The French educational system is well known because of
the famous baccalauréat (also called "bac").
This diagram sums-up the main ways to French diplomas:
Age
22-23
Ingé.
Ecole d'ingénieur
DESS
21-22
Maîtrise
20-21
Licence
19-20
Maths Spé.
DEUG
DUT
BTS
18-19
Maths Sup.
DEUG
DUT
BTS
Terminale Pro BAC pro
17-18
Terminale (T) BAC
Première Pro.
16-17
Première (1ère)
CAP
BEP
15-16
Seconde (2nde)
CAP
BEP
14-15
Troisième (3e) Brevet des collèges
13-14
Quatrième (4e)
12-13
Cinquième (5e)
11-12
Sixième (6e)
10-11
Cours Moyen 2 (CM2)
9-10
Cours Moyen 1 (CM1)
8-9
Cours Elémentaire 2 (CE2)
7-8
Cours Elémentaire 1 (CE1)
6-7
Cours Préparatoire (CP)
5-6
Grande Section de maternelle
4-5
Moyenne Section de maternelle
3-4
Petite Section de maternelle
2-3
Each color used in the above diagram represents
the place where courses are given:
École d'ingénieur
Institut Universitaire de Technologie (I.U.T.)
Université
Lycée professionnel
Lycée
Collège
École primaire
École maternelle
All this could be confusing for you but here are
further explanations:
Children can go to school when aged 2
French start reading, writing and counting at 6 in the CP class
At the end of the Seconde class, you choose the BAC you want to pass:
Science (BAC S)
Arts (BAC L)
Economy (BAC ES)
Tertiary (BAC STT).
For example, if you choose S, you follow a 1ère S and a Terminale S.
You can't have access to universities or Engineering schools without a BAC. You have to repeat a year (=reboubler) until you get your Baccalauréat.
Maths Sup and Maths Spé are also called Classes préparatoires. They give no diploma but students are prepared for competitive examinations (=les coucours) in order to access Les Grandes Ecoles or some Engineering schools.
