France launches new mathematics exam for 2026 Baccalauréat

On 12 June 2026 more than 500 000 French first‑year secondary students sat the inaugural mathematics exam of the 2026 Baccalauréat. The two‑hour test, conducted without calculators, combined a multiple‑choice section (6 points) with two to three written exercises (14 points) and offered three separate papers for specialty maths, scientific teaching, or the technological core. The exam counts for the national Parcoursup university‑admission platform with a low coefficient of 2.

The government introduced the test to "revalue" mathematics after a PISA study showed a historic decline in French pupils’ maths performance. Education ministers emphasized that the exam provides a national indicator of maths competence, while some teachers argue it mainly serves the Parcoursup selection process.

While the Ministry of Education deployed electronic‑device detectors to curb rising cheating—including the use of smartphones, smart‑watches and AI‑generated answers—about 80 students in a Basque‑language immersion school in Bayonne wrote their papers in Basque, prompting the minister to reiterate that the language option will only be official from 2028.

The exam period also generated a boost for small businesses near test centres, with vendors reporting strong sales of snacks and drinks to the thousands of candidates awaiting their breaks.