The baccalaureate, an important moment of transition in the life of high school students and their parents. In France, this test, which marks the end of high school, still represents the holy grail to access higher education, obtain a diploma and do the job of your dreams. Yes, in theory… but in certain sectors, the bac is only a formality and only the mentions will allow to be accepted in the grandes écoles.

From the Latin ” bacca laurea ”, which means“ laurel wreath ”, this pass for higher studies, obtained at the end of Terminale, refers to the  headgear of the heroes of Antiquity. This diploma was endowed twenty years after its creation under Napoleon with a “mention” which completes this examination.

The different mentions

Applicants whose average score is equal to or greater than 10/20 get the bac.

Those who have obtained an average mark below 8/20 are adjourned. Those who have obtained an average of at least 8/20 take the remedial oral examination.

• La mention good enough is awarded for an average score of at least 12/20 and less than 14/20;
• La mention well is awarded for an average score of at least 14/20 and less than 16/20;
• La onóracha is awarded for an average score of at least 16/20.

The optional baccalaureate options allow you to earn additional points and thus increase the chances of obtaining a mention.

If the bac is obtained by catching up, the high school student will not be able to claim a mention.

Less complicated than the gladiatorial fights of the time, the school guidance system nonetheless has a large arena, made up of winners who perfectly master the rules.

The baccalaureate, considered 60 years ago as a high diploma, has gradually become more democratic to end up becoming a simple level in favor of the “mention” which, for its part, has gained weight.

Probable consequence of the taking into account of the marks of the continuous control to replace the tests canceled due to Covid-19, the number of TB mentions jumped by around 50% in 2020. The girls continue to drop out much more easily the mention that boys.

When is the endorsement really necessary?

General sectors

Of course for university courses which resist the selection of files, but which pay the price by offering courses to more than 200 students, the mention is not useful. Only the diligent work of the student and his results will allow him to continue on the path. In these sectors, it is therefore the spirit of competition and the social environment that will play a role. A student funded by his family will of course have more time to study than one who works every weekend and on vacation. This is the case for universities of medicine or law which welcome many students in the first years. The second year being accessible to the best.

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The analyzes of researchers in Educational Sciences confirm that since the mid-1990s, under the effect of the economic crisis and successive reforms, vocational training courses such as IUTs, BTSs have increased their selectivity, welcoming audiences from more in addition selected academically and socially. No need to present your file if no mention appears and it is better to check with the school beforehand to know the level of selection. The mention can indeed allow a bonus or a “right of access” without going through the box selection of files.

Large schools

Engineering, veterinary and political science schools are no exception and they are the first to use the mentions as a method of selecting applicants, adding oral interviews as a bonus.

It is therefore no longer enough to have the bac, you have to write French well, know how to express yourself orally and have a mention, to be sure of being able to continue your studies.

What about professional bins?

The baccalaureate pro courses also play with the mentions. More and more students wish to continue with a BTS and it is thanks to their mention that they will be able to claim to integrate the courses. In medico-social, a mention in the bac pro Support and Care to the Person can allow to obtain a place at the IFAS, Institute of Training of Caregivers.

For several years, the sociologist Baptiste Coulmont has been determining which first names predestined the most (or the least) to obtain the famous “very good” mention. The results of the 2020 bac allowed him to publish a first analysis. This shows above all the social inequalities still having a terrible impact on studies. Some Grandes Ecoles, such as Sciences Po, have decided to fight against this by offering a partnership in high schools called “in priority areas or sensitive areas” in order to allow young people who would never have had this chance, to integrate you into schools. But there too, on condition of obtaining the famous mention.