Lycée professionnel : what is it ?

If your children go to a "lycée professionnel", they will have from 40 to 60% of « enseignements professionnels ou technologiques » (these subjects are strongly orientated toward a specific knowledge and a specific job, lessons will take place in a laboratory or in a workshop), and they will also study French, maths, foreign languages.

In a «  lycée professionnel », pupils prepare :

There are 50 different BEP and 215 CAP. The main difference between these two diplomas is that  « CAP » leads to a particular job whereas a “BEP” is a more general diploma and leads more easily to longer studies (after a BEP, your children can obtain a “bac” whereas after a “CAP” they can’t).

Once they get their BEP diploma, your children can prepare a « bac professionnel » or « bac technologique” or a « mention complémentaire ».

If your children choose a « bac technologique », they will be offered the possibility to study 2 years more to get a "BTS" diploma : « BTS »  means « brevet de technicien supérieur ». This "BTS" diploma can’t be prepared at a “lycée” because it belongs to “enseignement supérieur” like university.

On the otherhand, a “bac professionnel » or a « mention complémentaire » aim at an immediate professional activity instead of longer studies.

See "lycée général & technologique"

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