Orientation After the BEM in Algeria: How to Help Your Child Choose
After the BEM, students go into the Science and Technology or Letters common core based on their wishes, grades and the class council. Here is how to help them choose.
After passing the BEM, Algerian students move up to the first year of secondary school (1AS) and are placed in one of two common cores: Science and Technology (جذع مشترك علوم وتكنولوجيا) or Letters (جذع مشترك آداب). The decision rests on three things: the wishes the student writes on the wish form, their averages in the key subjects for each common core, and the decision of the class council, supported by the school guidance counsellor. As a parent, your job is not to choose for them but to help them make a realistic choice, because this common core largely determines which Bac streams will be open to them.
What are the two common cores in 1AS?
1AS is a shared foundation year before students specialise in 2AS. The difference between the two common cores is the weight given to each subject:
- Science and Technology common core: more weight on maths, physics, natural sciences and technology. It suits students who are comfortable with calculation and scientific reasoning.
- Letters common core: more weight on Arabic, foreign languages, history and geography, and later philosophy. It suits students who do well at reading, writing and expressing ideas.
Neither one is the 'better' option. A student who is average at maths but strong in languages will often get a better Bac in Foreign Languages than in Experimental Sciences, where they would have spent three years struggling.
Which common core leads to which Bac stream?
At the end of 1AS there is a second round of orientation into a stream. Under the current system, broadly speaking:
- From Science and Technology: Experimental Sciences, Mathematics, Technical Mathematics (civil, mechanical, electrical or process engineering) and Management and Economics.
- From Letters: Letters and Philosophy, and Foreign Languages (with a third language such as Spanish, German or Italian depending on the school).
- An Arts stream also exists in a small number of secondary schools, with entry conditions that vary by wilaya.
Each stream has its own Bac coefficients, and they decide the final average. For the details, see our guide on how the Bac average and coefficients work by stream. Some university courses, such as medicine or engineering schools, require specific streams, so it is worth thinking about the longer term now, without turning it into a source of stress.
How orientation works: wishes, averages and the class council
- 1The wish form: during 4AM, the student ranks the two common cores in order of preference. A parent signs it, so talk it through with your child before you sign.
- 2The orientation average: a separate average is worked out for each common core from the most relevant subjects (for example maths, physics and natural sciences for Science and Technology; Arabic, French, English, history and geography for Letters).
- 3The class council: teachers and the school guidance counsellor review each file, compare wishes with grades and the places available, and propose an orientation.
- 4The notification: the student is told which common core they have been placed in, usually after the BEM results are published.
Calculation methods and deadlines can change from year to year. Ask the guidance counsellor or the administration at your child's middle school (CEM) which rules apply this year, and follow official announcements from the Ministry of National Education.
How to choose based on strengths, not pressure
Many Algerian families push their children towards sciences because it is seen as 'the road to medicine and engineering', or because a cousin went that way. But pressure often leads to falling grades and lost confidence. Before filling in the wish form, sit down with your child and look at the facts together:
- How do their results in maths and sciences compare with languages across 3AM and 4AM, not just one term?
- Which subjects do they revise willingly, and which do they avoid?
- Which jobs make them curious? Even vague ideas point in a direction.
- What do their teachers, who see their work every day, think?
If your child is close to the threshold for the science core and genuinely wants it, targeted support in maths or physics over the holidays can make the difference, as we explain in our summer study plan. If they have struggled in these subjects for years, it is wiser to respect a literary profile than to impose three exhausting years.
Vocational training: a real option, not a failure
General secondary school is not the only path. Algeria's vocational training and education sector offers many specialities through vocational training and apprenticeship centres (CFPA) and specialised national institutes (INSFP): electrical work, refrigeration and air conditioning, mechanics, IT, hospitality, hairdressing, tailoring, construction and more. Training can be full-time at the centre or through apprenticeship inside a company, with a small allowance.
Entry level depends on the qualification: some are open at 4AM level, while the BTS (higher technician certificate) usually requires 3AS level. This route suits students who enjoy practical work and want to enter the job market with skills employers need. Ask the vocational training directorate in your wilaya about intake sessions (often February and September) and the specialities available locally.
Can you appeal or change common core?
Yes, in some cases. If your child is placed in a common core they did not want, an appeal can usually be filed with the school or the wilaya's education directorate within a short deadline after the notification. It has a better chance if the student's average is close to the threshold and places remain. Keep copies of report cards, submit a written request explaining your reasons, and follow up on the reply.
Even after 1AS, nothing is set in stone: orientation into a stream at the end of the common core is a second chance. What matters most is that your child keeps good results in every subject during 1AS, because those are the grades that will count.
If you spot a weakness in a key subject for the chosen common core, do not wait for the end of term. You can find a private teacher in your wilaya on Tadreasy and contact them directly for a few support sessions from the start of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Is orientation based only on the BEM mark? No. It usually combines the yearly averages in each common core's key subjects with the BEM result, then the student's wishes and the places available. Check the formula used this year with the middle school.
Can a Letters student move into Management and Economics? Under the current system, Management and Economics comes from the Science and Technology common core, so keep this in mind when filling in the wish form.
My child can't decide between the two. What should I do? Book a meeting with the guidance counsellor, compare results over two years and talk about the subjects they enjoy. Hesitation is normal at this age, and a decision based on facts is better than one made under pressure.
Does vocational training mean the end of studying? No. It leads to recognised qualifications and real job opportunities, and students can later progress to higher levels such as the BTS, depending on the rules in force.
