The 'Loi d’Orientation et de Programmation' guarantees that by the end of Year 9 all students will have acquired a common base of competencies and knowledge in the following seven fields: 

• A good command of the French and English languages
• At least one foreign language (the A2 level in the first language must be achieved by the end of Year 9 
• The main concepts of maths and science
• The humanities
• A command of the basic techniques of information technology and communications
• Social and civic understanding
• Independence and resourcefulness.

At the end of junior secondary school, students must sit the national Brevet diploma exam, which includes:

• Continuous assessment throughout Year 9
• French, mathematics and history/geography exams
• An A2 level in English as part of the European reference for foreign languages
• The Internet and Computer Studies Brevet 
• An oral art history exam.