For the baccalauréat general, the exams are divided up into two groups:

• The first group exams
• The second group exams (or re-sit of oral exams)

First group exams
Comprise exams sat for in advance at the end of Year 11, as well as the exams in Year 12. The exams sat for in advance comprise:

• French written and oral exams for all candidates in the streams ES, L and S;
• TPE (travaux personnels encadrés) exams for all candidates in the streams ES, L and S;
• Science exams for all candidates in the streams L and ES;
• Mathematics and Computer Studies exams for all candidates in the stream L.

The marks allocated to these exams are provisional until the jury has deliberated the following year.

The other exams of the first group which are taken at the end of Year 12 comprise compulsory exams, written, oral and or practical depending on the stream, and optional exams, corresponding to optional subjects (maximum of 2).

At the end of the first group exams,

If the candidate has an average below 8 out of 20, he/she is deferred
If the candidate has an average of 10 or more out of 20, he/she has received their baccalauréat
If the candidate has an average of at least 8 out of 20 but less than 10 out of 20, he/she is allowed to re-sit the oral exams of the second group.

Second group exams (or re-sit of oral exams)
The candidate re-sits two oral exams in two subjects of his/her choice which were written exams in the first group, including French as of 2002. Only the candidate’s best marks from the first or second group are taken into account by the jury. The candidate will receive their baccalauréat if, after re-sitting the oral exams, they receive an average of 10 or more out of 20 in all exams.

Grades
The grades of assez bien (AB), bien (B) and très bien (TB) are only allocated to candidates who have received their baccalauréat during the first group of exams, depending on their overall average. The rule is the following:

• AB grade: overall average more than or equal to 12 but less than 14 out of 20;
• B grade: overall average more than or equal to 14 but less than 16 out of 20;
• TB grade: overall average more than or equal to 16 out of 20.