French Baccalaureat

The French Baccalauréate

The Baccalaureate ("Bac") is the French national secondary school diploma. It validates the completion of high school and serves as the standard gateway to university and higher education. The qualification is prepared over the final two years of secondary education: Première (Year 11) and Terminale (Year 12). It is based on:

• a common core curriculum followed by all students;
• specialist subjects chosen by students (In Year 11, students choose three specialist subjects, and in Year 12, students drop one of the three. Specialist subjects offered at Narrabundah College are the following: Mathematics / Physics and Chemistry / Life and Earth Sciences (Biology/Geology) / Economic and Social Sciences / History, Geography, Geopolitics and Political Science

Assessment and Final Grade Breakdown

Assessment is done through a combination of continuous assessment and final national examinations. The final score is out of 20 points. It is calculated using two main pillars: 60% Final Examinations and 40% Continuous Assessment. The total weight equals 100 coefficients. Each point directly corresponds to 1% of your final grade (e.g., a coefficient of 16 represents 16% of the diploma).

1. Final Examinations (60% of the Final Grade)

   Period	Examination / Subject	Assessment Type	Coefficient
   End of Year 11	French	Written (5) + Oral (5)	10
   End of Year 12	Specialty Subject 1	Written or Practical	16
   End of Year 12	Specialty Subject 2	Written or Practical	16
   End of Year 12	Philosophy	Written	8
   End of Year 12	Grand Oral (Final Oral)	Oral Presentation	10

2. Continuous Assessment / School Records (40% of the Final Grade): These subjects are graded solely through the average grades on student’s report cards across Year 12 and Year 13.

Passing Thresholds & Honors (Mentions)

• Fail: Score < 8.00 / 20
• Retakes: Score ≥ 8/20 and < 9.99/20 (Eligible for oral makeup exams).
• Pass (Admis): Score ≥ 10/20 and < 12/20
• Honors (Assez Bien): Score ≥ 12/20 and < 14/20
• High Honors (Bien): Score ≥ 14/20 and < 16/20
• Highest Honors (Très Bien): Score ≥ 16/20

French International Baccalaureate (BFI)

The BFI is the international and enhanced version of the French general baccalaureate. It is designed for students with a high level of English proficiency (target level C1/C2 CEFR) and is taken during the final two years of secondary education (Year 11 and Year 12). It combines the French national curriculum with additional academic courses taught in English and a strong intercultural dimension.

Key Features

In addition to the standard French general curriculum and specialist subjects, students follow the following BFI-specific courses:

BFI Assessment

Students sit all standard French baccalaureate examinations (French, Philosophy, Specialist Subjects, Grand Oral, Continuous Assessment) plus three specific BFI assessments.

Overall Examination Structure

Why Choose the BFI?

• Ability to study non-language subjects in English;
• Strong bicultural and intercultural education;
• Excellent preparation for higher education in France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and other international universities;
• An official French national diploma with significant international recognition and strong value for competitive university applications.