National Assessments 2026 Unveiled: Key Dates and Expectations from Elementary to High School

The framework of national assessments is more integrated than ever into the daily routine of students. Initially established in 1st, 2nd, and 6th grades, and later expanded to include 4th and 8th grades, these tests now cover almost all elementary and middle school grades, up to the beginning of high school. Scheduled from September, these assessments aim to provide educational teams with a detailed “snapshot” of the skills each child has mastered and those that need reinforcement. With these early-year results, teachers can quickly identify potential weaknesses and provide personalized educational support to prevent any academic decline.

What are the assessment dates for the 2026 school year?

• 1st Grade assessment dates: Monday, September 7 to Friday, September 18, 2026. A “mid-term review” is also scheduled from Monday, January 11 to Friday, January 22, 2027.
• 2nd Grade assessment dates: Monday, September 7 to Friday, September 18, 2026.
• 3rd Grade assessment dates: Monday, September 7 to Friday, September 18, 2026.
• 4th Grade assessment dates: Monday, September 7 to Friday, September 18, 2026.
• 5th Grade assessment dates: Monday, September 7 to Friday, September 18, 2026.
• 6th Grade assessment dates: Monday, September 7 to Friday, September 25, 2026.
• 7th Grade assessment dates: Monday, September 7 to Friday, October 2, 2026.
• 8th Grade assessment dates: Monday, September 7 to Friday, September 25, 2026.
• 10th Grade positioning test dates: Monday, September 7 to Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Why start assessments in 1st Grade?

The skills of 1st graders in French and mathematics are assessed in September, and then again during a mid-term review at the end of January. These initial tests focus on the child’s ability to recognize sounds, understand words, sentences, and texts orally, and identify letters of the alphabet. In mathematics, students are assessed on their ability to know and use numbers up to 10 and to solve simple problems.

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Assessments from 2nd to 5th Grade

In French, students are evaluated annually on their mastery of reading, writing, and their understanding of both oral and written language, their ability to comprehend and use different nominal groups, to memorize verb tenses, and to find synonyms.

In mathematics, the exercises focus on the understanding and use of numbers up to 100 in 2nd grade, then 1000 in 3rd grade, and so on. Mental math and problem-solving, tailored to each grade level, are also part of the tests. Starting in 3rd grade, students must also know how to perform operations and represent fractions.

6th Grade Assessments

Unlike in elementary school where tests are conducted on paper, middle school students take fully digital assessments. These interactive tests aim to pinpoint students’ needs relative to precise national standards.

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In math, the focus is on numbers and calculations, sizes and measurements, as well as geometry and space. In French, exercises and the fluency test (reading a text aloud accurately and quickly) mainly focus on reading and understanding written texts, oral language, and language studies (spelling, grammar, vocabulary).

Assessments in 7th and 8th Grades

The mid-middle school evaluations particularly assess linguistic and language skills, including the annual fluency test to track students’ progress. In mathematics, they tackle exercises that demonstrate their ability to directly apply learned automatism from previous grades, and they also delve into data management and functions. These tests also prepare them for their first major exam at the end of 9th grade: the diploma test.

10th Grade Positioning Tests

All general, technological, and vocational high school sophomores also take a “positioning test” on a digital platform aimed at “preparing personalized support for each student” for the rest of the year. The French test is organized into three parts: language study, written comprehension, and oral comprehension. Similarly, in mathematics, three main topics are covered: data organization and management, functions, numbers and calculations, and finally, space and geometry. In general and technological tracks, students are also assessed on algebraic expressions.