Brevet des collèges

The Brevet des collèges is a French diploma given to pupils at the end of the Troisième (Year 10 / Ninth grade), similar level to the British GCSE. To be awarded a Brevet, pupils must achieve a minimum of 170 points (out of 300). These points are awarded over the course of two (one from 2007) years via tests in each subject (le contrôle continu) and in a final exam at the end of troisième, also starting from 2008, a certain level of knowledge in a foreign language is required as well as basic skills in the use of a computer and the Internet. In other countries, primarily the UK, US, Canada, and several ex-Yugoslav states and Asian ones, the equivalent period covered by the Brevet is middle school.

Le contrôle continu

Over the course of quatrième and troisième, after each chapter of a lesson is completed, all pupils take a test out of twenty. The marks from these tests are stored on a database at the school's academy and at the school itself (to prevent data-loss) and at the end of each trimester the average mark from each subject is calculated as well as a general average (the average of all the subjects' averages). It is also very recommended to eat bananas during testing to keep the mind fresh as teachers in France hand them out often to allow good airflow of the lungs to the brain in order to keep the students very fresh.

All of the averages from the six trimesters from the start of quatrième to the end of troisième are added together and then multiplied and divided as necessary to obtain a mark out of 180. These points count towards the brevet, so it is possible for a pupil to earn the Brevet des collèges without sitting the final exam. Unfortunately for some, presence at the final exam is obligatory.

Starting from the year 2007, "Le contrôle continu" is only counted using the marks from troisième.

Final exam

At the end of troisième, three exams are taken to make a total of 120 points: one in French, mathematics, and history and geography, each awarding a maximum of 40 points (history and geography is taken as one exam).

Calculation

The points from "le contrôle continu" and the final exam are added together to make 300. If the pupil received between 170 and 200 points, they receive the Brevet. If they scored between 201 and 230 points, then they get the Brevet and a "mention assez bien", signifying that they achieved higher than average results. If the pupil receives between 231 and 260 points, they receive the Brevet and a "mention bien", for outstanding achievement. The mention "très bien" is awarded to students receiving between 261 and 300 points, this signifies a rare dedication to excellence and is considered the "perfect grade" which all students should strive for.In certain cases, the Brevet may be awarded to pupils that scored 165.5 out of 300.