European Baccalaureate is an honoured programme. Students must master a wide variety of subject matter. They also learn at least two different languages. Below you will find a complete explanation of the programme.
The mission of the European Schools is to provide all pupils with multilingual broad education of high quality from early education to secondary school and to equip upper secondary students to adult life and form a basis for further learning.
Students complete the programme over the last two years of their secondary education. During those two years, students complete a thorough curriculum. These students must take at least two language subjects, their primary and one other. Math, science, history, and geography are also part of the curriculum. The final required classes are philosophy, physical education, and ethics. Beyond that, they choose courses to reach the necessary 31-35 class periods.
The programme is both formative and summative. The formative assessment evaluates how a student behaves and their work ethic. Students must pay attention and take part in the class. They must keep up with the work assigned both at school and at home. They must show a positive attitude. Finally, they must show signs of independence and initiative, and more. The summative assessment tests their content knowledge.
Receiving the European Baccalaureate diploma means you have received a quality education.
Since you must work hard to prove both your skills and your knowledge, people consider it an honour.
Examination
At the end of the two years, students take several exams. In total, there are five written exams and three oral exams. Students must be able to speak and write well in at least two languages and test thoroughly for a variety of subjects.
The seven exams will cover all the required content for S7. To pass the exams, students also must recall what they learned in previous school years. The focus will be on S6 and S7, though.
Both the student’s teacher and an external examiner mark the exams. The final mark consists of an average between the two. If the difference between the two scores is too high, they bring in a third party. He/she reviews the corrections and marks of both parties. They then pick a third and final score between the two.
Leaders of the programme design the exams to be both fair and reliable. The Chairman of the European Baccalaureate oversees the exams. The Chairman switches each year to ensure fairness. Each year, he or she must guarantee high level and quality of reviews.
The average overall mark across the schools has risen only very slightly over time, and the average over the last ten years is very close to 76% with a modest increase in the percentage of students obtaining marks of 80%+. It is challenging to score 90% or more. This reflects the demanding nature of the examination process and the fact that students need to perform very well across an extensive range of subjects and be fully bilingual in two languages.
Success
People consider this diploma to be a high honour. Because, as mentioned before, students have to prove knowledge and a good work ethic. The combination makes them excellent candidates for all prospects.
When students complete the European Baccalaureate, they receive their diploma. It can act as an entry qualification for higher education. That is true throughout the EU and in some other countries because students go on to many different top schools.
After university, they enter the workforce. These students become competitive candidates. They have a broad subject and written/oral language knowledge. For these reasons, they can and do enter and find success in a wide range of jobs in STEM, business, humanities, etc.
