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Exam Review

Key Facts: Bac Philosophie Exam

The Bac Philosophie written exam lasts exactly 4 hours (Ministere de l'Education nationale).

Philosophie carries a coefficient of 8 in the general track and 4 in the technological track.

The general-track programme comprises 17 notions; the technological track is limited to 7.

On exam day candidates choose one of three subjects: two dissertations or one explication de texte.

Each paper is marked out of 20, and the bac is awarded with an overall average of at least 10/20.

The programme's author list spans three historical periods, from Plato and Aristotle to contemporary thinkers like Arendt and Rawls.

The reperes are a fixed list of conceptual distinctions shared by both the general and technological tracks.

The 2026 general-track Philosophie exam was scheduled for 15 June 2026.

A compulsory 4-hour written exam (coefficient 8) marked out of 20, in which students choose between two dissertations and one explication de texte covering the 17 notions of the general-track programme.

Sample Bac Philosophie Practice Questions

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

1How many notions are on the official Terminale Philosophie programme for the general track (voie générale)?

A.7

B.12

C.17

D.25

Explanation: The Éduscol programme for the voie générale lists exactly 17 notions, while the technological track (voie technologique) is reduced to 7. This difference also reflects the higher coefficient (8 vs 4) of the general-track exam.

2How long is the written Philosophie exam in the baccalauréat général?

A.2 hours

B.3 hours

C.4 hours

D.5 hours

Explanation: The terminal written Philosophie exam lasts 4 hours. Candidates use this time to plan and write either a dissertation or an explication de texte, typically devoting roughly 30-45 minutes to analysis and planning.

3What coefficient does the Philosophie exam carry in the baccalauréat général?

A.4

B.6

C.8

D.16

Explanation: In the general track, Philosophie carries a coefficient of 8. In the technological track the same subject carries a coefficient of 4, which is one reason the general-track programme is broader.

4On exam day, among how many subjects and of what types must the candidate choose?

A.One single imposed dissertation

B.Three subjects: two dissertations and one explication de texte

C.Two subjects: one dissertation and one QCM

D.Four subjects, all explications de texte

Explanation: Candidates are offered three subjects and must choose one: two dissertation topics and one explication de texte (text commentary). Each subject bears on one or more notions of the programme.

5What does an explication de texte require the candidate to do?

A.Memorize and recite the author's biography

B.Translate a Greek or Latin text into French

C.Analyze an extract by drawing out its thesis, the steps of its reasoning, and its stakes

D.Write a creative continuation of the passage

Explanation: The explication de texte asks the candidate to explain a philosophical extract by identifying its thesis, reconstructing the steps of its argument, and bringing out the problem and stakes at issue. Prior knowledge of the author's full doctrine is not required.

6Which of the following is one of the 17 notions of the general-track programme?

A.The market (le marché)

B.Friendship (l'amitie)

C.Memory (la memoire)

D.The unconscious (l'inconscient)

Explanation: L'inconscient is one of the 17 official notions. The full list also includes art, le bonheur, la conscience, le devoir, l'État, la justice, le langage, la liberté, la nature, la raison, la religion, la science, la technique, le temps, le travail and la vérité.

7The repère 'légal / légitime' distinguishes which two ideas?

A.What is written in law versus what is morally justified

B.What is rare versus what is common

C.What is true versus what is false

D.What is past versus what is present

Explanation: Le légal refers to written law and justice as a juridical institution; le légitime refers to moral justification and justice as a value. A legal act can be illegitimate and an illegal act legitimate, which is why the distinction matters in essays on justice and the State.

8In Descartes' philosophy, the formula 'Je pense, donc je suis' (Cogito, ergo sum) is meant to establish what?

A.The existence of God before all else

B.The unreliability of all forms of knowledge

C.A first indubitable certainty that survives radical doubt

D.The primacy of sense experience over reason

Explanation: Descartes uses methodical doubt to reach a first certainty: even if I doubt everything, I cannot doubt that I, who am doubting, exist. The cogito is therefore the indubitable foundation on which he rebuilds knowledge.

9Kant's categorical imperative is best summarized by which formulation?

A.Act so as to maximize the total pleasure produced

B.Act always in your own long-term self-interest

C.Act only according to a maxim you could will to become a universal law

D.Act according to the customs of your community

Explanation: Kant's categorical imperative commands acting only on maxims one could will to be universal laws, and treating humanity always as an end and never merely as a means. It grounds morality in reason and duty rather than in consequences or inclination.

