How to prepare for the national bac exam in Morocco: a plan from October to June

To prepare for the national bac in Morocco, start in October, consolidate each chapter while your class is covering it, then practise on past national exam papers under real exam conditions from the spring. The national exam at the end of the year counts for half of your final average: the other half is already partly fixed (the regional exam) or built up during the year (continuous assessment). The method comes down to three things: steady work, priorities based on coefficients, and practice on real papers.

How the bac average is calculated (and why it changes your strategy)

For an enrolled student, the bac average is made up of:

• 25%: continuous assessment (contrôle continu) in 2nd year bac, the average of both semesters
• 25%: the regional exam taken in 1st year bac
• 50%: the national exam at the end of the year

So in October, a quarter of your average is already set. Do the maths with your regional mark and the continuous assessment average you are aiming for. For example, with 12 in the regional exam and 14 in continuous assessment, those two marks already bring in 6.5 points out of 20. To finish on 12, you need 11 in the national exam. For 14, you need 15. For 16, you need 19.

The mentions (grades of distinction) follow these thresholds: passable from 10 to under 12, assez bien (fairly good) from 12 to under 14, bien (good) from 14 to under 16, très bien (very good) from 16.

Do not neglect continuous assessment either: it weighs as much as the regional exam and is earned test by test. Your Massar student space (Moutamadris) shows your marks as soon as your school enters them. If you are still in 1st year bac, our guide to preparing for the regional exam will help you secure that first quarter.

The national exam also matters after the bac: selective programmes such as the ENSA engineering schools or medical faculties (including those in Agadir) have recently shortlisted on an average often weighted 75% national and 25% regional. These rules change every year: see our article on career guidance after the bac.

The main session and the resit session

The main session (session normale) usually takes place in late May or early June and the resit (session de rattrapage) in early July, with exact dates published by the ministry each year. Under the current rules, a student who fails the main session can sit the resit with an average of at least 7/20 and no eliminating mark (a zero in a subject), or at least 10/20 with a zero in one subject only. An absence through force majeure also gives access to it.

Be careful: the resit covers every national exam subject. As a rule, the better of your two marks is kept for each subject, if you sat every paper in both sessions. It is a safety net, not a plan B. Check the exact conditions in the candidate guide for your year and on the ministry website.

Prioritise by the coefficients of your stream

Your national exam mark is the average of your subjects weighted by their coefficients. Here are the coefficients for the two most popular science streams, as applied in recent sessions:

In both streams, the three science subjects account for 19 of the 23 coefficients. A point gained in maths (coefficient 7) is worth three and a half times more than a point gained in philosophy (coefficient 2), or roughly 0.15 of a point on your final average.

Prioritising does not mean giving up. Going from 8 to 12 in philosophy with a solid method is worth as much as gaining just over one point in maths, and it is often easier. And a zero is still an eliminating mark, whatever the subject.

In other streams, the coefficients differ: check yours with your school. Also ask for each subject's reference framework (cadre de référence): it sets out what can be assessed in the national exam and the weight of each part of the syllabus.

Preparing for the national bac in Morocco month by month: the plan

Adapt this revision timetable to your own week, keeping its logic: consolidate first, practise on full papers later.

All year round, revise by testing yourself (redo an exercise without the answer, recall a definition from memory) rather than rereading: this is the testing effect described by Roediger and Karpicke (2006). And come back to earlier chapters at spaced intervals. Our article on effective study methods explains these techniques in detail.

Making the most of past national exam papers

Papers from previous sessions (main and resit) are the best practice you can get. The ministry has published some with their answer elements, and its free TelmidTICE platform offers lessons, exercises and model exams. Your teachers have them too. Be wary of answers found at random on social media.

1. From November to February, by topic: as soon as a chapter is finished, do the national exam exercises on it.
2. From March, as full papers: timed, with no phone and no notes.
3. Mark your work against the mark scheme, question by question, without being generous to yourself.
4. Log each mistake in your error log with the correct method, and redo the exercise a week later.
5. Check the paper matches the current syllabus, and pick it in the language of your option (BIOF, the French-language option, or Arabic).

