Covid: how the 2021 bac exams will be “adjusted”

The health crisis led the National Education to adapt high school exams. According to a letter from the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, addressed to the principals this Thursday evening, the joint assessments of first and final are canceled and replaced by continuous assessment.

“The distribution of the coefficients between continuous assessment and final tests will be preserved: the 40% acquired within the framework of the continuous assessment will be based on the marks made on the quarterly reports”, writes the minister. “It is important to leave as much time as possible for students’ learning and for this to facilitate the exercise of the missions of teachers and management staff”, justifies Jean-Michel Blanquer.

Final year students will not take their PIX certification – which attests to digital skills – this year. It is postponed until later, for those who will do higher education. “These freed up time will allow teachers and management staff to have more time to help and support students”, according to the minister.

Specialty tests

On the other hand, the specialty teaching tests for final year students will be held from March 15 to 17 as planned, but to take into account the health crisis, students will have the choice between two subjects instead of just one, which will be “Developed from the main inputs of the programs”.

“A revision of the calendar of terminal exams, which would postpone the examinations for specialty courses after March, would break the link between the baccalaureate and the Parcoursup procedure, writes Jean-Michel Blanquer. The results of the pupils in these tests could not be taken into account in their access to higher education. “

No full continuous monitoring

“The switch to full continuous assessment, which we had to implement exceptionally last year, would radically change the character of the bac, including the final exams […] are one of the pillars ”, specifies the letter to the principals.

The unions of school leaders had yet demanded their postponement to June. “We should perhaps move Parcoursup, but that’s a struggle with higher education”, confided Thursday morning Philippe Vincent, at the head of the main union of principals, the SNPDEN. “In March, we will be unable to organize bac exams in good conditions”, Sylvie Perron, national secretary of Sgen-CFDT, also indicated, asking for their postponement to June.