Students’ assessment

Single school record

When pupils first enrol in elementary education, a ‘single’ digital school record book is created to track their knowledge and skills in relation to the objectives of the programmes and the common foundation of knowledge, skills and culture. The single school record book was introduced by decree no. 2015-1929 of 31 December 2015 for the start of the 2016 school year. This booklet will be used throughout the pupil's schooling from elementary education to the end of the first cycle of secondary education, and therefore covers cycles 2, 3 and 4 in a coherent manner.

There are two main assessments in the livret scolaire unique. The first is the periodic assessments, for which the methods of evaluating pupils' learning in relation to the objectives of the programmes are defined by the teaching team. In elementary education, the school record lists the pupil's position in relation to the learning objectives according to a scale defined as follows:

• “not achieved”;

• “partially achieved”; 

• “achieved”;

• “exceeded”.

The second assessment presented in the booklet concerns end-of-cycle assessments (in primary education, these apply only to grade 3). This assessment is not the result of a specific evaluation, but it is obtained from regular monitoring of learning. They give an account of pupils' achievements in terms of their level of mastery of the eight components of the Common Base, by means of a literal assessment:

• “insufficient knowledge”;

• “fragile knowledge”;

• “satisfactory knowledge”;

• “very good knowledge”.

The school record book is used to report to parents on the progress of pupils' learning and also serves as a liaison tool between teachers and parents. . 

Extending assessments to all grades of primary school

In 2025, assessments in French and mathematics will be extended to all levels of primary school for the first time. Since the end of 2024, teachers have had access not only to their pupils' results in the national assessments, but also to the results at school and academy level, to enable them to situate their pupils.

In grade 1 (CP):

The assessment at the start of grade 1 and the progress review are compulsory for all pupils entering and remaining in CP in all schools in France, both public and government dependant private schools. They take place at the beginning of the school year, in September, and again at the end of January. Teachers enter the pupils' answers on a digital portal. The assessment takes the form of a single exercise booklet per level - in French and mathematics - to be completed by the pupil. Adaptations are proposed for pupils with disabilities. 

Assessment at the beginning of CP

In French: Pupils take three 8- to 12-minute sessions in French. The exercises specifically target skills that are crucial for learning to read:

• knowledge of letters;

• rich vocabulary;

• phonological and phonemic awareness;

• oral comprehension.

In mathematics: Pupils take part in two 10- to 12-minute mathematics sessions. The exercises enable pupils to be assessed on their first skills relating to the construction of numbers and their first calculation skills, focusing in particular on counting, decomposing a number and knowledge of the graduated line.

Progress report from the end of January

In French: Pupils take two sequences of 8 and 10 minutes and two individual tests of one minute each in French. The exercises specifically target skills that are crucial for learning to read:

• transition from spoken to written French;

• phonological and phonemic awareness;

• listening comprehension;

• reading and reading comprehension.

In mathematics: Pupils complete two mathematics sequences lasting 8 and 13 minutes. The exercises enable pupils to be assessed on skills relating to the construction of numbers and numeracy, with a particular focus on problem solving and knowledge of the graded line..

From grade 2 onwards, the assessments are carried out in the same way, but only once a year, in September.

In grade 2 (CE1) :

In French: The assessment takes place in two group sessions of 12 and 13 minutes each and two one-minute individual tests. The exercises specifically target skills that are important for student success:

• reading aloud;

• reading comprehension;

• listening comprehension;

• rich vocabulary;

• spelling.

In mathematics: The assessment takes place in two sequences lasting 13 and 15 minutes. The exercises enable pupils to be assessed on:

• understanding and use of numbers;

• mental arithmetic;

• online calculation;

• problem solving;

• geometry.

In grade 3 (CE2):

In French: The assessment takes place in three group sessions of 18, 13 and 14 minutes each and a one-minute individual test. The exercises specifically target skills that are important for student success:

• reading aloud;

• reading comprehension;

• listening comprehension;

• rich vocabulary;

• spelling;

• grammar.

In mathematics: The assessment takes place in two sequences lasting 17 and 19 minutes. The exercises enable pupils to be assessed on:

• understanding and using numbers;

• mental arithmetic;

• numeracy;

• problem solving.

In grade 4 (CM1):

In French: The assessment takes the form of three group sessions of 28 to 30 minutes each and a one-minute individual test. The exercises specifically target skills that are important for student success:

• reading aloud;

• reading comprehension;

• listening comprehension;

• rich vocabulary;

• spelling;

• grammar.

In mathematics: The assessment takes place in two sequences lasting 29 minutes each. The exercises enable students to be assessed on:

• understanding and using numbers;

• mental arithmetic;

• set calculation;

• problem solving.

In grade 5 (CM2):

In French: The assessment takes place in three group sessions of 28, 33 and 39 minutes each, plus a one-minute individual test. The exercises specifically target skills that are important for student success:

• reading aloud;

• reading comprehension;

• listening comprehension;

• vocabulary;

• spelling;

• grammar.

Mathematics: The assessment takes place in two sequences, each lasting 38 minutes. The exercises enable students to be assessed on:

• knowledge of numbers;

• mental arithmetic;

• set calculation;

• problem solving.

Cedre assessments

In 2003, the French Ministry of Education introduced standardised national sample-based assessments similar to PISA. The Cycle des Évaluations Disciplinaires Réalisées sur Échantillons (Cedre) measures pupils' skills at the end of primary schools.

Each year, a subject area from the curriculum is assessed as part of a rolling 6-year cycle. In elementary education, the areas assessed are:

• Language skills;

• Modern foreign languages;

• History-geography and civics;

• Experimental sciences;

• Mathematics.

The results are presented in such a way as to situate pupils' performance on competency level scales. These assessments, which are repeated at regular intervals, make it possible to monitor changes in students' levels over time. Assessments are carried out at the end of the school year. In primary education, the target population is grade 5 (CM2) pupils. A stratification is established according to the school's sector (public outside the priority education zone, priority education zone and government dependant private schools). In each school selected, all pupils in grade 5 are assessed (in 2014, the sample consisted of 8,600 pupils from 300 schools).

Access to next grade

A pupil's progression through each cycle is based on a proposal from the teachers' council. After examining each student's situation, the council of cycle masters will give its opinion on whether the student should move up a grade during the school year: a simple move up, a move up a grade or repeating a year may be proposed. The teachers' council can only decide on one repetition or one shortening of a cycle during a pupil's entire primary education. However, in special cases, it may decide to shorten a cycle a second time, on the advice of the national education inspector.

According to Decree no. 2018-119 of 20 February 2018, pupils may only repeat a year in exceptional circumstances and only after an attempt to remedy the situation using a specific educational support system has failed.

The school head forwards the proposals made to the parents. Parents may contest these proposals within 15 days by lodging a reasoned appeal with the Inspector of Education, Director of Departmental Services for National Education, who will give a final decision.

Certification

There is no examination at the end of primary school to determine promotion to the next class or to the lower secondary education. All pupils automatically go on to lower secondary schools (collèges) unless the teacher concerned objects. There is no document certifying completion of primary school.