What do CE1and Collège refer to in French

From kindergarten to higher studies, the names for grades and school levels (elementary, junior high, high school) vary substantially from French to English. The words used to describe the elements of the educational experience can also vary widely for those of us who have studied in US or UK schools. For instance, the word for school in general is à ©cole, but it also means  elementary school, and the term for an elementary school pupil is à ©colier.  In later grades and college, a student is un à ©tudiant.   Here are French school names, according to level and year, with the corresponding term in the US and UK. For clarity, weve provided the age as a reference. LEcole Maternelle (Preschool/Nursery School) Age Grade Abbreviation US UK 3 - 4 Petite section PS Nursery Nursery 4 - 5 Moyenne section MS Pre-K Reception 5 - 6 Grande section GS Kindergarten Year 1 Note that in France, this part of school is not compulsory, although many schools  offer these options and most children do attend preschool, or at least part of it. These three years are government supported and, thus,  free (or very cheap). There is also before- and after-school care. LEcole Primaire (Elementary School/Primary School) Age Grade Abbreviation US UK 6 - 7 Cours prparatoire CP 11 me 1st Grade Year 2 7 - 8 Cours lmentaire premire anne CE1 / 10me 2nd Grade Year 3 8 - 9 Cours lmentaire deuxime anne CE2 / 9me 3rd Grade Year 4 9 - 10 Cours moyen premire anne CM1 / 8me 4th Grade Year 5 10 - 11 Cours moyen deuxime anne CM2 / 7me 5th Grade Year 6 In France, school is compulsory starting with the first grade of elementary school, or le cours prà ©paratoire, onzià ¨me (11th). Note that this is the first major difference between French and English-language school names: The French count school years in  descending order (11,10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and a final year called terminale). The US and UK count years in ascending order (2, 3, 4, and so on). After là ©cole primaire, French students start what are called, secondary studies, or les à ©tudes secondaires. Le Collà ¨ge (Junior High School) Age Grade Abbreviation US UK 11 - 12 Sixime 6e or 6me 6th Grade Year 7 12 - 13 Cinquime 5e or 5me 7th Grade Year 8 13 - 14 Quatrime 4e or 4me 8th Grade Year 9 14 - 15 Troisime 3e or 3me 9th Grade Year 10 Watch out for the false cognate college. In French,  le collà ¨ge is junior high school, not college. What we call college or university in English is luniversità ©Ã‚  or la facultà ©Ã‚  in French. Some formal education is compulsory until the end of junior high, although several solutions are possible if a student wants to enter an apprenticeship. The rules concerning this process change frequently, so it is best to seek out an expert at school for more information.   Le collà ¨ge  ends with an exam called le brevet des collà ¨ges (BEPC). Le Lycà ©e (High School) Age Grade Abbreviation US UK 15 - 16 Seconde 2de 10th Grade Year 11 16 - 17 Premire 1re 11th Grade Year 12 17 - 18 Terminale Term or Tle 12th Grade Year 13 At the  end of  le lycà ©e,  theres  a test called le baccalaurà ©at  (or  le bac, with the final c pronounced as a k). The three main strands of the bac are:  le bac L  (littà ©raire), le bac ES  (à ©conomique et social)  and le bac S (scientifique).  There is also  le bac professionnel,  which comprises nearly 40  specialist or vocational areas. Passing the bac allows French students to continue their education with higher studies (des à ©tudes supà ©rieures)  at a university (luniversità ©) or faculty (la facultà ©). The prestigious Grandes Ecoles are the equivalent of the Ivy League.  When you specialize, you will say you are, for example, a law student (à ©tudiant en droit)  or a student in medicine (à ©tudiant en  mà ©decine). An undergraduate student is un à ©tudiant  avant la licence.  A postgraduate student is  un  Ãƒ ©tudiant  aprà ¨s la licence.