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Working together on the French Baccalaureate
The British version of the Baccalaureate with International Option is built upon on a long-standing Anglo-French partnership between University of Cambridge International Examinations and the French Ministry of Education.
The Baccalaureate with International Option, known as the OIB, was developed as a special version of the French Baccalaureate, based on partnerships between the French Ministry of Education and a number of foreign authorities.
To obtain the British version of the OIB, students must supplement the traditional French Baccalaureate with a History-Geography course (taught bilingually) and English Language and Literature. The result is an integrated Franco-British school-leaving certificate which combines the breadth and rigour of the French Baccalaureate with A Level standard studies in History-Geography and English Language & Literature. These two subjects are taught and examined in English using syllabuses and assessment practices validated by University of Cambridge International Examinations.
The British OIB makes academic and linguistic demands to an equal level in English and French with the intention of making students 'bicultural' as well as bilingual. Those who succeed in this dual curriculum develop a capacity for hard work, and an intellectual and cultural flexibility that gives them the potential to become excellent undergraduates in Britain, France and elsewhere.
Cambridge works in close collaboration with the Association des Sections Internationales Britanniques et Anglophones (ASIBA) to ensure that UK university admissions offices understand the value of this unique qualification and how it compares with its UK counterparts.
The collaboration on the British OIB is a great example of the way Cambridge works with international partners.
Baccalaureate with International Option brochure (3019Kb)
A French language version of the OIB brochure is available online only.
Download a copy of the OIB brochure in French:
Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB), France, Version britannique (2162Kb)
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