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Exam Review

Key Facts: Bac SES Exam

The Bac SES specialty is a 4-hour written exam with a coefficient of 16 in the baccalaureat general (Ministere de l'Education nationale).

Candidates choose between a dissertation and an epreuve composee scored 4 + 6 + 10 points across its three parts.

The exam is graded out of 20, and the baccalaureat is awarded at an overall average of at least 10/20.

Terminal exams count for 60% of the baccalaureat and controle continu for the remaining 40%.

The programme covers economic science, sociology and political science, plus regards croises on inequality, the environment and work.

Schumpeter's creative destruction, Ricardo's comparative advantage and Keynesian demand analysis are core named theories on the programme.

The Stability and Growth Pact sets reference values of a 3% public deficit and 60% public debt relative to GDP.

Registration to the baccalaureat is free in France for both lycee students and free candidates.

A 4-hour written exam with coefficient 16, graded out of 20, where you choose a dissertation or a three-part epreuve composee (4 + 6 + 10 points) covering economics, sociology and political science.

Sample Bac SES Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Bac SES exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In the French Terminale SES programme, economic growth is most directly measured by the variation of which aggregate?

A.The unemployment rate

B.The consumer price index alone

C.Real GDP (PIB réel)

D.The trade balance

Explanation: Economic growth (croissance économique) is defined as the sustained increase in production of goods and services, measured by the rate of change of real GDP (PIB réel, at constant prices). Using real rather than nominal GDP removes the effect of price changes.

2Joseph Schumpeter described the process by which innovation simultaneously creates new activities and destroys obsolete ones. What is this process called?

A.Comparative advantage

B.Creative destruction (destruction créatrice)

C.The multiplier effect

D.Crowding out

Explanation: Schumpeter's 'creative destruction' (destruction créatrice) holds that innovation drives growth by replacing old products, firms and jobs with new ones. The entrepreneur introducing innovations is central to this dynamic, recurring view of capitalism.

3Growth that comes from using more inputs (more labour or more capital) without raising efficiency is termed which type of growth?

A.Intensive growth

B.Soutenable growth

C.Endogenous growth

D.Extensive growth

Explanation: Extensive growth (croissance extensive) results from accumulating more factors of production. Intensive growth, by contrast, comes from gains in productivity (better use of the same factors), driven largely by technical progress.

4In the production function, what is the contribution to growth that is NOT explained by the volume of labour and capital called?

A.The marginal propensity to consume

B.Total factor productivity (productivité globale des facteurs)

C.The accelerator

D.The capital-output ratio

Explanation: Total factor productivity (productivité globale des facteurs, PGF) is the residual portion of growth not accounted for by increases in labour and capital. It captures gains in efficiency, largely attributed to technical progress and innovation.

5Endogenous growth theory (Romer, Lucas) argues that long-run growth is self-sustaining because of investment in which areas?

A.Only physical machinery

B.Knowledge, human capital, R&D and public infrastructure

C.Foreign exchange reserves

D.Speculative financial assets

Explanation: Endogenous growth theory holds that productivity gains arise from accumulating knowledge, human capital, technological (R&D) and public capital, which generate positive externalities. Growth is therefore generated within the economic system rather than being an external given.

6According to the programme, why can well-defined property rights and the rule of law foster economic growth?

A.They guarantee a fixed exchange rate

B.They eliminate the business cycle

C.They secure returns on investment and encourage innovation

D.They automatically reduce inequality

Explanation: Institutions such as secure property rights and an effective legal system reduce uncertainty and protect the returns from investing and innovating, which encourages agents to take risks. The programme stresses that institutions strongly influence a country's growth trajectory.

7What does the concept of 'sustainable growth' (croissance soutenable) primarily address?

A.Keeping growth above 5% per year

B.Meeting present needs without compromising future generations and the environment

C.Maximising the trade surplus

D.Eliminating all public debt

Explanation: Sustainable (soutenable) growth, drawing on the Brundtland definition, means growth that does not exhaust natural capital or harm the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The programme contrasts 'weak' and 'strong' sustainability over whether natural capital can be substituted by other capital.

8The distinction between 'weak sustainability' and 'strong sustainability' rests mainly on which question?

A.Whether GDP should be measured in nominal terms

B.Whether the central bank should target inflation

C.Whether natural capital can be substituted by physical or technological capital

D.Whether trade should be free or protected

Explanation: Weak sustainability assumes manufactured/technological capital can replace depleted natural capital, so total capital is preserved. Strong sustainability holds that natural capital is partly irreplaceable and must be preserved in its own right.

9Why does technical progress (progrès technique) tend to raise inequality in some sectors even as it boosts growth?

