The 2026 bac has delivered its verdict: of the 744,600 candidates who sat the June session, 91.4% passed, according to the provisional results published by the French Ministry of Education after the resit exams. For the roughly 64,000 candidates who did not pass, the question now is: what to do in September? Good news: work-study remains one of the doors still open in September, even without the diploma.
In short: the 2026 bac pass rate is 91.4% (compared with 91.8% in June 2025), i.e. around 64,000 candidates who did not pass. The resit orals were held from 8 to 10 July 2026. For those who failed, a CAP or a vocational bac through apprenticeship offers a fresh start in September, with no diploma requirement and a salary; a BTS, a BUT or a bachelor's programme is normally reserved for bac holders.
What happens after the 2026 bac resit orals?
The resit orals — or “second-group exams” — took place from Wednesday 8 to Friday 10 July 2026 (noon at the latest) in every académie. They were open to candidates whose overall average was between 8 and 9.99/20. The last results were integrated before the end of the Parcoursup main phase on Saturday 11 July.
| 2026 bac indicator (June session) | Value |
|---|---|
| Candidates who sat the exam | 744,600 |
| Overall pass rate | 91.4% |
| General bac | 95.9% |
| Technological bac | 90.3% |
| Vocational bac | 84.3% |
| Candidates who did not pass (estimate) | ≈ 64,000 |
| Resit orals | 8 – 10 July 2026 |
“In the June 2026 baccalauréat session, the overall pass rate stands at 91.4% in France.” — French Ministry of Education, provisional results of the June 2026 session
Candidates who did not obtain the diploma cannot sit it again in September: the make-up session (written exams from 7 to 10 September 2026 for the general and technological bac) is reserved for candidates prevented from sitting in June by a duly justified reason of force majeure (illness, accident, etc.). Those who failed must therefore choose between repeating the year, resitting the bac in 2027 or changing direction from September.
Solution 1 — CAP or vocational bac in work-study from September
This is the royal road for young people who want to enter a trade quickly without going through the “exam” step again. Both the CAP and the vocational bac can be done through apprenticeship from the age of 16, with no diploma requirement: the apprenticeship contract is enough.
Concrete benefits:
- No diploma requirement for entry.
- A monthly salary: in the first year, between 27% and 53% of the SMIC depending on age for under-26s, i.e. €504.09 to €989.52 gross per month since 1 June 2026.
- Employment: according to the DEPP (French education statistics), 66% of CAP-to-BTS-level apprentices who left education in 2023 were in salaried employment six months later, and 73% two years later.
- Sectors that are hiring: construction, hospitality and catering, industry, personal care services.
Our page on work-study in construction and the building trade lists the main programmes accessible without the bac, and the simulator gives you your net apprentice salary in under a minute.
Solution 2 — BTS in work-study: possible, but not without the bac
A BTS is normally taken after the bac (or another level-4 qualification). Without the diploma, admission is only possible case by case, depending on the institution: ask the CFA directly, but don't make it your only plan.
If your original plan involves a BTS (sales, IT, accounting, etc.), you have two strategies: resit the bac in 2027 (see solution 5) and then apply, or start with a level-4 qualification in work-study, such as a vocational bac, which then lets you aim for a BTS. For bac holders, apprenticeship choices on Parcoursup stay open until 8 September 2026.
To give yourself the best chance, browse our advice on finding a work-study company and explore the work-study offers available right now.
Solution 3 — BUT or bachelor's: a goal for the following year
BUT (formerly DUT) and most bachelor's programmes are taken after the bac. Parallel admission, which lets you join directly in the 2nd or 3rd year, is for students who have already completed part of a higher-education course: it therefore does not apply to candidates who have just failed the bac.
The BUT confers the licence (bachelor's) degree level (bac+3) and can be prepared through work-study: an option to keep in mind once you have the bac.
Once you have the bac, these programmes become accessible again, notably via Parcoursup, often with a work-study component. To identify the sectors and employers that are hiring, see the companies recruiting work-study students in 2026.
Solution 4 — Pre-apprenticeship and support schemes
For candidates who need support before signing a contract, some CFAs and organisations offer pre-apprenticeship programmes: ask your local Mission locale (youth employment centre) or the CFAs in your region.
Other schemes worth knowing:
- The Contrat d'engagement jeune (CEJ — youth commitment contract): for 16–25-year-olds (29 for those with a recognised disability), intensive support of 15 to 20 hours a week for up to 12 months (extendable by 6 months), with an allowance of up to €566.17 per month depending on age and resources.
- The École de la 2e chance (E2C — second-chance school): paid training for 16–25-year-olds who left school at least a year ago and are unemployed — an option for later if September leads nowhere.
- The Cordées de la réussite: mentoring and tutoring to access higher education.
These schemes can serve as a springboard towards an apprenticeship. To go further, our guide how work-study works details the financial aid and statuses available.
Solution 5 — Resit the bac as an independent candidate while working
The CNED (French national distance-learning centre) lets you prepare for the baccalauréat remotely over one year, while keeping a job or another activity alongside. The 2027 session exams will take place in June 2027.
This is the solution to choose if your career plan absolutely requires the bac (health studies, grandes écoles, civil-service competitive exams). Combined with paid work, it lets you keep building experience without losing a year.
To estimate what you could earn in parallel, use our work-study salary simulator.
2026 timeline: the key steps for those who failed the bac
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 7 July 2026 | Publication of the 2026 bac results |
| 8 – 10 July 2026 | Resit orals (second group) |
| 15 July 2026 | Publication date of this guide |
| Late July → late August | Speculative applications to companies |
| 8 September 2026 | Deadline for apprenticeship choices on Parcoursup |
| Early September 2026 | Start of term in many CFAs |
| 7 – 10 September 2026 | Make-up written exams for the general and technological bac (only for candidates prevented in June) |
| Up to 3 months after the start of training | Deadline to sign an apprenticeship contract if you started at a CFA without an employer |
How to make the most of the two summer months?
Summer is the most strategic period to secure your September start. Three priorities to tackle right now:
- Get your transcript as soon as it is available: it will be required for any enrolment.
- Send out lots of applications to companies: the 3-month window after the start of training gives you some leeway, but the best positions go from July. Our method for succeeding in your work-study interview will help you.
- Plan your budget for September with the pay simulator and check housing aid for work-study students if you are leaving the family home.
Not getting the bac in 2026 is not the end of the road: it is a turning point. Work-study remains one of the most solid routes to lasting employment: according to the DEPP, 73% of CAP-to-BTS-level apprentices are in salaried employment two years after leaving education. The key is not to wait until September to get moving.