Luxembourg's end-of-secondary exam
The exams in the last year of lycée that lead to the secondary school diploma in Luxembourg.
At the end of the last year of lycée, called première, students in Luxembourg sit national exams for the diploma of classical or general secondary education. The diploma opens the way to higher education in Luxembourg and abroad.
Subjects, oral exams and compensation rules depend on your track and section and are set by grand-ducal regulation. Check the exact rules for your section with your lycée.
Overview
Luxembourg has two main routes through secondary school. Classical secondary education (ESC) is the more academic route, organised in sections from languages to maths and sciences; general secondary education (ESG) offers more applied tracks. Both end with a national exam in the final year, and both diplomas give access to higher education. Because teaching moves between German, French and English, the exam also tests real skill in three languages, which few school systems ask for.
The exam is demanding but predictable. The year's marks already count for a third, so steady work through première takes pressure off the exam weeks. Past papers show the format of each subject, and compensation means one weaker subject need not decide everything, as long as the others are solid. Students who struggle with one of the teaching languages often gain the most from targeted help, since language skills affect results in every subject.
What the exam covers
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Languages
German, French and English, the languages taught throughout school, usually with written papers.
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Your section's main subjects
The subjects that define your section, such as maths and sciences, economics, or languages and arts.
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Written papers
National papers, the same for every school, sat over a few weeks in spring.
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Oral exams
Some subjects add an oral exam in front of a board of examiners.
How it's scored
Each subject is marked out of 60, and 30 is a sufficient mark. The final mark in a subject combines the year's work (one third) and the exam (two thirds). Insufficient marks can be made up for by good marks elsewhere under the compensation rules, and the average of the final marks decides the distinction on the diploma. A second session in September gives another chance to those who need it.
How to prepare
- Ask your lycée early for the list of exam subjects and the oral exams for your section.
- Keep up your marks during the year: they count for a third of the final mark.
- Practise past papers in each language under time limits, since the language papers are long.
- Know the compensation rules so you know which subjects need the most work.
Official pages
Dates, registration and fees change from year to year, so check them on the official pages.
