Baccalauréat

The baccalauréat (French pronunciation: [bakaloʁeˈa]), often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée (secondary education). It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies. There is also the European Baccalaureate which students take at the end of the European School education. It confirms a rounded secondary education, gives access to a wide range of university education and cannot be compared with British Commonwealth A-levels as it cannot, like A-levels, be obtained in single subjects.
Much like British A-levels or European Matura, the baccalauréat allows French and international students to obtain a standardized qualification, typically at the age of 18. This then qualifies holders to work in certain areas, or go on to tertiary education or acquire some other professional qualification or training.

Just about all students in their final year of secondary school take the exam. However the French baccalauréat is legally an academic qualifying degree. In theory, the students in lycée could choose not to sit for the baccalauréat at the end of the lycée, as it is by law an exam to qualify students for entrance into university. Unlike some U.S. high school diplomas, it is not 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).

Within France, there are three main types of baccalauréat degrees:

the baccalauréat général (general baccalaureate);
the baccalauréat professionnel (professional baccalaureate);
the baccalauréat technologique (technological baccalaureate).
Each of these categories encompasses several somewhat specialized curricula.

For entrance to regular universities within France, however, there are some restrictions as to the type of baccalauréat that can be presented. In some cases, it may be possible to enter a French 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 (or did not manage to pass it) 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 from the one administered to secondary-school students, except that free candidates are tested in Physical Education, whereas students' Physical Education grade is calculated based on evaluation throughout the year