The Baccalauréat in Cameroon: series, papers and grades
The Baccalauréat ends French-language secondary education in Terminale and gives access to higher education, just like the GCE Advanced Level in the English-speaking subsystem. It is run by the Cameroon Baccalaureate Office (OBC) as several separate exams: the general secondary education Bac (ESG), the industrial technical Bac and the tertiary sciences and technologies Bac (STT). In 2026, 131,628 candidates were registered for the general Bac alone.
Information checked on
At a glance
- Class
- Terminale (after the Probatoire)
- Organiser
- Cameroon Baccalaureate Office (OBC), created in 1993
- Director General
- Étienne Roger Minkoulou (since 2018)
- 2026 session
- General: 25 to 30 May; technical: from 21 May
- General Bac candidates, 2026
- 131,628 registered, 130,772 present
- General Bac pass rate, 2026
- 42.14% (47.45% in 2025)
- Anglophone counterpart
- GCE Advanced Level (Upper Sixth)
The Cameroon Baccalaureate Office
The OBC was created by Decree No. 93/255 of 28 September 1993, amended by Decree No. 97/044 of 5 March 1997. It is a public administrative body under MINESEC, in charge of French-language examinations: the Baccalauréat, the technician's certificate (BT), the professional certificate (BP) and the BEP, as well as the Probatoire. A presidential decree of 18 October 2018 reorganised it around a board cut from 20 to 7 members and a directorate general.
Its headquarters are in the Mvan district of Yaoundé, and it relies on ten regional branches. It has been headed since 2018 by Étienne Roger Minkoulou.
General Bac series
| Series | Focus |
|---|---|
| A1 | Letters, Latin and Greek |
| A2 | Letters, Latin and a second foreign language |
| A3 | Letters and Latin |
| A4 | Letters and a second foreign language (German, Spanish, Chinese…) |
| A5 | Letters, second and third foreign languages |
| ABI | Letters and a foreign language, bilingual track |
| SH | Human sciences (series created in 2019) |
| C | Mathematics and physical sciences |
| D | Life and earth sciences, mathematics |
| E | Science and technology series |
| TI | Information technology |
In 2026, the written papers began on 25 May with literature for series A4 Spanish, A4 Chinese and C, according to CRTV. Series TI candidates also present an internship report.
Technical Bac series
| Series | Speciality |
|---|---|
| AF1, AF2, AF3 | Arts: ceramics, painting, sculpture |
| F1 | Mechanical manufacturing |
| F2 | Electronics |
| F3 | Electrical engineering |
| F4 (BA, BE, TP) | Civil engineering: building, design office, public works |
| F5 | Refrigeration and air conditioning |
| F6 | Chemical engineering |
| F7 | Biological and health sciences and technologies |
| F8 | Health and social sciences and technologies |
| ACA | Administrative action and communication (STT) |
| ACC | Commercial action and communication (STT) |
| CG | Accounting and management (STT) |
| FIG | Taxation and management computing (STT) |
| SES | Economic and social sciences (STT) |
On 21 May 2026, nearly 31,000 candidates began the AF and F Bac and the industrial technician's certificate in 180 sub-centres, and 12,733 began the STT Bac in 106 sub-centres, more than 43,000 technical candidates in all, according to Cameroon Tribune. Technical exams include practicals and eligibility lists before final admission, according to Journal du Cameroun.
Papers and coefficients
Every year the OBC publishes a timetable with the duration and coefficient of each paper, by series. The full document is not available online; the table below lists some papers taken from the official 2025 (series A) and 2026 (series C) timetables as reproduced by Cameroondesks.
| Series | Paper | Duration | Coef. |
|---|---|---|---|
| C (2026) | Mathematics | 4 hrs | 7 |
| A (2025) | Literature and general culture | 4 hrs | 3 |
| A (2025) | French language | 2 hrs | 2 |
| A (2025) | Computer science | 1 hr 30 | 2 |
| A1, A2, A3 (2025) | Latin | 3 hrs | 4 |
| A (2025) | Second foreign language | 3 hrs | 3 |
The general Bac is entirely written: the oral was abolished in 1995. An OBC official told the press in 2017 that the oral 'had become an open door to corruption'. None of the sources consulted mention a French-style 'second group' resit.
Passing and grades
According to the OBC-DECC statement reported by Journal du Cameroun in February 2025, candidates need a general average of 10/20 and at least 10 in each first-group subject. Successful candidates receive a grade: in the 2026 general Bac, 43,638 obtained 'passable', 9,372 'assez bien', 1,792 'bien', 304 'très bien' and 2 candidates the 'excellent' grade.
Timetable and recent results
| Session | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written papers | — | From 26 May | 25 to 30 May |
| Candidates | 133,868 registered | 144,383 registered | 131,628 registered |
| Pass rate | 37.26% | 47.45% | 42.14% |
In 2026, the OBC announced that industrial Bac results would be released from 14 July and general Bac results from 15 July; they could be checked by text message to 8070, on MTN's website and on CRTV radio. The South-West came top (54.26%) and the Far North bottom (26.27%). Detailed results are in the results page.
After the Bac
The Bac and the GCE A Level are the two main entry qualifications for Cameroonian higher education. The series determines which courses are open: entrance exams for teacher-training and engineering schools list the series they accept. Abroad, recognition varies: for Germany, a Studienkolleg guide says the Cameroonian Bac on its own generally requires a preparatory year (Studienkolleg).
Frequently asked questions
What are the Bac series in Cameroon?
General: A1 to A5, ABI, SH, C, D, E and TI. Technical: AF1 to AF3, F1 to F8, and the STT series ACA, ACC, CG, FIG and SES.
What was the 2026 Bac pass rate in Cameroon?
42.14% for the general Bac: 55,108 passes out of 130,772 candidates present, down from 47.45% in 2025, according to the OBC.
Is there an oral resit in the Cameroonian Bac?
No: the oral was dropped from the general Bac in 1995, and the sources consulted mention no second-group resit.
What average do you need to pass the Bac?
A general average of 10/20, with at least 10 in each first-group subject, according to the OBC-DECC statement of February 2025.
When was the 2026 Bac?
The technical Bac began on 21 May 2026 and the general Bac ran from 25 to 30 May 2026.
What is the maths coefficient in series C?
7, for a four-hour paper, according to the OBC's 2026 timetable as reproduced by Cameroondesks.
Handle with care
The OBC's full official list of series is not available online; the series listed come from 2025-2026 press reports. The exact focus of series E and ABI is not specified in the sources consulted. Coefficients are partial and come from a third-party site reproducing the official timetables. The general Bac results date varies between 15 and 20 July 2026 depending on the article. Older series names (G1, G2, G3) do not appear in recent sources.