Marks, exams and ECTS credits
Marks and exams
The French marking system is based on a numbered scale from 0 to 20 (with 20 being the highest). An average of 10/20 is usually necessary to pass a course. 12 is usually a satisfying mark, and few students manage to maintain a yearly average of 16 (considered a very good mark) or above. Validation requirements of courses depend on your curriculum, school or institute.
Depending on your department, examination will be organised differently: either as continuous assessment (exams and tests are organised all year or semester long), or with two examination sessions, one at the end of each semester.
ECTS credits
The European Credit Transfer and accumulation System (ECTS) is used all over the European Union. Each course is worth a certain number of credits. The ECTS facilitates the recognition of international exchanges.
- a semester corresponds to 30 ECTS credits
- a French Licence degree (3 years, or 6 semesters) is equivalent to 180 ECTS credits
