You often hear people talk about «standardised», «local» and «regional» exams, sometimes as if they were all the same thing. Before you start preparing your revision notes, make sure you’re clear about which exams you’re going to sit. You’ll then be able to organise your revision without trying to do everything every evening.
This guide covers the general pathway for pupils in Year 9 at secondary school in Morocco. Specific pathways and independent candidates may be subject to different arrangements. Your school is the best point of contact to confirm your situation.
Local and regional: what’s the difference?
The local standardised examination is organised at school level at the end of the first term. The regional exam takes place at the end of the year, across the region. These are in addition to continuous assessment. Check the official dates with your school and in the announcements from your local education authority: do not base your timetable on a shared date without a source.
Under the general system outlined in the school guides consulted, the final average [1] comprises 30 % units for continuous monitoring, 30 % units for local operations and 40 % units for regional operations. The figure of 40 % units for regional operations is also mentioned in a parliamentary question on the organisation of [2] exams.
Fictitious example: with a mark of 12 for continuous assessment, 11 for the local exam and 13 for the regional exam, the calculation is 12 × 0.30 + 11 × 0.30 + 13 × 0.40 = 12.10 out of 20. This is an example calculation, not an admission decision: the applicable rules and the final decision rest with the institution.
Subjects and weightings: don’t mix up the answer sheets
For the regional examination in the general stream, the guides consulted list Arabic, French and mathematics with a weighting of 3; Islamic studies, social sciences, and [4] Physics and Chemistry, and Life and Earth Sciences, with a weighting of 1. Please confirm this marking scheme for your course and exam session. It should not be confused with the weightings for continuous assessment or the internal exam.
A weighting factor represents the weighting of a subject in a mark average. Each mark is multiplied by its weighting factor, the results are added together, and the total is then divided by the sum of the weighting factors. By contrast, the marking scheme specifies the marks allocated to the questions in an examination.
In French, the ministerial body consulted organises the work, in particular, around the [3] reading comprehension, language skills and written expression. In maths, practise writing out the steps; in Arabic, focus on reading comprehension and written expression as well. Ask your teachers for the assessment criteria applicable to your exam session.
Week 1: Identify what’s holding you back
In maths, choose a suitable past paper and have a go at a few questions without checking your answers. Categorise your mistakes: forgotten lesson content, calculation errors, misreading the question, or an unfamiliar method. Then tackle one problem at a time.
In French, read a short text, answer some comprehension questions and write a paragraph. In Arabic, carry out the same assessment using your class materials: comprehension, language and expression. Make a note of what is preventing you from answering, not just the mark you achieved.
Make sure you also set aside time for the other subjects in the regional curriculum. The three priority subjects do not replace the rest of the curriculum.
Week 2: consolidates the essential basics
In maths, alternate between short exercises and simple problems. For each theorem, write down the conditions under which it can be applied. In French, pick out two common grammatical mistakes and write a short text in which you watch out for them.
In Arabic, revise the language concepts covered in class using sentences, then practise constructing a coherent answer. Ask someone to mark a passage if you can’t explain where you’ve gone wrong. The aim is to understand what you need to change next time.
Week 3: practise in the exam format
Choose questions that match your level and your syllabus. Stick to the time limit stated on the question paper to complete the full mock exam. Otherwise, make it clear that you are working on just a section of the paper.
In maths, check your working. In French and Arabic, re-read your answers, checking first for any omissions in following the instructions, then for any language errors. Set aside proper time for marking after each session.
Week 4: stabilise and lighten
Go through the questions that you found tricky again. Get your documents, permitted materials and travel arrangements sorted. The night before, stick to a few familiar revision points and have a quiet evening.
If you’re struggling with a particular concept, send Elite Academy details of your class, the subject and the relevant exercise. You don’t need to wait until you’ve understood everything before asking for help: a specific question is already a good start.
Enquire about secondary school tuition →
→ See also: Maths in Year 9: the chapters that really make a difference · How to organise your revision at secondary school: a simple method that works
