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In Japan, the university entrance exam season is just around the corner. With less than three months until the Common Test for University Admissions in January next year, students across the country are likely spending tense days studying.
In contrast, Morocco has a different system from ours. According to Marwane, a Moroccan native, the country has a qualification exam for advancing to universities and vocational schools called the Baccalaureate (or "Bac"). The name is derived from French. Instead of a pass/fail decision based on a single test result, the final grade is calculated based on an accumulation of evaluations over multiple years.
How the Baccalaureate is Graded
The main breakdown of the scores is as follows: 25% comes from subject tests (such as French and Arabic) administered at the end of the second year of high school. The remaining 75% is accumulated during the third year of high school: 25% is based on several regular term examinations and 50% is added from the year-end national exam, which includes both specialized subjects (such as economics and organizational studies) and general subjects (such as philosophy and mathematics).
Essentially, the evaluation is a cumulative score reflecting the student's daily learning and performance in exams.
Moroccan high school students begin focusing on the Baccalaureate from their first year, creating long-term study plans. Marwan notes that thanks to this structure, "students naturally develop the mindset to look ahead to their future and dedicate themselves to studying early on".
In every country, the sight of young people striving to seize their future is inspiring. Though the format may differ, the time spent studying at a desk perhaps carries the same weight all over the world.
Marwane (second from left) with friends before taking the national exam (May 2021)
Yartaoui Marwane
Nickname: Marwane
2nd-year student, Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies
(Article Source : Oita Godo Shimbun, October 28, 2025, Morning Edition)
Based on a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Oita Godo Newspaper, since January 2022, Student PR Assistants (SPA) have been contributing their interviews with international students to the life and culture section of the newspaper’s morning edition. SPA will introduce different cultures and the interesting topics they raise from an authentic, student perspective. These student writers take this opportunity to get the newspaper’s readership and students interested in the world. They also aim to improve their skills with the aid of professional editors.
!Hola¡ My name is Miyabi and my hobby is challening myself at anything! I am also interested in the Spanish-speaking world and the field of education! Through SPA, I would like to convey not only the charm of the unique life at APU, but also the study abroad program in Spain starting in the fall of 2023! !
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