How does Brevet preparation work in Montreal?

We first take stock of the shaky topics in mathematics and science, then train on Brevet papers from previous years under exam conditions. We work on written presentation, time management and the recurring question types, so the student meets the papers with method rather than hope.

Montreal, French AEFE curriculum, Troisieme

Brevet des Colleges Preparation in Montreal

Q: What is the Brevet des colleges?

The Diplome national du Brevet, or DNB, is the first official examination of the French school career, taken at the end of Troisieme, which matches Grade 9. It combines continuous assessment across the year with written terminal papers in French, mathematics, science and history-geography.

Q: Does Brevet preparation also help with the entry to lycee?

Yes, and this is the larger benefit. The Troisieme syllabus introduces functions, trigonometry and advanced algebra, which are the direct foundations of Seconde. Preparing the Brevet seriously means arriving at lycee with solid foundations, particularly in mathematics where the step up is substantial.

Preparation for the Brevet des colleges (DNB) in Montreal, for Troisieme students on the French AEFE curriculum. I work with your child on the mathematics paper and the science paper, from consolidating the material to intensive past paper practice. Sessions in English or in French.

Brevet des colleges (DNB) Mathematics paper Science paper Past papers under real conditions ★ 5.0 · 11 Google reviews

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What the Brevet is, and what it is not

The Brevet is the national examination at the end of Troisieme, which is Grade 9. It is the first time your child sits a paper written and marked outside their school. There is no equivalent in the North American system, where nothing external happens until university applications.

What it is not: a gate. Failing the Brevet does not stop a student going to lycee. So why take it seriously? Because it is the only calibrated measure you will get of where your child actually stands before the stakes become real, and because the Troisieme material it tests, functions above all, is exactly what lycee mathematics is built on. The mark matters less than what preparing for it fixes.

Understanding the Brevet

The Diplome national du Brevet is the first official examination of the French school career. It combines continuous assessment, graded across the year, with written terminal papers: French, mathematics, science (physics-chemistry, SVT and technology) and history, geography and civics. On the scientific side, the mathematics paper and the science paper are the heart of the preparation.

Beyond knowledge, the Brevet rewards method: reading a question properly, choosing the right approach, writing a clear solution and managing the clock. A great many students lose marks not because they do not know the material but because they write it up badly or run out of time.

My Brevet preparation in Montreal works both dimensions at once: command of the Troisieme syllabus, and training on the real format of the papers.

The scientific papers of the Brevet

Mathematics paper

Algebra, factorisation, equations
The theorem of Thales and trigonometry
Linear and affine functions
Proportionality, probability, statistics
One algorithmics and programming question
Contextualised problems to be written up in full

Science paper

Physics-chemistry: ions, pH, energy, signals
SVT: genetics, evolution, the human body, geology
Working from documents
Reasoning and an argued conclusion
Two subjects assessed on the day

The full Troisieme syllabus is on the dedicated Troisieme page.

How I prepare students for the Brevet

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Auditing the shaky topics

We find what is not solid in mathematics and science, so no easy marks are left on the table on the day.

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Past paper practice

We work complete subjects from previous years under exam conditions, to recognise the question types and build speed.

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Writing up and managing the clock

We tidy the presentation of answers and rehearse splitting the time between questions, the two places students lose avoidable marks.

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Support between sessions, included

Through revision the student can message me with a question or a problem they are stuck on. It is part of the rate.

Passing the Brevet and getting ready for lycee

The Brevet is not an end in itself. Troisieme introduces functions, trigonometry and advanced algebra, which are the direct foundations of Seconde. A student who prepares the Brevet properly is at the same time consolidating exactly the ideas that will decide how the first year of lycee goes, where many students meet a genuine step up, above all in mathematics.

That is why I always connect Brevet preparation to what comes after: we aim at the examination, but we prepare Seconde at the same time.

Your Brevet tutor in Montreal

My name is Ahmed Squalli Houssaini. I have been preparing Troisieme students for the Brevet in Montreal for more than 10 years. Having gone through the French system myself and studied at two Montreal universities, I know the format of the papers and what the markers look for, in mathematics as in science.

✓French Baccalaureat, Mathematics speciality

✓B.Sc. Computer Science, Finance and Mathematics, McGill University

✓M.Sc. Applied Computer Science, Concordia University

✓10+ years working with college students in Montreal

Free corrected exercises at Brevet level

One exercise set per chapter, in the format of a class test: 10 questions marked out of 100, a first part on the fundamentals and a second at Brevet level, with a full worked solution for every question. Functions, algebra, trigonometry, similar triangles and Scratch algorithmics are treated separately, and two complete mock Brevet papers, one in mathematics and one in physics-chemistry, reproduce the real format and duration. Each chapter also has a revision sheet, the thing to open last, the night before the mock and the night before the real paper. Free, no sign-up, written in French.

Corrected exercise sets → Revision sheets → English exercises →

Frequently asked questions

What is the Brevet des colleges?

The first official examination of the French school career, taken at the end of Troisieme, which matches Grade 9. It combines continuous assessment with written papers in French, mathematics, science and history-geography.

How does preparation work in Montreal?

We take stock of the shaky topics in mathematics and science, then train on Brevet papers from previous years under exam conditions, working on written presentation, time management and the recurring question types.

Which Brevet papers do you prepare?

The mathematics paper and the science paper covering physics-chemistry and SVT. I cover the whole Troisieme syllabus and train the student on the precise format of each paper.

When should preparation start?

Ideally the material is consolidated across Troisieme, then intensive past paper work begins 6 to 8 weeks before the examination. Starting later still helps: even a few weeks of targeted preparation clearly improves the mark.

Does it also help with the entry to lycee?

Yes, and that is the larger benefit. Functions, trigonometry and advanced algebra are the direct foundations of Seconde. Preparing the Brevet properly means arriving at lycee with solid foundations in mathematics.