Baccalauréat and Probatoire results in Cameroon, year by year
The Baccalauréat and the Probatoire of the French-speaking subsystem are run by the Office du Baccalauréat du Cameroun (OBC). Every summer the Office releases a national pass rate, often provisional, which the press then reports and debates. This page gathers, session by session, the figures published since 2015 for the general secondary Baccalauréat (ESG), the general Probatoire and, where available, the technical exams and the BEPC. Where a year could not be found or two sources disagree, we say so rather than estimate.
Information checked on
At a glance
- Organiser
- Office du Baccalauréat du Cameroun (OBC), under the Ministry of Secondary Education
- General Bac 2026
- 42.14% (55,108 passes out of 130,772 candidates who sat)
- General Probatoire 2026
- 43.24% (177,423 registered)
- Usual release
- Mid to late July (Bac), late July to early August (Probatoire)
- How to check
- SMS to 8070, online platform, CRTV, notice boards at exam centres
General Baccalauréat: pass rates from 2015 to 2026
The table below covers the general secondary Baccalauréat (series A, C, D, E, TI and so on). The figures are those announced by the OBC and reported by the press; a 'provisional' rate may be slightly revised later, which explains some gaps between sources. The curve is very uneven: after peaking at 75.73% in 2023, the rate collapsed to 37.26% in 2024, the year in which only candidates averaging at least 10 out of 20 were declared successful.
| Session | Candidates | Passes | Pass rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 90,759 registered | 51,036 | 57.14% | Camer.be (2016) |
| 2016 | 104,692 registered, 103,097 sat | 54,348 | 52.72% | Camer.be |
| 2017 | Not found | Not found | 47% (46% according to 237online) | Cameroun24, 237online |
| 2018 | Not found | Not found | 52.28% ('about 51%' according to 237online) | Investir au Cameroun, 237online |
| 2019 | 138,583 | More than 83,000 | 60.18% (provisional); 60.50% cited in 2020-2021 | Investir au Cameroun, StopBlaBlaCam |
| 2020 | 117,007 | 55,248 | 47.22% | StopBlaBlaCam |
| 2021 | Not found | Not found | 73.37% (provisional), 73.54% (final) | 237actu, Cameroon Tribune |
| 2022 | 137,608 registered, 135,082 sat | 89,522 | 66.27% (65.94% cited in 2023) | Cameroon Tribune, Journal du Cameroun |
| 2023 | 125,008 | 94,663 | 75.73% | Cameroon Tribune |
| 2024 | 133,868 registered, 132,920 sat | 49,521 | 37.26% | Cameroon Tribune |
| 2025 | 144,383 registered, 143,299 sat | 67,990 | 47.45% | Journal du Cameroun |
| 2026 | 131,628 registered, 130,772 sat | 55,108 | 42.14% | Journal du Cameroun |
The 2026 session in detail: of the 55,108 successful candidates, 30,750 were girls and 24,358 boys. Journal du Cameroun counted 43,638 'pass' grades, 9,372 'fairly good', 1,792 'good', 304 'very good' and 2 'excellent'. On 8 July 2026 the OBC director general, Étienne Roger Minkoulou, had announced a provisional rate of about 42%, with about 75.34% in series C, 52.07% in A1 and 35.42% in A2.
The Bac by region
| Region | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| South-West | 43% | 54.26% (1st) |
| Littoral | 52.94% (1st) | 49.41% |
| West | 52.11% | 46.27% |
| Centre | 52.42% | 44.66% |
| North-West | 50.34% | 38.58% |
| East | 36.72% | 35.09% |
| Adamawa | 42% | 34.59% |
| South | 37.25% | 33.30% |
| North | 34.70% | 28.73% |
| Far North | 31.29% | 26.27% |
The French-language Bac has very few candidates in the two English-speaking regions: in 2025, 147 in the North-West and 405 in the South-West, against 48,293 in the Centre and 33,881 in the Littoral. Their rates are therefore based on small numbers. In earlier years the North-West came first in 2019 and in 2023 (94.08%), the South-West in 2016 (60%) and in 2021 (83.73%), and the Centre in 2022 (71.96%). The Far North almost always comes last.
General Probatoire: pass rate by year
The Probatoire, taken in Première (Lower Sixth equivalent), decides who moves up to Terminale. It is nicknamed the 'Berlin Wall' because it is so selective: according to Season Media, the general Probatoire has struggled for more than a decade to rise above a 45% pass rate. Its figures are less widely reported than the Bac's, hence several empty cells.
| Session | Candidates | Passes | Pass rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Not found | Not found | 38.22% | Camer.be (2016) |
| 2016 | 182,611 registered | 60,232 | 33.77% (41.16% according to Cameroun24) | Camer.be, Cameroun24 |
| 2017 | 230,721 registered | Not found | 37.77% | Cameroun24 |
| 2018 | Not found | Not found | Not found | — |
| 2019 | Not found | Not found | 43.82% | Cameroon Tribune (2020) |
| 2020 | 202,295 registered, 199,557 sat | 62,300 | 31.22% | Cameroon Tribune, Lebledparle |
| 2021 | Not found | Not found | 49.88% (48.72% cited in 2022) | Cameroon Tribune, Journal du Cameroun |
| 2022 | 207,688 registered, 203,794 sat | 87,431 | 42.90% (provisional) | Journal du Cameroun, Cameroon Desks |
| 2023 | Not found (268,288 registered, general and technical combined) | Not found | 53.75% (general and technical combined) | Cameroon Tribune |
| 2024 | 174,260 | 72,161 | 41.98% | Journal du Cameroun, Cameroon Tribune |
| 2025 | Nearly 189,000 | About 73,000 | Exact rate not found ('under 45%') | Season Media |
| 2026 | 177,423 registered | Not found | 43.24% | Journal du Cameroun, 237online |
In 2020, the Covid-19 year, the general Probatoire fell to 31.22%: the South-West came first (55.24%), ahead of the North-West (46.89%), with the Far North last (19.94%), according to Cameroon Tribune.
