fra Wikipedia:
The baccalauréat (pronounced[help] [bakalo?e'a]), often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students sit at the end of the lycée (secondary or high school).
Within France, there are three main types of baccalauréat degrees:
* the baccalauréat général (general baccalaureate);
* the baccalauréat professionnel (professional baccalaureate);
* the baccalauréat technologique (technological baccalaureate).
(Det er baccalauréat général du vil få etter 3 år i Frankrike)
The general baccalauréat offers several additional variants. The best known subset is the "option internationale du baccalauréat", the OIB. This is sometimes confusingly translated as the "French international baccalaureat". However it is in no way related to the International Baccalaureate (IB).
The pass mark is 10 out of 20. The 2004-2005 success rate for the baccalauréat in mainland France was 79.7%.
For the baccalauréat four levels of honours are given:
* A mark between 12 and 13,99 will earn a student a mention assez bien (honours);
* A mark between 14 and 15,99 will earn a mention bien (high honours);
* A mark higher than 16 will earn a mention of très bien (highest honours).
* Exceptional marks (usually above 18/20) can be rewarded by the unofficial félicitations du jury (jury's congratulations). There are no fixed criteria for obtaining this accolade; it is rewarded at marking panel's discretion.