10Which philosopher is associated with the theory of the social contract in 'Du contrat social' and the idea of the 'general will' (volonté générale)?

A.Thomas Hobbes

B.Friedrich Nietzsche

C.Jean-Jacques Rousseau

D.David Hume

Explanation: Rousseau's Du contrat social (1762) argues that legitimate political authority rests on a contract expressing the volonté générale, by which citizens collectively author the laws they obey. This is central to essays on the État, justice and liberty.

About the Bac Philosophie Exam

Philosophie is a compulsory terminal written exam for every student in the general track of the French baccalaureat. The paper lasts 4 hours and carries a coefficient of 8, one of the highest of the bac. Candidates choose among three subjects: two dissertations (argued essays on one or more notions) and one explication de texte (commentary on a philosophical extract). The general-track programme comprises 17 notions, a fixed list of conceptual reperes, and an extensive list of authors spread across three historical periods. The exam tests the ability to problematize a question, build a structured argument, and analyze a text, mobilizing philosophical knowledge from Plato and Aristotle through Descartes, Kant, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Sartre and Rawls.

Exam sponsor: Ministere de l'Education nationale et de la Jeunesse (France). 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; counts with coefficient 8 toward an overall bac average of at least 10/20.

Exam / Certification Fees

No separate exam fee; the baccalaureat is part of free public education in France.

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 et de la Jeunesse (France): 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.

35%

The 17 notions

Art, happiness, consciousness, duty, the State, the unconscious, justice, language, freedom, nature, reason, religion, science, technique, time, work and truth.

20%

The reperes (conceptual distinctions)

Distinctions such as legal/legitimate, croire/savoir, obligation/contrainte, en acte/en puissance and universel/particulier used to orient reasoning.

25%

Philosophers and their positions

Key thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to Descartes, Kant, Hume, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre, Arendt and Rawls.

10%

Key works and arguments

Famous arguments and texts: the cogito, the categorical imperative, the social contract, the cave, falsifiability and Pascal's wager.

10%

Methodology

Method of the dissertation and the explication de texte: problematique, structured plan, thesis identification and use of examples.

Preparing for the Bac Philosophie Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Marked out of 20; counts with coefficient 8 toward an overall bac average of at least 10/20.
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: 4 hours
Exam / certification fees: No separate exam fee; the baccalaureat is part of free public education in France. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

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

1Learn each of the 17 notions with at least two contrasting philosophical positions and one key author for each.

2Master the reperes (legal/legitime, croire/savoir, obligation/contrainte, etc.) and practice deploying them to sharpen a problematique.

3Build a bank of precise references and short arguments (cogito, categorical imperative, social contract, falsifiability) you can mobilize across notions.

4Practice the dissertation method: analyze the subject, build a genuine problematique, and structure two or three argued moments before a clear conclusion.

5Practice the explication de texte by first identifying the thesis, then the steps of the argument, then the stakes, without imposing outside knowledge.

6Use the 4 hours wisely: roughly 30-45 minutes to analyze and plan, about 2h30-3h to write, and 15-20 minutes to reread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Bac Philosophie exam and what is its coefficient?

The written exam lasts 4 hours and carries a coefficient of 8 in the general track (4 in the technological track), making it one of the most heavily weighted terminal exams.

What format does the real exam take?

Candidates are offered three subjects and must choose one: two dissertation topics and one explication de texte (text commentary). There is no multiple-choice section in the actual exam.

How many notions are on the general-track programme?

There are 17 notions in the general track (art, happiness, consciousness, duty, the State, the unconscious, justice, language, freedom, nature, reason, religion, science, technique, time, work and truth), versus 7 in the technological track.

What are the reperes?

The reperes are a fixed list of conceptual distinctions (such as legal/legitimate, croire/savoir, obligation/contrainte) that students use to orient and structure their reasoning. They are not taught as a separate chapter.

How is the exam graded?

The paper is marked out of 20, like all bac subjects. That mark is multiplied by the coefficient 8 when computing the overall baccalaureat result.

Is there an exam fee?

No. The baccalaureat is part of free public secondary education in France, and even private (candidat libre) candidates register without paying an exam fee.