You plan to go on a school year abroad in France but are wondering if you will earn grades and credits at the end of your exchange? We share with you our experience of the French grading system and how exchange students have been able to earn credits form their high school exchange in France.
Will I be graded like a local student during my exchange program in France ?
As an exchange student in France, you may not be graded during the first weeks and months of your school year in France. French teachers first assess if you have enough French knowledge to be fairly assessed because the French curriculum is determined by the Ministry of Education in France which is different.
Some wordy subjects, like French Literature or Philosophy, require you to write essays in Academic French, which follows a specific methodology and these require a large vocabulary. It may be challenging for you to adapt to these exams at the beginning of your High School Study Abroad in France.
Science subjects may be easier to adapt to but still require you to understand specific technical vocabulary. The content of the subject may be different from what you are used to at home and the way in which science teachers assess students may be less familiar.
While Math is a universal language there may be differences in how they are taught in different school systems. You may need some time to adapt to how math is taught and tested in France.
After some weeks or months, you will feel more comfortable with the:
- Content of the subject
- Teacher expectations
- Methodology
Could I receive GPA and credits while being an exchange student in France?
While not guaranteed, this depends on how well you do in class. Most students who complete at least one semester will be graded in all subjects. Some exchange students who only come for one term, may not now have enough time to adapt sufficiently and perform well in exams, so teachers may not formally grade them.
If you receive a French grade report at the end of your exchange program, or even several grade reports, you will need to submit them to your Academic Counselor at your home school. The Counselor can then decide how many credits you should earn from your studies in France, and to which subjects.
Note, your Counselor may ask you to provide more information about the subjects attended, like their curriculum. It is usually challenging to compare the French curriculum with the foreign curriculum, as the content is different. Nacel Advisors can help you with this process.
Your Counselor may decide to count your French grades for your credits, with a passing grade, but not use it to calculate your GPA if it is not favorable. It is really up to your home school which is why it's very important to discuss this matter with your school before you leave. Some French subjects may also be added as Electives.
How does a French grade report look like?
Have a look at this example of grade report. It was earned by an exchange student at the end of a fall term.
For each line corresponding to one subject, you will see your "moyenne", which is the calculation of your average grade during the period assessed. This average grade is calculated based on the various grades you received during that time. Have a look at our article called "xxxx" to learn more about the different types of exams in French high schools.
Then you will see the so-called "moyenne de classe", which is the average grade of your class, or the group of students who attend the same courses. If you are close to or above that average grade you are doing rather well!
Then you see "Min", which corresponds to the lowest "average" grade in your class, then one student in the class has that average. The same applies to "Max" which is the highest average grade. This gives you information about how well you have done compared to your classmates.
At the bottom of the grade report, you will see the "moyenne", which is like a GPA with some grades weighted using coefficients. These "coefficients" are used to weigh the importance of individual subjects in your study program. For example, the so-called "spécialités" subjects that you focus on in Grades 11 and 12 may have a higher "coéfficient" than physical education. We will talk more about this in another article, so stay tuned. :-)
A French grade report is provided with the teacher’s comments. You will see that French teachers may be slightly more rude than what you are used to.:-) Some comments can be pretty direct and negative. In France, this is quite usual, and while it can be surprising for an exchange student, French students are pretty used to it! :-)
What should I do to receive a good French grade report?
Our advice for your success as a high school exchange student in France and to earn a good grade report is to always:
- do your very best,
- show motivation to learn French,
- convey appreciation to be welcomed as an exchange student,
- actively participate in class when you can or when invited,
- do homework to the best of your ability and on time,
- ask to participate in exams even if you may struggle, and
- show a smile!
Your teachers will know you have chosen an exchange program to learn French as much as possible while also discovering the French school system. They also know your academic grade reports are really important to exchange students who must return to their home schools with helpful reports.
Have a look at our High School Study Abroad programs in France!
