NARIC guide on Higher Education Systems in the European Union

II. Qualifications and diplomas
The following section contains a description of the entrance qualifications, intermediate and final certificates and degrees of
the various institutions of higher education, and a summary of their recognised equivalence.
II.1. Qualifications for admission to
higher education
The diplomas most commonly held by persons admitted to higher education are secondary school diplomas, which are usually
obtained through a final written examination after seven consecutive years of studies at a lycée classique, a lycée technique or
at the European School in Luxembourg.
The different diplomas are:
the secondary school leaving certificate of the lycée classique (diplôme de fin d’études secondaires)
the technical secondary school leaving certificate of the lycée technique (diplôme de fin d’études secondaires techniques).
The European baccalaureate certificate of the European School in Luxembourg and of all other European Schools abroad is
recognised as equivalent to the secondary school leaving certificate of a lycée classique.
The final school leaving examination is passed with a grading system from 0 to 60 marks, where 60 is the maximum and 30
the pass mark. The marks for the European baccalaureate, on the other hand, go from 10 (maximum) to 6/10 (pass mark).
The recognition of foreign secondary school leaving certificates is based on the European convention on the equivalence of
diplomas leading to admission to universities, signed in Paris, 11 December 1953. Only the countries which have ratified this
convention can obtain recognition for their secondary school leaving certificates.
II.1.1. Qualifications for admission to
non-university higher education
Holders of the following diplomas are admissible to non-university education:
a secondary or a technical secondary school leaving certificate
a foreign secondary school-leaving certificate recognised as equivalent
a technician diploma (after evaluation by a special board).
A secondary school leaving certificate is obtained after seven years of consecutive and full-time study at a lycée classique. A
lycée classique provides general education and its certificate gives university entrance to all subjects.
A lycée technique leads to a technical school leaving certificate or a technician diploma after the same period of study. A
lycée technique provides general and vocational education.
For the secondary school leaving certificate, pupils take final examinations in seven or eight compulsory subjects. The choice
of elective subjects is made earlier. This certificate is awarded in seven specialities:
A1: main subjects: languages, human sciences;
A2: main subjects: human and social sciences;
B: main subjects: mathematics, physics;