Education: The MR raises the pass thresholds for external certifying exams to 60%

• The figures show a significant gap between a high pass rate for the primary school certificate (CEB) and high repeat rates from the start of secondary school.
• Passing the CEB does not always guarantee a sufficient grasp of basic learning to confidently start secondary school.
• Raising the thresholds is specifically aimed at reducing this gap by consolidating the basics before entering secondary school, including personalised support in case of difficulties.
• This measure is not isolated. It is part of a comprehensive vision to strengthen basic learning.
• Higher standards go hand in hand with additional resources for support and help to succeed.
• This measure is part of the commitments of the Community Policy Declaration.

1. The rise in pass thresholds in brief

From the 2026-2027 school year (first applied in June 2027):

CEB (in the 6th year of primary school)

• Minimum 50% in each assessed subject (French, mathematics, science, history and geography);
• 60% overall average for all exams combined.

CE1D (in the 2nd year of secondary school)

• 60% in each exam (French, mathematics, science, modern languages).

CESS (in the 6th year of secondary school)

• 60% in each exam (French and history).

For the CE1D and CESS, obtaining the diploma will still be based on an overall assessment combining success in the external exams with work throughout the year. The autonomy of class councils and school examination boards is fully preserved.

2. The political and educational meaning of the reform

A deliberate demand

The measure is part of the commitments in the Community Policy Declaration: “strengthen the quality of learning and raise the pass threshold for certifying exams to 60%, without prejudice to the autonomy of teaching teams.”

Raising the thresholds is neither about exclusion nor punishment. It means:

• Setting clear expectations;
• Recognising pupils' capacity to progress;
• Restoring the value of effort;
• Ensuring diplomas certify genuinely mastered skills. A diploma is only valuable if it reflects a real level of mastery.

3. A worrying gap between primary and secondary school

The figures show a significant gap between a high CEB pass rate (86 to 93% depending on the year; 86.90% in 2025) and high repeat rates from the start of secondary school:

Repeat rate in secondary school (2022-2023):

• 13.8% in the 2nd year of secondary school
• 16.6% in the 3rd year of secondary school
• 15% in the 4th year of secondary school
• 16.4% in the 5th year of secondary school

This contrast shows that passing the CEB does not always guarantee a sufficient grasp of basic learning to confidently start secondary school.

Raising the thresholds is specifically aimed at reducing this gap by consolidating the basics before entering secondary school, including personalised support in case of difficulties.

4. A reform that is part of a coherent whole

This measure is not isolated. It is part of a comprehensive vision to strengthen basic learning.

CLE test from 2026-2027

• Held at the start of the 4th year of primary school
• Non-certifying
• Provides a snapshot of skills in arithmetic, reading and writing
• Enables personalised support based on the pupil's needs and any identified difficulties

Strengthening personalised support

• 320 FTEs (€17.6 million) in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th years of primary school
• 140 additional FTEs (€7.4 million) in the 1st year of secondary school
• Maintaining resources for the differentiated stream (10,000 teaching periods, or €24.5 million) to support pupils who partially or fully failed the CEB but whom the school examination board decided to allow into the 1st year of secondary school based on their support file, subject to enhanced support
• Exceptional retention in the 6th year of primary school if the pupil is still not ready for secondary school

Higher standards therefore go hand in hand with additional resources for support and help to succeed.

5. Scientific foundations

The rise in thresholds is based on a body of national and international scientific research on school success and the effectiveness of education systems.

This research shows that:

• Clear expectations foster motivation and perseverance;
• Valuing effort and having clear pass criteria strengthen engagement;
• High-performing systems combine high standards with differentiated support (personalised assistance).

Docimology (the science of assessment, which systematically studies exams and grading systems) confirms that a clear threshold strengthens the consistency of assessment practices and improves understanding of pass criteria.

Note that the current threshold (50%) was never based on a specific scientific study. Setting a threshold at 60% is therefore not a break from a prior scientific basis, but a deliberate political choice, informed by several works in educational science.

6. Responses to criticism

“The CEB is already too easy”

The way exams are set will remain in line with the current level of difficulty. This is not about lowering the difficulty to offset the higher threshold.

“Many pupils already score above 60%, why change?”

This is not about the overall average, but about the message sent: a pupil who passes with 51% does not necessarily have the solid foundation needed to succeed in secondary school. The aim is to send a clear signal to pupils and teaching teams, to encourage a change of strategy, and to avoid heavier, accumulating difficulties later on.

“This will increase failure rates”

It would be scientifically risky to extrapolate future performance from past results. Docimology shows that pupils, like teachers, adapt to stated expectations when a threshold is clearly set, known in advance and integrated into teaching practice. This threshold has a mobilising effect and changes learning behaviour.

Of course, specific support is planned for more vulnerable pupils. The final decision also remains an educational one: the autonomy of class councils and school examination boards is preserved.

7. Conclusion

Raising the pass thresholds means:

• Guaranteeing the value of diplomas;
• Consolidating basic learning;
• Reducing failure and drop-out in secondary school;
• Reaffirming the value of effort;
• Guiding every pupil towards genuine and lasting success.

It is a coherent choice in the service of quality education that gives pupils every chance to continue their studies with confidence.