General Education (French/English, Mathematics, Science, Civics)
General Education (French/English, Mathematics, Science, Civics)
The general-education paper is where candidates lose easy marks. It does not test abstract scholarship; it tests usable literacy and numeracy applied to working and civic life - reading a notice, writing a proper letter, computing a percentage correctly, understanding a simple scientific fact and knowing how the country is governed.
What each part requires
- French / English: comprehension answered in complete sentences and your own words; spelling and accents (é, è, ê); agreement of the past participle with avoir and être; functional writing - CV, lettre de motivation, demande de congé, short report - with place, date, object, body, polite formula and signature.
- Mathematics: order of operations, fractions, percentages, proportion and the rule of three, averages, areas and volumes, Pythagoras, unit conversion (1 m³ = 1 000 L, 1 h = 60 min, 1 kWh).
- Science: simple electric circuits (U = R × I), heat transfer, states of matter, hygiene and micro-organisms, nutrition - each linked to your trade.
- Civics: national institutions (President, National Assembly, Senate, Constitutional Council), regions, divisions, sub-divisions and councils; rights and duties, secularism, official bilingualism, national symbols and motto Paix – Travail – Patrie; road safety, environment and the fight against corruption.
Worked example
An article is marked 45 000 FCFA and a 15 % discount applies; VAT of 19.25 % is then charged on the discounted price. What does the customer pay?
Discount = 45 000 × 0.15 = 6 750, so net price HT = 38 250 FCFA. VAT = 38 250 × 0.1925 = 7 363.13. Total TTC = 38 250 + 7 363.13 = 45 613.13, rounded to 45 613 FCFA. The reasoning: the discount is computed on the original price, but the tax must be computed on the discounted price, and the final answer is rounded to the nearest franc.
Traps that cost marks
- Charging the percentage on the wrong base - before instead of after the discount, or the reverse.
- Rounding 19.25 % to 20 % when the paper gives the exact rate.
- Giving a one-word answer where the mark scheme awards points for steps.
- Writing a formal letter in casual style, without date, object or signature.
- Confusing a region with a division, or the roles of the council and the State.