2025 French National Education Assessments Show Stable Results With Modest Improvements in Reading and Math

On November 19 and 20, the French Ministry of Education unveiled the 2025 national evaluation results covering approximately 7 million students from primary to lower secondary levels. Overall, the results demonstrate stable performance since evaluations began in 2019, with some encouraging signs of progress in specific areas.

In French, students displayed modest advances, particularly in reading fluency, a key skill for comprehension. Two-thirds of 6th graders now meet the benchmark of reading 120 words per minute. Notably, students from REP+ zones—priority education areas—improved fluency rates from 36% to 43% over four years, though they remain below the average for other public schools (60%) and private institutions (71%). However, challenges persist in other French skills, especially writing and grammar, where only 52% of 5th graders demonstrated satisfactory mastery of written comprehension and grammar.

Mathematics performance revealed persistent disparities, especially between students from disadvantaged backgrounds and others. Still, gains were visible; for instance, the gap in math skills like number comparison in CP classes narrowed from 16 points in 2019 to 11 points in 2025, driven largely by progress in priority education zones. Despite these improvements, math competencies overall remain insufficient, reflecting ongoing concerns.

These national evaluations, initiated in 2019 under President Macron's first term to improve fundamental learning skills, confirm entrenched performance gaps by social background and gender—boys tend to outperform in math, while girls excel in French. The Ministry's data highlight the need for continued focus on reducing inequalities and strengthening key competencies across all student groups.