European Baccalaureate Physics study guide
European Baccalaureate Physics · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The European Baccalaureate is the school-leaving qualification that belongs solely to the European Schools and to schools accredited by their Board of Governors; it certifies completion of secondary studies and is recognised as an entry qualification for higher education across the European Union and beyond. The Baccalaureate cycle covers the final two secondary years, s6 and s7, and is built on a comprehensive multilingual curriculum: at least two languages, mathematics at 3 or 5 periods per week, a scientific subject, history and geography taught through a language other than the dominant one, philosophy, physical education, and ethics or religion, with options and complementary courses bringing the timetable to between 31 and 35 periods per week. The European Baccalaureate Physics study guide has 6 sections and about 2,715 words.
01Language 1 (L1): close reading, language analysis and the argued essay
In the European Baccalaureate, Language 1 is examined as both a language and a literature subject. The written paper sets an unseen text - a newspaper article, a literary extract, an essay - and asks you to show that you can read it closely, describe how it produces its effects, and then write your own sustained argument.
502 words, about 3 min02Language 2 (L2): comprehension, language manipulation and short production
In the European Baccalaureate, Language 2 is examined as a modern foreign language, not as a literature subject. The written paper tests reading comprehension, control of grammar and lexis, and the ability to produce a short text in the target language; the oral tests comprehension and interaction.
477 words, about 2 min03Mathematics: method, justification and exact values
Mathematics is a compulsory written examination of the European Baccalaureate, set on a common syllabus across the language sections, so the content and the notation expected are the same whether you are taught in English, French or German. The paper mixes short technical questions with longer multi-part problems, and marks are awarded for method, justification and correct notation, not only for the final number.
423 words, about 2 min04History / Geography taught through L2: document work and argument in the target language
History and Geography are separate subjects in the European Baccalaureate, but both are taught and examined through your Language 2. The paper is marked for its discipline and for its language: you must analyse sources or documents, deploy precise evidence, and write an argued essay in the target language using the terminology of your textbook - not a translation of L1 terms.
423 words, about 2 min05Scientific subject (Biology, Chemistry or Physics): theory, problems and data
In the European Baccalaureate you sit one scientific subject as a written examination - Biology, Chemistry or Physics - and the paper is built from three kinds of question: recall and explanation of theory, structured problems, and items based on data or a described experiment (a graph, a table of results, a circuit diagram, a micrograph). Method, units and precise terminology carry marks independently of the final number, so a wrong answer with a correct, visible method still scores.
460 words, about 2 min06Philosophy: problematisation, argument and the commentary
Philosophy in the European Baccalaureate is examined by a written paper that typically offers a choice between an essay on a question and a commentary on a short text extract, sometimes with both options on the same paper. The exam does not test how many doctrines you can name; it tests whether you can construct a philosophical argument, use concepts and authors precisely, and treat the question as a genuine problem rather than a prompt for opinion.
430 words, about 2 min