Overview

• The 2025 professional baccalaureate written exams started on Monday, May 12, with French and history-geography, marking the full implementation of Macron's 2023 vocational reform.
• This year's reform mandates a six-week pathway beginning mid-May, requiring students to choose between a professional internship or academic preparation for further studies.
• A record 188,741 candidates, including 25,656 apprentices, are participating, with 56.9% in tertiary fields and 43.1% in industrial sectors.
• The French exam focuses on the theme of accelerating modern life rhythms and personal time, featuring texts by Carl Honoré and Philippe Delerm alongside a visual piece.
• The SNALC teachers' union continues to criticize the calendar shift, citing increased absenteeism and unclear options for post-exam pathways.