The last four weeks, the day before and exam day

The last four weeks

• Week 1: one full paper a day, in the morning, alternating the main subjects. Marking in the afternoon.
• Week 2: your error log. Redo every exercise you got wrong without looking at the answer.
• Week 3: last full papers, philosophy essay plans, English writing. Set your alarm to match the exam timetable.
• Week 4: no new chapters. Summary sheets, formulas, definitions, one or two short exercises a day.

The day before

• Reread your summary sheets, two to three hours at most.
• Get your exam notice (convocation), an identity document and the permitted equipment ready.
• Leave your phone at home, as the ministry asks: exam fraud is punished under Law 02.13.
• Check the route to the exam centre. If you live in a village some way from Tiznit, allow extra time.
• Go to bed at your usual time.

During the exam

1. Read the whole paper before writing and note how many points each exercise is worth.
2. Split your time according to the marks: for 3 hours and 20 points, about 7 to 8 minutes per point.
3. Start with the exercise you know best.
4. Stuck for more than 10 minutes? Move on: the paper often gives you the result to prove, which you can use later.
5. Show your working: a correct method can earn marks even if the final answer is wrong.
6. Never hand in a blank paper: a zero is an eliminating mark.
7. Keep 10 to 15 minutes to check your work.

Stress and sleep: what really helps

A bit of stress is normal. Papers done under real conditions help you tame it: on the day, the situation is no longer new.

• Keep regular sleeping hours, especially in the last month. Sleep plays a role in consolidating memory (Diekelmann and Born, 2010): an all-nighter of revision costs more than it brings.
• Move a little every day, even just a walk.
• When anxiety rises, slow your breathing and go back to a short, concrete task.
• If Ramadan falls during your year, put the most demanding sessions at the times when you are most alert.

To parents: protect calm and sleep at home, without adding pressure or making comparisons with cousins or neighbours. If stress becomes overwhelming (sleep problems that last, panic attacks), talk to a doctor.

Tutoring: when it helps and when it does not

Tutoring is not essential: a steady student who practises on national papers can manage without it. According to the Education Endowment Foundation (UK), one-to-one and small-group tuition is effective on average, especially when it targets specific needs and stays linked to classwork.

It really helps when:

• specific gaps are holding everything else back (derivatives, mechanics, genetics...)
• the student needs timed practice with detailed feedback
• method is missing (philosophy essays, writing up scientific answers)
• a regular structure helps the student stick to their plan

It does little good when it repeats lessons with no independent work afterwards, when the hours leave no time to work alone, or when it starts in May to catch up on everything.

In Tiznit, ApexTiz's academic support programme helps 2nd year bac students in maths, physics and chemistry, life and earth sciences, languages and philosophy: 4 hours a week per subject in two 2-hour sessions, in groups of no more than 15 or one-to-one, on site or remotely. A placement test pinpoints gaps, practice is done on national papers in near-exam conditions, and families receive regular progress reports. If your child is doing well on their own, the plan in this guide is often enough.

Frequently asked questions

How is the bac average calculated in Morocco?

For an enrolled student, it combines continuous assessment in 2nd year bac (25%), the regional exam in 1st year bac (25%) and the national exam (50%). You pass with 10/20 or more and no eliminating mark.

What mark do I need in the national exam to pass the bac?

Add a quarter of your regional mark to a quarter of your continuous assessment, subtract the total from 10, then multiply by 2: that is the minimum national exam mark. With 11 in the regional exam and 13 in continuous assessment, you need 8.

Who can sit the bac resit session?

Under the current rules, students who failed with an average of at least 7/20 and no zero, or at least 10/20 with a zero in one subject only, as well as those absent through force majeure. Check the exact conditions for your year with your school.

Where can I find past national exam papers with answers?

On the ministry website, which has published past papers with their answer elements, and on the TelmidTICE platform. Your teachers have them too.