May 28th, 2022

In May, the second semester in France comes to a close. After all the classes are completed by the end of April, there is a two-week Easter break, followed by final exams in early May. In Korea, the evaluation method is largely divided into a midterm exam, a final exam, and major assignment. In France, evaluation is largely divided into tests and assignments. Assignments are called DM (Devoir Maison), and on average, one or two assignments are submitted per semester. The tests are called DST (Devoir Sur Table) or “Contrôle”, and are taken once or twice per semester. The final exam, called “Partiel”, is taken once at the end of the semester.

In France, students who fail their exams have a variety of opportunities to improve their grades. The most common method is to retake a test, which is called “Rattrapage”. In France, students need to score 10 points or higher out of twenty to pass the exam. If they do not pass this mark, they have an opportunity to retake the exam. I think it’s more generous than the Korean system, which requires students to re-take the course if they do not obtain the minimum grade.

Another opportunity is the compensation system (Système de compensation). If the average grade does not exceed 10 points in one class, it can be combined with the grades in other classes to raise the average. For example, if you get an eight out of twenty in one class, and you have a twelve out of twenty in another class, you can account for the difference to receive a ten out of twenty for the first class. This system is different for each university and department, so it is necessary to confirm in advance.

I took the final exam for three different classes. The first exam I took was for the ‘Art of seeing, art of reading (Art de voir, art de lire)’ class. Per the class method, I first described and interpreted the picture suggested by the professor, and then wrote a short story inspired by the picture. The picture was 〈Beuvron-en-Auge, Panorama (2019)〉 by David Hockney, an artist chosen by the professor several times already. It is not easy to write a timed short story based on a picture you see for the first time, but it was not too difficult for me because it was a familiar method. 

The next exams I took were the grammar exams for the ‘French grammar (Grammaire du français)’ and ‘French verbs (Verbe du français)’ classes. As a foreigner, it was very difficult to take the same exams as the French students. But fortunately, I felt that the format of the final exam was very similar to the assignments and midterm exams I took during the semester. The midterm exams and assignments were great review for the final, so I was well prepared. I can breathe a sigh of relief as the semester has now come to a close.

The French education system is similar to that of Korea, but there are some differences. During the semester from January to May, two short vacations are given at the beginning of March and at the end of April here in France. The amount of tests and assignments are greater than that of Korea, but I felt more relaxed. After a long semester in France, we can now enjoy a long vacation of three months. Currently, I am excited to plan how to spend my summer vacation in France before the fall semester starts.

| Hyemin AN