Taking the french bac as an independent student?

Question

I am a recently graduated U.S high school student considering studying in France. Many resources have told me that a foreign equivalent would be acceptable for admission. Regardless of whether or not this is true, I would like to take the French Bac before I consider applying. I understand that the exam can be taken an independent candidate. where could I take courses to prepare me for this? Is the test for independent students different or is it a choice of the S, ES or L series? all information on the subject is appreciated.

Answer 1

You may prepare for the Bac with the assistance of the Centre national d'enseignement à distance (http://www.cned.fr/institution/english/)

The Bac administered to a candidat libre is no different than that offered to the usual student except that free candidates are tested in Physical Education.

Answer 2

As mentioned before, you should take the CNED courses. I lived most of my life outside France, going in many french schools in different countries.

There were always a few students that prefered to study at home, with the CNED, rather than going to school.

They always get very good results at the french baccalaureate, the courses a very well prepared and complete, but you have to work seriously, it's easy to get distracted at home.

But it's a LONG program, it's like if you do a whole year in highschool! I mean, don't expect to prepare the french baccalaureate in one summer or something. It's far from being enough.

The french baccalaureat is divided in two parts, we do the first one when we are in "première" (=11th grade) and the rest during our final year, in "terminale" (=12th grade).

In première, we just have a french test (oral and written), and the students in the ES section also have their biology test (they won't have to do it in terminale).

All the remaining tests are done at the end of terminale. Then, the results are put together.

But I don't know how it works for you, maybe you don't have to do the first part of the bac, or maybe you'll have to do it with all the rest, at the same time. I really don't know.

Also, as said before, the test is difficult (actually, it isn't that hard to succeed it, but it's hard to get a good grade, most students get a grade between 10 and 12 over 20).

In France, we write more than in the American system. The history, geography, french, philosophy, biology test are like big essays. Also, if you choose the L section, you'll have a test in Literature, which is an essay too. If you pick the ES bac, you'll have the SES (social & economical sciences) test... a big essay again. There are almost no "pick the right answer" question.

If you need help to understand the main differences between the S, ES and L series, or if you want to know what you can do with them once you've passed them (for exemple, to study medicine in college, you have to do a S bac), don't hesitate to contact me ;)

Hope it helped!

Good luck!

Answer 3

In France, for the expats or the foreigners, there is the CNED (centre national d'études à distance) wich can prepare you for any french exams (including BAC). You can learn all the "terminale" programm with the standard courses, or take personnal courses. There are 3,000 people who do that in the US.

Here is the website (lycée section): http://lycee.cned.fr/index.asp?PAGE=cont...

You have to choose "terminale" then you chose S, ES, or L because the test isn't different for the independents.

I advise you to go a French school in your state for information.

Be careful, the exam is quite difficult and of course you have to speak french perfectly (or almost) for the French exam, the SVT (biology), philosophy and history and geography.

Ask me if you want some info and sorry for my poor english.