A.It lowers all wages equally

B.It removes the need for human capital

C.It guarantees full employment

D.It is 'biased' toward skilled labour, raising demand and pay for qualified workers

Explanation: Skill-biased technical change raises productivity and relative demand for highly qualified workers, widening the gap with less-qualified workers whose tasks may be automated. The programme links progress technique to both growth and the dynamics of inequality.

10Schumpeter explained the existence of long 'Kondratiev' cycles mainly by which factor?

A.Random weather shocks

B.Changes in the minimum wage

C.The arrival of clusters (grappes) of major innovations

D.Fluctuations in birth rates

Explanation: For Schumpeter, long economic cycles (cycles de Kondratiev, roughly 50 years) are driven by clusters of major innovations that trigger an expansion phase, followed by saturation and downturn. Innovation is thus both a source of growth and a cause of cyclical instability.

About the Bac SES Exam

The SES specialty exam is one of the two coefficient-16 written tests of the French baccalaureat general, taken at the end of Terminale. Lasting 4 hours, it lets candidates choose between a problematised dissertation supported by a documentary dossier and an epreuve composee in three parts (EC1 knowledge question, 4 points; EC2 document study, 6 points; EC3 reasoning on a dossier, 10 points). The programme spans economic science (growth, international trade, unemployment, financial crises, European economic policy), sociology and political science (social structure, school, mobility, deviance, political engagement) and regards croises (justice and inequality, public action for the environment, work and employment). It tests named theories such as Schumpeter's creative destruction, Ricardo's comparative advantage and Keynesian demand analysis. It is taken mainly by general-track students aiming for economics, law, political science, commerce or social-science studies.

Exam sponsor: Ministere de l'Education nationale (organised by the academies). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

100 questions

Time Limit

4 hours

Passing Score

Marked out of 20 with a coefficient of 16; the baccalaureat is awarded at an overall average of 10/20.

Exam / Certification Fees

Free for enrolled lycee students and free candidates in France; the baccalaureat carries no examination fee.

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Ministere de l'Education nationale (organised by the academies): official exam information

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

15%

Sources and challenges of economic growth

Factors of production, total factor productivity, Schumpeter, endogenous growth, institutions and sustainable growth.

12%

International trade and globalisation

Comparative advantage, factor endowments, intra-industry trade, global value chains, free trade versus protectionism.

10%

Unemployment and labour market

BIT definition, types of unemployment, and policies to fight it.

10%

Financial instability and crises

Bubbles, herd behaviour, the 1929 and 2008 crises, systemic risk and regulation.

11%

European economic policy

European integration, the ECB, monetary and fiscal policy and the Stability and Growth Pact.

16%

Social structure, stratification and mobility

Marx, Weber, PCS categories, moyennisation, mobility tables and social fluidity.

14%

School, deviance and engagement

Bourdieu, Boudon, massification, deviance, social control and political engagement.

12%

Regards croises and environment

Public action for the environment and the transformations of work and employment.

Preparing for the Bac SES Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Marked out of 20 with a coefficient of 16; the baccalaureat is awarded at an overall average of 10/20.
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: 4 hours
Exam / certification fees: Free for enrolled lycee students and free candidates in France; the baccalaureat carries no examination fee. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 100 available questions
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Bac SES: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the named theories and their authors (Schumpeter, Ricardo, Keynes, Marx, Weber, Bourdieu, Boudon, Becker, Durkheim, Olson) and be able to cite them precisely.

2Practise both exam formats: build problematiques for dissertations and rehearse EC1 knowledge questions, EC2 document reading and EC3 structured reasoning separately.

3Learn to read and comment on statistical documents (graphs, tables, indices) since EC2 and the dossiers rely on them.

4Revise the whole programme but track the annual theme rotation, as topics alternate by session year.

5Build clear, balanced plans and use precise economic and sociological vocabulary, since clarity and rigour are explicitly rewarded.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Bac SES specialty exam and what is its coefficient?

It is a 4-hour written exam carrying a coefficient of 16 in the baccalaureat general, like the other Terminale specialty subjects.

What is the difference between the dissertation and the epreuve composee?

The dissertation is a problematised essay on a documentary dossier, while the epreuve composee has three parts: EC1 knowledge question (4 points), EC2 document study (6 points) and EC3 reasoning on a dossier (10 points). Candidates choose one of the two formats.

Which topics are on the Terminale SES programme?

Economics (growth, international trade, unemployment, financial crises, European economic policy), sociology and political science (social structure, school, mobility, deviance, engagement) and regards croises (justice/inequality, environment, work and employment).

Who administers the exam and where is the official programme published?

The Ministere de l'Education nationale administers the baccalaureat through the academies, and the official SES programme is published via Eduscol and the Bulletin officiel.

Is there a fee to take the Bac SES exam?

No. Registration to the baccalaureat is free in France for both enrolled lycee students and free candidates.