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French Baccalauréat Général - Histoire-Géographie, Géopolitique et Sciences Politiques (HGGSP)

Practice Questions100 questions

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Key Facts: Bac de Francais Exam

The epreuve anticipee de francais is taken at the end of the classe de Premiere, one year before the rest of the baccalaureat (Ministere de l'Education nationale).

The written paper lasts 4 hours and carries coefficient 5; calculators and dictionaries are not allowed (official sujet header).

The oral lasts 50 minutes: 30 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes examined, marked out of 20 (Eduscol).

The oral first part is worth 12 points: 2 for reading aloud, 8 for the explication lineaire, 2 for the grammar question (official grading).

The French programme defines four objets d'etude and twelve national set works, three per object, renewed by a quarter each year (Eduscol).

For 2026 the poetry works include Rimbaud's Cahier de Douai, Ponge's La rage de l'expression and Helene Dorion's Mes forets (Bulletin officiel 2025-2026).

The general-track dissertation offers three subjects, one per set work of the chosen objet d'etude; the candidate picks the one matching the work studied.

The French epreuves anticipees contribute a total coefficient of 10 (5 written + 5 oral) to the baccalaureat.

The bac de francais is a 4-hour written paper plus a 20-minute oral (50 min with prep), each coefficient 5, marked out of 20, taken in Premiere and built on four objets d'etude and twelve national set works.

Sample Bac de Francais Practice Questions

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

1How many objets d'étude (objects of study) define the French Première programme assessed by the épreuve anticipée de français?

A.Two

B.Three

C.Four

D.Six

Explanation: The Première programme fixes exactly four objets d'étude: la poésie du XIXe au XXIe siècle, la littérature d'idées du XVIe au XVIIIe siècle, le roman et le récit du Moyen Âge au XXIe siècle, and le théâtre du XVIIe au XXIe siècle. Each pairs a work with an associated parcours.

2For the general track (voie générale), which two written exercises are offered at the choice of the candidate in the épreuve écrite?

A.A commentaire or a dissertation

B.A contraction de texte or an essai

C.A translation or a summary

D.A dictation or a grammar test

Explanation: In the voie générale the four-hour written paper offers a choice between a commentaire de texte (on a text not drawn from the program works) and a dissertation on one of the program works and its parcours. Each is marked out of 20.

3For the technological track, the second written option (instead of the dissertation) is a:

A.Commentaire composé only

B.Dissertation on a movement

C.Contraction de texte followed by an essai

D.Explication linéaire

Explanation: Technological-track candidates choose between a commentaire and a contraction de texte (a structured condensation of a source text) followed by an essai discussing a related question. The dissertation is reserved for the general track.

4How long does the written épreuve anticipée de français last, and what is its coefficient?

A.Three hours, coefficient 4

B.Four hours, coefficient 5

C.Two hours, coefficient 3

D.Five hours, coefficient 6

Explanation: The written exam lasts four hours and carries a coefficient of 5. The oral also carries coefficient 5, so the French épreuves anticipées contribute a total coefficient of 10 to the baccalauréat.

5What is the total duration of the oral épreuve, including preparation time?

A.20 minutes

B.30 minutes

C.50 minutes

D.60 minutes

Explanation: The oral lasts 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes of preparation followed by 20 minutes of examination (a 12-minute explication linéaire with reading and grammar question, then an 8-minute presentation and entretien).

6During the oral, how many points are allocated to the explication linéaire of the text (excluding the reading and grammar question)?

A.2 points

B.8 points

C.12 points

D.20 points

Explanation: The first part of the oral is worth 12 points: 2 for the expressive reading aloud, 8 for the explication linéaire itself, and 2 for the grammar question. The presentation and entretien on a chosen work account for the remaining 8 points.

7Which oral exercise requires the candidate to analyse a short literary extract following its order from beginning to end, line by line?

A.La dissertation

B.La contraction de texte

C.Le commentaire composé

D.L'explication linéaire

Explanation: The explication linéaire (linear explanation) analyses a roughly twenty-line extract following the text's own progression, identifying movements and commenting on form and meaning in order. It is distinct from the commentaire composé, which is organised thematically.

8In the dissittation littéraire for the general track, the candidate's argument should be built primarily on:

A.A text the candidate has never read

B.Knowledge of one of the program works and its parcours

C.A grammar analysis of a single sentence

D.A condensed version of a press article

Explanation: The dissertation requires an organised personal reflection on a literary question about one of the program works and its associated parcours. Candidates draw on their knowledge of that work, the texts studied in class, and their personal reading and culture.

9Which figure de style is defined as an explicit comparison between two terms using a comparative word such as 'comme' (like)?

A.La métaphore

B.La métonymie

C.L'hyperbole

D.La comparaison

Explanation: La comparaison links a comparé and a comparant through an explicit comparative tool (comme, tel, semblable à). The metaphor, by contrast, fuses the two terms without such a marker.

10The phrase 'cette femme est un roc' (this woman is a rock) is an example of which figure de style?

A.Une comparaison

B.Une métaphore

C.Une litote

D.Une anaphore

Explanation: A métaphore identifies one term with another without an explicit comparative word, here equating the woman directly with a rock to suggest solidity. Had it said 'comme un roc', it would be a comparaison.

