Central exam board preparation: private tutoring
Is your child sitting exams before a central board rather than at school? French-speaking pupils take the CE1D, CE2D or CESS before the jury of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation; Dutch-speaking pupils go to the Flemish Examencommissie. Neither board teaches.
A My Sherpa coach prepares your child subject by subject, at home anywhere in Belgium or online, on the official content and at the pace of the exam sessions.
Belgium's central exam boards in brief
In Belgium, each Community has its own exam board for secondary education. Outside school, they award:
- the CE1D, CE2D and CESS, through the jury of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (the "jury central");
- the certificates of the 1st and 2nd stage, through the Examencommissie secundair onderwijs of the Flemish Community;
- in both cases, a secondary school diploma that opens the way to higher education.
These certificates carry the same value as those earned at school. But the board tests a whole stage (two years) at once, and your child studies without lessons: there is far more content to master in one go.
Which certificate, on what conditions?
Admission conditions and subjects, as published by each board.
CE1D (French-speaking)
From age 13, with the CEB, or after two years of the 1st stage at school. Six subjects: French, maths, science, a modern language (English, Dutch or German), history and geography. The first four are the common external exams, the same as in schools.
CE2D and CESS (French-speaking)
CE2D from age 14 with the CE1D, CESS from age 16 or with the CE2D. French, maths, science, a modern language, history and geography, plus one option: Latin, social sciences, economics or a second modern language. The CESS gives access to higher education.
Flemish Examencommissie
Open to everyone, whatever their age or background. Certificates for the 1st and 2nd stage, then the diploma of secondary education, in the new study programmes in force since September 2025.
How do the exams work?
Knowing the calendar and the rules is already half of planning the preparation.
Two different calendars
French-speaking jury: two cycles a year, August to January and February to July, registration for two weeks in July or January, €50 per cycle. Flemish Examencommissie: registration at any time, €41 per study programme, 5 exam series a year.
Subject by subject
Your child can sit a few subjects at a time. With the French-speaking jury, a subject passed with 10/20 is kept until the diploma. With the Examencommissie, a pass is 50% and stays valid for 7 years, with no deliberation.
Written, digital and oral
French-speaking jury: written exams on site in Wallonia or Brussels, orals in modern languages and, for the CE2D and CESS, in French on set books. Examencommissie: mostly computer-based exams at its centre in Brussels, with orals for languages.
Who takes the central exam board route?
Every family has its own reasons. These are the most common situations.
Home education
A year of home education leads to no certificate: the board validates the level. French-speaking side: CE1D by 14 and CE2D by 16 (age on 31 August). Flemish side: 1st stage certificate in the school year your child turns 16 before 1 January.
After dropping out
Your child has left school or is falling behind. The board lets them complete a stage at their own pace, then go back to school or on to higher education.
Sport, art, travel
High-level sport or art with daytime training, or a family trip of a year or more: your child studies at their own pace and sits the exams when ready.
Preparation built around your child
The boards publish programmes, guidelines and sample questions, but no lessons. The coach brings the explanations, the practice and the structure.
Choosing the subjects and the timing
The coach starts from your child's level to set a realistic goal: which certificate, which subjects first, which cycle or exam series. The schedule follows the exam dates published by the board.
Working on the official content
The French-speaking jury follows the Wallonia-Brussels Federation programmes and its subject guidelines; the Examencommissie publishes a subject sheet (vakfiche) and a sample exam for each subject. The coach works from these documents.
Preparing for the orals
Set books in French, articles and conversations in modern languages: your child practises presenting, arguing and answering an examiner's questions.
Private tutoring in the board's subjects
Choose the subject where your child needs the most help: the coach works on it with them until the exams.
How does it work?
Analysis of the situation and goals
A My Sherpa educational advisor gets in touch and analyses the pupil's needs.
Designing the coaching programme
Your educational advisor proposes a suitable programme.
Coach selection
Your educational advisor selects the coach who suits your needs and your schedule.
Coaching follow-up
Throughout the programme of lessons, your educational advisor follows up and remains available.
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Back to school or on to higher education
With their certificate, your child can return to school in the year it opens: with the CE1D, for example, they enrol in the 3rd year of secondary. The CESS and the Flemish diploma of secondary education give access to higher education.
Aiming for higher education in September? With the French-speaking jury, choose the February to July cycle: results from the August to January cycle come too late to enrol the same year. Universities and colleges also set their own admission requirements.
Your questions about central exam board preparation
It is the common name for the secondary education juries of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which award the CE1D, CE2D and CESS outside school. On the Dutch-speaking side, the equivalent is the Examencommissie secundair onderwijs of the Flemish Community (formerly the "middenjury"). Both award certificates with the same value as those earned at school.
No. Neither board organises lessons. The French-speaking jury publishes programmes, subject guidelines and sample questions; the Examencommissie publishes a subject sheet and a sample exam for each subject. Candidates prepare on their own, at a private school or with private tutoring.
French-speaking jury: CE2D and CESS twice a year, in July for the August to January cycle and in January for the February to July cycle; CE1D once a year, in March or April. Each registration window lasts two weeks. Flemish Examencommissie: registration online at any time, then your child books their own exams in one of the 5 exam series a year.
French-speaking jury: €50 per exam cycle, free for jobseekers, people on the social integration income, and minors whose legal guardian is in one of these situations. Flemish Examencommissie: €41 per study programme, never refunded.
No. With the French-speaking jury, each subject passed with at least 10/20 is kept until the diploma, and between 8 and 10/20 the jury can still grant the diploma at deliberation. With the Examencommissie, a subject is passed at 50% and the result stays valid for 7 years; there is no deliberation, only a few tolerance points between 45 and 50%.
The French-speaking jury does not publish them, only sample questions per subject, except for the four CE1D external exams shared with schools. The Examencommissie offers a sample exam per subject with every type of question. We explain how to use the CE1D past papers on our page CE1D preparation.
No. Until 18, your child must be enrolled in a school or registered for home education. Registering with the board replaces neither. In home education, however, your child must pass the board's exams on time.
€45 an hour for a programme of under 12 hours, €44 from 12 to 24 hours, €42 from 24 to 36 hours and €40 from 36 hours, plus a €75 registration fee per school year and per family. Lessons take place at home anywhere in Belgium or online, with no travel costs online.
Your child sits the exams of the Flemish Examencommissie, in Dutch. In home education, they must register for its exams no later than the school year in which they turn 15 before 1 January, and obtain the 1st stage certificate in the school year in which they turn 16 before 1 January. Our coaches also prepare for these exams.
