European Baccalaureate Music

Candidates sit five written examinations and three oral examinations at the end of year s7. L1, L2 and Mathematics are compulsory written examinations. For the oral examinations, candidates take L1, L2 or a subject taught through L2, namely History or Geography. Candidates must therefore show written and oral proficiency in at least two languages. Each examination covers the whole s7 syllabus and also assesses competences acquired earlier, especially in s6.

Half. At the end of s7 pupils receive a preliminary mark reflecting the formative and summative assessment carried out by their teachers during that year, and it accounts for 50% of the final mark. The other 50% comes from double correction of the written and oral examinations by internal and external examiners. Within that examination half, the five written papers account for 35% and the three oral examinations for 15%.

The final mark is normally the average of the two examiners' marks. If their marks differ by more than two points, a third external corrector is brought in. That person analyses the previous corrections thoroughly and establishes a final mark falling between the highest and the lowest of the two marks already awarded. Both written and oral examinations are subject to this double correction by the candidate's teachers and external examiners.

The overall pass mark for the European Baccalaureate is 5 out of 10, equivalent to 50 out of 100. This is an overall threshold for the qualification rather than a separate pass mark for each individual examination paper. Because half the final mark is already fixed by the s7 preliminary mark, consistent daily work and the Pre-Baccalaureate examinations matter as much as the final session itself.

Yes. In the published curriculum table, Music appears as a 2-period complementary subject and as a 4-period option. Music 2p is not allowed if Music is already taken as a 4-period option. The catalogue of complementary courses varies from one school to another, so confirm with your school which Music courses it actually offers before finalising your subject package of 31 to 35 periods per week.

Assessment is criteria-referenced: it measures attainment against the learning objectives and competences defined in each syllabus, and it is both formative and summative. Formative assessment is reflected in A marks, covering daily work such as participation, consistency, initiative, short progress tests and noted progress. Summative assessment is reflected in B marks, obtained in the term or semester Pre-Baccalaureate examinations held under formal conditions and time constraints.

The session is overseen by the Chairman of the European Baccalaureate, with national inspectors acting as Vice-chairmen. They guarantee the level and quality of the examination papers, fair and reliable assessment of candidates, and conformity of proceedings with European Schools regulations. The chairmanship rotates each year with the presidency of the European Schools, and the presiding country proposes a university professor appointed by the Board of Governors.

Start from the s7 syllabus of every subject you will sit, since each examination covers that syllabus in full, then revisit s6 material because competences from earlier years are also assessed. Give priority to the compulsory written subjects, L1, L2 and Mathematics, and to whichever language or History or Geography subject you will present orally. Keep your A marks strong throughout s7, because the preliminary mark is half of the final result.

Neglecting the s6 competences that examinations also assess, and treating the final session as the only thing that counts, are frequent mistakes, even though the s7 preliminary mark already fixes half the final result. Others include weak preparation for the oral examinations, which carry 15% of the examination half, and choosing a subject package without checking which complementary courses, such as Music, the school actually runs.

The European Baccalaureate page of the Office of the Secretary-General of the European Schools links to the examination timetable for the session, the European Baccalaureate Handbook for pupils entering the cycle, and the European Baccalaureate Regulations, which sit among the Official Texts. Equivalence and university admission information is published there too. Always check the current documents for your own session rather than relying on older copies.