baccalauréat. However, the hot weather on Sunday did result in some severe sun-stroke for some revellers. If a student averages an 8, he or she is permitted to sit for the épreuve de rattrapage (also called the second groupe), a supplemental oral exam given in two subjects of the student's choice. There was no serious trouble with less than 100 arrests for drug offences, generally for possession of cannabis. For example, a grade of 13 over 20 is comparable to 82%. The tickets finally sold out on 3 June, six weeks prior to the event. Here is a useful formula1 to convert a French grade (x) to an equivalent percentage grade (y):. A limited number of tickets went on sale in December 2004 at a discount price and quickly sold out, the main bulk of tickets went on Sale in February, costing €150 for a Weekend with a camping pass, €125 for a weekend without a camping pass and €67 for a day pass for either day. This shows that more than 60% of all passing students finished with a grade between 10 and 12 over 20. Green Day, Foo Fighters, New Order, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Frames The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and Snoop Dog are some of the acts that played on Saturday, July 9 and Sunday, July 10. In the 2004-2005 school year, according to official statistics, 38.6% of successful examinees were awarded honours. The Darkness, The Cure, Orbital, Scissor Sisters, Faithless, Muse and Cartoon are some of the bands that played at the 2004 festival, which sold out a week before the event. It is also very rare to see scores lower than 3 (which is much less than required for a supplemental examination anyway). . Therefore it is practically impossible to get a perfect score of 20 out of 20. TITP has a longer history and a smaller site, meaning that it sells out quicker, and many acts play Oxegen on the day that they're not playing TITP. The same applies when marking the baccalauréat. For the most part, its lineup is identical to that of T in the Park, which runs on the same weekend, but in Scotland. French educators seldom use the entire grading scale. There is also a Funfair featuring A big Wheel and other rides, such as the "Magic Carpet", the Big Drop and the Roller Coaster although at the 2004 festival these cost an extra €5 each. Honours are crucial for students wishing to enter the classes préparatoires, before going to a grande école. Critics often note that these toliet facilites are not nearly adequate to satisfy the large crowds. For the baccalauréat three levels of honours are given:. There are also stalls and Shops all around the enclosed area, and toilet areas. The 2004-2005 success rate for the baccalauréat in mainland France was 79.7%. As well as five stages of music, there are two large areas for camping which are numerically subdivided. The passing mark is 10 out of 20. While Oxegen has not yet reached the iconic status of Glastonbury, it still manages to attract a large number of acts each year. The oral exam covers works studied throughout première. Kildare, Ireland and has an average attendance of around 80,000 a day, with around half of these camping on site for the duration, and the rest travelling to the site each day. It also has an oral examination component, along with the written part. It takes place at the Punchestown Racecourse, Co. Students generally take the French language and literature exam at the end of première, due to the fact that this subject is not taught in terminale (where it is replaced with a philosophy course). It was previously called Witnness, which ran from 2000 and was sponsored by Guinness. This is especially true in subjects such as philosophy and French literature. Oxegen is a yearly music festival, the first of which occurred in 2004, sponsored by Heineken. Since most answers — even for biology questions — are given in essay form, there is considerable room for subjectivity in grading by the examiner. In this fashion, anonymity is respected. The number is written on all exam material and the name is hidden by folding the upper part of the examination sheet(s). Students usually have an identification number and an assigned seat. The procedure is the same for each subject, in each stream. Secrecy surrounding the material is very tight and the envelopes containing the exams are unsealed by a high-ranking school officer (usually a principal or vice-principal) in front of the examinees only a few minutes prior to the start of the examination. When taken in mainland France, the baccalauréat material is the same for all students in a given stream. (except in Math where they occasionaly appear but often require justification). Although multiple-choice exams (questionnaire à choix multiples) do exist in the French educational system, they do not appear for the baccalauréat. All foreign language exams include a short translation section as well. Math and science exams are problem sets but some science questions also require an essay-type answer. The number of pages filled-out varies from exam to exam but is usually substantial considering all answers have to be written down, explained and justified. The student is given a substantial block of time (depending on the exam, from two to four hours) to complete a multiple-page, well-argued paper. Most examinations are given in essay-form. This is a very stressful period for students and preparation starts early in the school year, sometimes even a few years beforehand. For lycée students, this is the end of the last year, terminale. The majority of the baccalauréat examination takes place in a week in June. This bias is inherent to the French educational system but is more and more contested, especially by teachers from the other two general streams of study. A majority of French students choose to take the bac S as it is said to open more doors, for a greater range of post-graduation opportunities. The baccalauréat permits students to choose to sit for exams in over forty world languages or French minority languages (such as Basque, Breton, Corsican, and Occitan). Students who sit for the baccalauréat général choose one of three streams in the penultimate lycée year (première):. The exam is no different than the one administered to secondary-school students. Students who did not take the bac upon completion of secondary school and would like to attend university, or feel that the bac would help them accomplish professional aspirations may exercise this option. Though most students take the bac at the end of secondary school, it is also possible to enter as a candidat libre (literally, "free candidate") without affiliation to a school. Furthermore, it is also possible to enter a university without the bac by taking a special exam, the diploma for entrance to higher education. For entrance to regular universities, however, there are no real restrictions as to the type of baccalauréat that was achieved (with a few exceptions of course). Each of these categories encompasses several somewhat specialized curricula. There are three main types of baccalauréat degrees:. The word bac is also used to refer to one of the end-of-year exams that students must pass in order to get their baccalauréat diploma: le bac de philo, for example, is the philosophy exam (which all students must take, regardless of their field of study). The students in lycée could choose not to sit for the baccalauréat at the end of the lycée, as it is in law more an exam for entrance into university than a lycée completion exam. Howewer, it's legally an academic degree, wich means the examination must be headed by a university professor. Much like British A-Levels or American high school diplomas, the baccalauréat allows French students to go on to tertiary education or to obtain a professional qualification that will enable them to get a job in a particular field upon completion of high school. . The baccalauréat (IPA: /bækælore'ɑ/), often known in France familiarly as the bac, is a academic degree which French students sit for at the end of the lycée (secondary school). A mark of 16 will earn a mention of très bien (highest honours). A mark of 14 will earn a mention bien (high honours);. A mark of 12 will earn a student a mention assez bien (honours);. the baccalauréat technologique (technological baccalaureate). the baccalauréat professionnel (professional baccalaureate);. the baccalauréat général (general baccalaureate);. |