Baccalaureate candidates began their exams on Monday with four hours of philosophy. Essays and text commentaries were on the agenda.

Baccalaureate 2026: 530,000 high school students tackle the topic of happiness and technology in philosophy
Baccalaureate 2026: 530,000 high school students tackle the topic of happiness and technology in philosophy

Some 530,000 final-year high school students took the philosophy exam for the 2026 baccalaureate on Monday, June 15. This exam, which traditionally marks the start of the exam period, took place from 8 a.m. to noon. Candidates in the general and technological tracks had four hours to write on topics including happiness, science, technology, and language.

Questions about language and happiness

Students in the general track had to grapple with the question, "Do we have control over our words?", as well as other questions concerning truth and the relationship between happiness and technology. Commentaries on texts by authors such as Nietzsche and Paul Ricœur were also among the proposed exercises. The diversity of the topics reflects the breadth of the philosophical curriculum studied during the final year of high school.

This exam is a key moment for baccalaureate candidates, and will continue in the following days with other subjects. Detailed answer keys will be available after the exam. Baccalaureate results will be released in the coming weeks, once all exams have been graded.

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