After the orals, nearly 860,000 3rd graders take the written exams for the national patent diploma on Monday and Tuesday. Between relaxation and parental pressure, Parisian teenagers tell how they prepared.
The patent, it’s been a while that the students of the Paul Verlaine college, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, have had it in mind.“We’ve really been told about it since sixth grade and this year we’ve really been given more pressure, says Cleo. On the first day, for example, the first thing we are told is: ‘The third is an important year because at the end, there is the patent'”.
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His friend Robin starts the races without too much stress. Revisions, he didn’t spend a lot of time on them. “Not really”, admits the schoolboy. That being said, the patent still represents something in his teenage life: “It’s the first exam. So, in fact, it’s not so much the tests themselves, but it’s also the context that brings, not necessarily stress, but it’s the first time that we did this kind of test where you have to bring your identity card, all that…”.
“Fortunately, I have my mum to think about it for me. I’ll be honest, I get my head a little in the air sometimes.”
Robin, 3rd grade studentat franceinfo
Some 860,000 college students take the written exams for the national patent diploma (DNB) on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 June. In this Parisian college, they are 138 pupils of 3rd to stake Monday on the tests of French and maths then Tuesday on those of history-geography. The establishment is transformed into an examination center, the other classes, 6th, 5th, 4th have no lessons.
Even if the displayed relaxation is in order, the exam remains important for Alassane, 15 years old: “Yes, it is, especially for my mother. For me, it allows her to show that I haven’t screwed up anything at school, that I can be serious in times when you have to be serious. She doesn’t didn’t tell me much, but she just hopes I get it. And if I could get it with a mention, that would be even better.”
“Special management of emotions”
With an oral, passed in recent weeks, these four written tests count for half of the result, the continuous assessment completes the final grade. “The patent is first of all to face a national test that all students will take throughout the territory, defends Audrey Montchatre, the principal of the Paul Verlaine college. This management, obviously, has been prepared with white papers, so they have already carried out the exercise. But it remains indeed a performance with a particular management of emotions that we will support as well as possible in the establishment”.
Last year, 87.5% of candidates had won their certificate throughout France.