Probatoire de l'Enseignement Secondaire Général exam-day guide
Probatoire de l'Enseignement Secondaire Général · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Convocation or exam registration slip
Bring the convocation document you received at registration (or the receipt/attestation issued by your school or the exam centre). If you never received one or are unsure what document is accepted, confirm with the provider (your school administration or the regional exam office) before the exam day rather than assuming.
National identity card or valid photo ID
Bring an official photo identity document (carte nationale d'identité, passport, or the ID accepted in your jurisdiction). The exact list of accepted documents and whether a school ID card is sufficient varies by centre; confirm with the provider. Keep it in a plastic sleeve so it stays dry and readable.
Several blue or black ballpoint pens plus spares
Bring at least three working pens of the same ink colour, tested beforehand. Some subjects require a specific ink colour for the final copy; if you are unsure which colour is required for a given paper, confirm with the provider or your subject teacher. Avoid gel pens that smudge on thin exam paper.
Pencils, sharpener, and eraser
Useful for diagrams, tables, and rough work. Check whether rough work must be crossed out or whether it is collected; if the rule is unclear, confirm with the provider. Bring a small sharpener rather than a knife.
Ruler, set square, protractor, and compass
Required for mathematics and any subject with geometric construction. Verify that your compass works and that the pencil lead fits. Do not rely on borrowing from neighbours, since communication during the exam may be restricted.
Non-programmable calculator (only where permitted)
Calculator rules differ by subject and by series. Bring a simple non-programmable calculator only if your subject regulations allow it, and be ready to hand it in if invigilators refuse it. Confirm the exact policy with the provider; do not assume a graphing calculator is accepted.
Wristwatch (non-connected)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock, and phones are usually forbidden at the desk. A simple analogue or digital watch without smart features helps you pace yourself. If you are unsure whether watches are allowed in your centre, confirm with the provider.
Water bottle and a light snack
Bring water in a transparent bottle and a small snack for between papers. Rules on what may be kept on the desk during the test vary; keep items in your bag unless the invigilator allows otherwise, and confirm any restrictions with the provider.
Know your centre location and travel plan
Confirm the exact address of your exam centre, the room or hall assigned to you, and the reporting time. Do a practice trip if possible. Arrival and lateness rules are set by the exam authority; if you are unsure how late entry is handled, confirm with the provider in advance.
Dress appropriately and plan for waiting
Wear comfortable clothing suited to the season and to long sitting periods; some centres have no air conditioning or heating. Arrive early enough to absorb queues at identity checks without stress.
Leave prohibited items at home or in your bag
Phones, smart watches, earphones, notes, and textbooks are normally banned from the exam room. The exact confiscation and disqualification rules are set by the exam authority; if unclear, confirm with the provider rather than testing the rule.
Review the subject timetable and coefficient weighting
Write out your personal timetable with dates, times, and durations for each paper, plus the coefficient of each subject. Knowing which papers carry the most weight helps you allocate the final days of revision. Verify the timetable against the official document; if anything is inconsistent, confirm with the provider.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Rework your summary sheets for the highest-coefficient subjects and redo past-paper exercises under time pressure. Assemble your documents (convocation, ID) and stationery in one bag now, so the last day is not spent searching. Confirm the centre address and reporting time, and plan transport including a backup route.
Do one full timed rehearsal for your strongest written subject, then mark it yourself against the official marking criteria and note the two or three errors that cost the most marks. For essay-based subjects, rehearse the structure (introduction, developed paragraphs, conclusion) rather than memorising full texts. Sleep on a normal schedule; do not shift to all-night revision.
Light revision only: reread your summary sheets, formulas, and method checklists. Prepare clothes, water, snack, and stationery by the door. Check the weather and transport disruptions. Set two alarms. Eat a normal meal and go to bed at your usual time; a tired candidate loses more marks than an under-revised one. Do not attempt a new chapter the night before.
Eat a real breakfast and arrive at the centre with a comfortable margin before the reporting time. Keep your convocation and ID in hand for identity checks. Once seated, fill in every identification field on the answer sheet carefully before the signal to start, and read the whole paper during the reading time if it is granted. If you are unsure how late arrival is handled, confirm with the provider beforehand rather than risking it.
Read all instructions and the full question paper before writing. Count the questions and the marks available, and note any choice (for example, answer three of five questions). Choose your questions deliberately, then allocate minutes in proportion to marks, leaving 10 to 15 minutes at the end for checking.
Answer the questions you are most confident about first if that helps your momentum, but number your answers exactly as the paper does. Show working in mathematics and sciences, since method marks are often awarded even when the final result is wrong. For essays, state a clear thesis in the introduction and keep paragraphs tied to the question. If you get stuck, leave a gap, mark the question, and move on; return later.
Check that every required question has been attempted and that answer numbers match the question numbers. Verify units, significant figures, and that diagrams are labelled. Correct obvious spelling and grammar errors in the final copy without rewriting whole passages. Make sure your name and candidate number appear where required.
Do not spend the break comparing answers in detail; it raises anxiety and cannot change the result. Eat, hydrate, and rest. Glance only at your summary sheet for the next subject, then stop. Keep the same routine for every paper in the session.
Rules to check
Bring and display the identity document and convocation required by the exam authority at every paper. The accepted documents and the procedure if you forget them are set by the authority; if you are unsure, confirm with the provider before the exam day.
Electronic devices, including phones and smart watches, are normally prohibited in the exam room. Switch devices off and leave them in your bag or at home. The precise sanctions for possession are set by the exam authority; confirm with the provider if the rule is unclear to you.
Communication with other candidates during the test is generally forbidden, including borrowing stationery or calculators. Raise your hand and address the invigilator instead. The exact rules on permitted items on the desk vary by centre; confirm with the provider.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on timing, seating, and the collection of papers. Do not start writing before the signal and stop immediately when time is called; continuing to write after the signal may be penalised under rules set by the exam authority.
Breaks and toilet access during a paper are usually at the invigilator's discretion and may be accompanied. Ask before you leave your seat. Do not assume a break will be granted; if you have a medical need, confirm the accommodation procedure with the provider in advance.
Scoring and marking are carried out by the exam authority against official criteria; marks are not negotiated at the centre. If you believe there is a clerical error in your results, follow the official appeal or review procedure. The deadlines and fees for review are set by the authority; confirm them with the provider.
Any suspected cheating, impersonation, or use of unauthorised material is handled under the exam authority's disciplinary rules, which may include cancellation of the paper or the session. Because the exact sanctions are set by regulation, confirm the details with the provider rather than relying on rumour.
Keep your answer script clean and clearly identified: write your candidate number where required, do not write identifying marks elsewhere, and do not remove any exam material from the room. The specific rules on rough paper and script handling are set by the authority; confirm with the provider if in doubt.