About the Bac de Francais Exam

The epreuve anticipee de francais (EAF) is the French exam of the baccalaureat, taken at the end of the classe de Premiere by general and technological-track students. It comprises a four-hour written paper and a 20-minute individual oral, each carrying coefficient 5 for a combined coefficient of 10. The written paper offers a choice between a commentaire de texte and, for the general track, a dissertation on a set work and its parcours, or, for the technological track, a contraction de texte followed by an essai. The oral consists of an expressive reading, a line-by-line explication lineaire, a grammar question (analyse syntaxique), and a presentation of a chosen work with an entretien. The programme is built around four objets d'etude: la poesie du XIXe au XXIe siecle, le roman et le recit du Moyen Age au XXIe siecle, le theatre du XVIIe au XXIe siecle, and la litterature d'idees du XVIe au XVIIIe siecle. This free practice bank of 100 multiple-choice questions drills the curriculum knowledge behind those exercises.

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

Questions

100 questions

Time Limit

Written 4 hours; oral 50 minutes (30 min prep + 20 min exam)

Passing Score

Marked out of 20 per exercise; written and oral each coefficient 5 (total 10), counting toward the baccalaureat average where 10/20 passes the diploma.

Exam / Certification Fees

Free for school candidates in France (0 EUR); the baccalaureat carries no separate examination fee for enrolled students.

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 (France), via the regional academies (rectorats): 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.

25%

Exam structure and methodology

Written exercises (commentaire, dissertation, contraction + essai), oral format, coefficients, problematique and analytical method.

18%

Figures de style and rhetorical devices

Metaphore, comparaison, metonymie, synecdoque, anaphore, oxymore, litote, hyperbole, antithese, chiasme and gradation.

18%

French grammar and analyse grammaticale

Classes grammaticales, fonctions, subordinate clauses, verb tenses and moods, negation, agreement and reported speech.

17%

Set works and authors (programme 2026)

The twelve national works and their parcours for 2025-2026 across the four genres, plus canonical French authors.

12%

Literary movements and history

Humanisme, classicisme, Lumieres, romantisme, realisme, naturalisme, symbolisme and surrealisme with key authors.

10%

Genres and literary forms

Versification, poetic and dramatic forms, narration and point of view, registres and the apologue.

Preparing for the Bac de Francais Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Marked out of 20 per exercise; written and oral each coefficient 5 (total 10), counting toward the baccalaureat average where 10/20 passes the diploma.
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: Written 4 hours; oral 50 minutes (30 min prep + 20 min exam)
Exam / certification fees: Free for school candidates in France (0 EUR); the baccalaureat carries no separate examination fee for enrolled students. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 100 available questions
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Bac de Francais: Suggested Study Strategy

1Learn the four objets d'etude and, for each, your set work and its parcours by heart; the dissertation subject you choose must match the work studied in class.

2Build a reference sheet of figures de style with one clear example each (metaphore vs comparaison, oxymore vs antithese, metonymie vs synecdoque) and practise spotting them in unseen texts.

3Drill analyse grammaticale on short sentences: identify classes grammaticales, fonctions (COD, COI, attribut), subordinate clauses, negation types and verb moods for the 2-point oral grammar question.

4Practise the explication lineaire by reading a 20-line extract aloud, dividing it into movements, and commenting in order rather than paraphrasing.

5For the commentaire, always build axes de lecture answering a clear problematique, and avoid paraphrase; for the dissertation, structure a personal, organised argument grounded in the set work.

6Revise literary history (humanisme, classicisme, Lumieres, romantisme, realisme, naturalisme, symbolisme, surrealisme) so you can situate any text and author in its movement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the epreuve anticipee de francais (bac de francais)?

It is the French language and literature exam of the baccalaureat, taken at the end of the classe de Premiere. It has a 4-hour written paper and a 20-minute individual oral, each carrying coefficient 5 for a total coefficient of 10.

What written exercises are offered?

General-track candidates choose between a commentaire de texte and a dissertation on a set work and its parcours. Technological-track candidates choose between a commentaire and a contraction de texte followed by an essai. Each is marked out of 20.

How does the oral work?

The oral lasts 50 minutes: 30 minutes of preparation then 20 minutes examined. The first part (12 points) is an expressive reading, an explication lineaire and a grammar question; the second part (8 points) is a presentation of a chosen work and an entretien.

What are the four objets d'etude?

La poesie du XIXe au XXIe siecle, le roman et le recit du Moyen Age au XXIe siecle, le theatre du XVIIe au XXIe siecle, and la litterature d'idees du XVIe au XVIIIe siecle. Each pairs a set work with an associated parcours.

How many works are on the programme and how often do they change?

The national programme sets twelve works (three per objet d'etude). The teacher chooses one work and parcours per object, so students study four. The list is renewed by a quarter each year; for 2026 the litterature d'idees works were renewed.

Does this practice bank match the real exam format?

The real exam has no multiple-choice questions; it is essay-based and oral. This 100-question bank uses MCQs to drill the underlying curriculum: figures de style, grammar, set works, movements, genres and methodology, which supports the essays and oral.