Bac PC (Physique-Chimie) exam-day guide
Bac PC (Physique-Chimie) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Convocation and valid ID
Bring the convocation (or the document your centre uses to call you) and a valid photo ID. Check the exact ID accepted and the spelling of your name against your registration; if anything differs, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Know your épreuve format and duration
In Bac PC the practical is typically evaluated through the ECE (évaluation des compétences expérimentales) or, for some candidates, the épreuve de spécialité practical. Confirm with your lycée/provider whether you sit an ECE-style station, a multi-part practical, or an oral practical, and its duration and weighting.
Scientific calculator
Bring a calculator you know how to use in radians/degrees, with scientific notation, logs, and trig functions. Check the centre's rules on programmable/graphing calculators and clear the memory or reset it if required.
Pen, pencil, eraser, ruler
Blue or black ink for written answers, pencil and eraser for graphs and sketches, and a ruler for axes and tables. Bring a spare pen.
Lab coat and safety glasses
A clean lab coat and safety glasses are usually required for chemistry work. Confirm with the provider whether they are supplied or must be brought, and whether closed shoes are mandatory.
Watch (non-connected)
A simple wristwatch helps you pace the practical if the room clock is not visible. Smartwatches and connected devices are generally not allowed; check the centre's policy.
No phone or connected device in the work area
Phones must normally be switched off and stored as instructed. Do not keep a phone on you during the practical; confirm the storage rule with the provider.
Read the protocol and safety sheet first
Before touching equipment, read the whole subject, identify the hazards (acids, bases, heating, electrical circuits), and locate the eyewash, fire extinguisher, and waste containers.
Prepare your lab notebook/answer sheet
Write your name and candidate number, title the experiment, and set up tables for measurements with units and the correct number of significant figures before starting.
Know how your competences are graded
Practical evaluation usually rewards correct protocol, safe handling, quality of measurements, and a coherent analysis/conclusion rather than a 'right' numerical result alone. Confirm the exact grid with your teacher.
Plan for timing and cleanup
Leave time to finish calculations, write the conclusion with uncertainty, and clean and return equipment. Unwashed glassware or left-on equipment can cost marks.
Plan the day
Re-read the list of practical skills in the programme (measuring, diluting, titrating, using a microscope or oscilloscope, building a circuit, using a spreadsheet) and rehearse the two or three protocols you are least confident in. Rewrite from memory the key formulas and the units of the quantities you will measure.
Do a timed dry run of a typical protocol: write the aim, the protocol, a results table with units, a graph with labelled axes, and a conclusion with an uncertainty. Check your calculator's mode and practise entering scientific notation quickly.
Pack the checklist items (convocation, ID, calculator, pens, lab coat, glasses, watch). Confirm the time, room, and access instructions with the provider. Sleep; do not start new topics. Skim safety rules for acids, bases, heating, and electricity.
Eat and arrive early with time to find the room and store your bag and phone as instructed. Re-read the safety sheet and the grading grid if it is displayed. Bring only permitted materials to the bench.
Read the entire subject before acting. Identify what is measured, what is calculated, and what is concluded. Note the marks or weighting of each part and allocate time accordingly; flag any part that depends on a previous result.
Follow the protocol, record raw measurements immediately with units, repeat where the protocol asks, and note observations (colour change, endpoint, reading stability). Keep the bench tidy and label glassware. If a result looks wrong, record it and discuss it rather than silently changing it.
Complete calculations with correct significant figures and units, draw or finish the graph, write a conclusion that answers the aim and states uncertainty/limitations. Clean and return equipment, switch off heating and circuits, and check your name and number are on every sheet.
Rules to check
Bring the convocation and the accepted photo ID; candidates without them may be refused entry. Confirm the accepted ID and the late-arrival policy with the provider.
Follow all safety instructions: wear the lab coat and safety glasses when required, tie back long hair, never taste or smell chemicals directly, and use the designated waste containers. A safety breach can end your practical.
No phones, smartwatches, or connected devices in the work area. Store them as instructed; using one during the test is normally treated as cheating. Confirm the storage rule with the provider.
Work individually unless the subject explicitly assigns group roles; sharing measurements or answers between benches is not allowed.
Ask the examiner or technician only for clarification of the protocol or for replacement equipment; do not ask for the expected result or for help with calculations.
Breaks and toilet access follow the centre's rules; usually you may leave only with permission and under supervision, and the clock does not stop. Confirm with the provider.
Scoring is based on the published competences grid (protocol, safety, measurement quality, analysis, conclusion). Confirm the grid and the weighting with your teacher before the exam.
If equipment fails or a result is clearly aberrant, report it to the examiner and record what happened; do not fabricate data. Keep all rough work on the answer sheet.