Technical Bac, technical Probatoire and BEPC
| Exam | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial technical Bac (F) | 51.55% | 69.67% |
| Tertiary technical Bac (STT) | 79.47% | 69.32% |
| Industrial Probatoire (AF and F) | Not found | 75.55% |
| Industrial professional certificates | 87.61% | 99.17% |
For earlier years, the OBC does not usually release a separate figure for the technical Bac to the press. The only benchmark found: in 2023 the general and technical Bacs together had 161,608 registered candidates and a 74.81% pass rate, and all OBC exams combined 69.43% (against 67.5% in 2022), according to Cameroon Tribune.
The BEPC is not run by the OBC but by the Directorate of Examinations, Competitions and Certification (DECC) of the Ministry of Secondary Education, and its results are published region by region. National figures found: 40.96% in 2015; 38.14% in 2016 (94,849 passes out of 248,672 candidates); 59.10% in 2024 and 65.58% in 2025 for the standard BEPC, and 75.90% then 85.57% for the bilingual BEPC. The national 2026 BEPC rate could not be found.
Why the rates swing so much
- 2020: Covid-19 halts classroom teaching from mid-March to May; the Bac falls to 47.22% and the Probatoire to 31.22%.
- 2021: Minister Nalova Lyonga attributes the sharp rise (73%) to the removal of the eliminatory mark, linked to the competency-based approach (237actu).
- 2023: Journal du Cameroun links the rise to the end of the teachers' strikes that had disrupted the 2021-2022 school year.
- 2024: only candidates averaging at least 10 out of 20 are declared successful, whereas 8 or 9 could previously be enough (Camer.be, Le360). Cameroon Tribune also points to exam papers leaked on Telegram.
- 2025: the OBC announces in May that there will be no more deliberations to rescue struggling candidates (Camer.be).
Where and when to check results
- By SMS: send your registration number to 8070 (about 150 CFA francs per attempt, according to Cameroon Tribune and 237online). The service is often overloaded on release night.
- Online: in 2026, the obcexams.mtn.cm platform and the one.mtn.cm website; in 2025, the Ayoba app (Journal du Cameroun).
- On radio and television: results are read out on CRTV, usually on the evening of release.
- On notice boards: lists posted at exam centres and schools (for example at Lycée Leclerc in Yaoundé or Lycée de Bépanda in Douala in 2026).
| Session | General Bac | General Probatoire |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 24 July | Not found |
| 2019 | Around 19 July | Not found |
| 2021 | Early August | 12 August |
| 2022 | July | 5 August |
| 2023 | 20 July | 3 August |
| 2024 | 19 July | 29 July |
| 2025 | 21 July | 31 July |
| 2026 | 15 July (figures on the 20th) | 29 July |
The technical Bacs often come out a few days before or after the general Bac: in 2025 the industrial Bac on 18 July and the STT Bac on 22 July; in 2026 the industrial exams from 14 July.
Appeals, complaints and collecting the certificate
A candidate who disputes a result has 15 days after release to file a request with the OBC (Cameroon Tribune, 2022). In 2016, according to Camer.be, the file included a handwritten request, the head teacher's approval, the three term reports and an annual record showing an average of at least 11 out of 20, plus a 50,000 CFA franc deposit refunded if the appeal succeeds. The OBC only checks for clerical errors: were all questions marked, are the mark totals and coefficients correct? We found no more recent version of this procedure.
The certificate is collected free of charge at one of the OBC's 10 regional offices, with valid ID. For the 2024 session, free collection ran until 31 December 2025; after that a 25,000 CFA franc late fee applies (Journal du Cameroun, January 2025).
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2026 Bac pass rate in Cameroon?
In the 2026 general Bac, 55,108 candidates passed out of 130,772 who sat, a rate of 42.14%, against 47.45% in 2025. The South-West came first (54.26%) and the Far North last (26.27%).
What was the 2025 Probatoire pass rate?
We could not find a precise official rate. According to Season Media, about 73,000 out of nearly 189,000 candidates passed the 2025 general Probatoire, under 45%. In 2026 the general Probatoire stood at 43.24%.
How do I check my Bac result by SMS?
Send your registration number to 8070; each attempt costs about 150 CFA francs. Results are also read on CRTV and posted at exam centres.
Why did the Bac pass rate drop in 2024?
In 2024 only candidates averaging at least 10 out of 20 were declared successful, whereas 8 or 9 could previously be enough. The rate fell from 75.73% in 2023 to 37.26%.
When are Bac results released in Cameroon?
General Bac results usually come out between 15 and 25 July, and Probatoire results in late July or early August. In 2026: 15 July for the Bac, 29 July for the Probatoire.
How can I challenge a Bac or Probatoire result?
A request must be filed with the OBC within 15 days of release. The Office only checks for marking or calculation errors.
Handle with care
Several years (2017, 2018 and 2021 for the Bac; 2015 to 2019 and 2025 for the Probatoire) are known only through a rate, without candidate numbers. Sources disagree on 2017 (46 or 47%), 2018 (51 or 52.28%), 2019 (60.18 or 60.50%), 2022 (65.94 or 66.27%) and the 2016 Probatoire (33.77 or 41.16%). For the 2024 Bac, an initial figure of 27.55% (36,615 passes) circulated on 19 July before the OBC settled on 37.26%; the series rates published that day (E 71.74%, C 52.56%, D 48.90%, A4 German 6.35%) may relate to the first figure. One website put the 2025 Probatoire at 61.27%: no press source confirms it.