Pupils/Students assessment
Formative assessment : see Assessment in Lower Secondary Education
Each year, the French Community organises external evaluations (designed and managed by people outside the school's educational team) that are non-certificative for all students in 3rd, 4th or 5th secondary education. Each time they focus on a particular discipline. The results obtained by the students do not affect their school pathway : they are not taken into account either in the report or in their file. These assessments are diagnostic and aim to inform the educational teams of the level achieved by the students and to adjust their teaching accordingly. In order to support the adaptation of their pedagogical and organisational strategies, the unit in charge of these evaluations analyses the results and develops teaching methods.
Summative assessment : see Assessment in Lower Secondary Education
The French Community also organises external summative and Certificatives evaluations which question students on the basis of a test with the same instructions, questions and marking criteria for all. They are linked to the awarding of a Certificate :
- the Certificate of primary education (CEB : Certificat d’Etudes de Base) ;
- the Certificate of first stage of secondary education (CE1D : Certificat d’Etudes du premier degré de l’enseignement secondaire) ;
- the Certificate of Upper Secondary Education (CESS : Certificat d’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur) : The test evaluates the mastery of part of the terminal skills in two disciplines: French and History.
In French, participation in the common external test for the delivery of the Certificate of Higher Secondary Education is compulsory for :
- pupils enrolled in the 6th year of technical or artistic qualification education and pupils enrolled in the 7th year of vocational education in ordinary education or in form 4 of specialised education ;
- pupils enrolled in the 6th year of general education or in the 6th year of technical or artistic transition education in ordinary education or in Form 4 of specialised education.
In history, participation in the common external examination for the Certificate of Upper Secondary Education is compulsory for pupils enrolled in the 6th year of general education or in the 6th year of technical or artistic transition education in ordinary education or in Form 4 of specialised education.
Progression of pupils/students
see Assessment in General Lower Secondary Education
Progression within the second and third stages
May be admitted to the 3rd general, technical or artistic form of the transition-stream education :
- pupils who have obtained the CE1D ;
- pupils who have successfully completed a 3rd year of vocational education in full time education or in dual vocational education ;
- pupils who are directed by the Class Council towards a 3rd year of secondary education in the forms and sections defined by the Class Council.
Pupils who have successfully completed the 3rd year of the general, technical or artistic form of the transition-stream can go on to the 4th year of the same form or the 4th qualification-stream year of technical or artistic education.
Pupils who have completed the 4th year of general, technical or artistic form of the transition-stream education and wish to change orientation may take a 4th reorientation year. It should be noted that this possibility concerns very few students.
The 5th year of general, technical or artistic form of the transition-stream education may be entered by pupils who have successfully completed either the 4th year of these programmes or the 4th orientation year or the 6th year of full time or part-time vocational education.
Pupils who have successfully completed the 5th year go on to the 6th year in the same stream and the same study orientation.
In specialized education
The pupil evolves according to his learning rhythm and his potential in the different degrees of maturity on the advice of the Class Council.
Certification
Certification is undertaken by the class council at the end of every school year.
In the second stage
Pupils who have successfully completed the fourth year of secondary education receive the certificate of the second stage of secondary education (CES2D).
The CES2D or CESDD (certificate of the second stage of secondary education) is recognized by the French Community.
In the third stage
An upper secondary education certificate (CESS) is awarded to regular pupils who have successfully completed the last two years of study in general, technical, or artistic full-time secondary education in the same form, stream and orientation of studies.
The decision to award the certificate of upper secondary education to a pupil is based on the results obtained in the external examination with respect to the skill which has been considered in the evaluated discipline, and the results of internal assessments with regard to the other skills in that discipline. The weighting of the examination with respect to the other skills is left to the appraisal of the class council. If the pupil passes the external exam, the class council takes the view that the pupil has achieved the level of mastery of the skill that is expected in the assessed discipline.
The CESS (upper secondary education certificate) is recognized by the French Community.