This article is about French-speaking education in Belgium: the CEB (certificat d’études de base) is the external exam at the end of primary school in schools of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, in Brussels and Wallonia. It is useful for expat and Dutch-speaking families whose child attends a French-speaking school. From June 2027, passing the CEB requires an average of at least 60%, on top of 50% in each of the four subjects. If your child is in the final year of primary school (6e primaire) this year, they are the first to be affected. Here is what the new rule says exactly, what it changes for your child, and how to approach the year without turning it into a race for marks.
CEB 2027: what the new rule says
The CEB (certificat d’études de base, the primary school certificate of French-speaking education) is the external exam that concludes primary school in schools of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Its pass requirements were raised by a decree of 19 March 2026, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 31 March 2026, which came into force on 24 August 2026.
In practice, to pass the exam, your child must obtain:
- at least 50% in French;
- at least 50% in mathematics;
- at least 50% in science;
- at least 50% in history and geography;
- and an average of at least 60% across the whole exam.
Both conditions apply together. A pupil who scores 70% everywhere except 45% in science has not passed the exam. Neither has a pupil who scores above 50% in every subject but ends up with a 57% average.
CEB 2027: what are the dates?
According to the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (circular 9788 of 27 August 2026), the exam takes place on the mornings of Monday 21, Tuesday 22, Thursday 24 and Friday 25 June 2027. It is therefore the first session to which the 60% threshold applies.
Like the 2026 exam, the CEB 2027 is based on the reference frameworks of the common core curriculum (tronc commun). Older exams, written for the previous curriculum, remain good practice, although a few questions no longer match what your child learns in class.
From 50 to 60%: what really changes?
Until 2026, 50% in each subject was enough, with no average required. A first change came in June 2026: the former “éveil” score, which combined science and history-geography, was abolished. These two subjects now count separately.
The new element in 2027 is therefore the 60% average. It mainly changes two things:
- Scraping 50% is no longer enough. A child who only just passes all four subjects may stay below 60% overall.
- Strengths do not make up for everything. A very good mark in mathematics raises the average, but does not offset a result below 50% in French or science.
What counts, then, is a balanced foundation: not necessarily brilliant results, but no subject left behind.
If the threshold is not reached, is the CEB lost?
No, not automatically. The 60% threshold is the one for passing the exam. The school jury can still award the CEB to a pupil who did not reach it, or who could not sit the whole exam.
The jury then bases its decision on the pupil’s file: the school reports from the last two years, the assessments carried out during the year and any other useful element. A child who has worked steadily and made progress therefore keeps every chance, even after a difficult morning.
If the CEB is refused, the school arranges a meeting with the parents, and an appeal to the appeals board is possible under certain conditions. The jury also decides what comes next: moving up to the first year of secondary school or, exceptionally, repeating the final year of primary school.
The CE1D and CESS also move to 60%
The same decree raises the threshold for the other certificate exams of French-speaking education, with an even stricter rule: 60% in each exam.
- the CE1D, at the end of the second year of secondary school (French, mathematics, science, modern language);
- the CESS, at the end of the sixth year of secondary school (French and history, for the pupils concerned).
For the CE1D, you will find our advice in the article Parents: how to prepare for the CE1D. The CEB remains the certificate exam at the end of primary school: the reform changes its pass requirements, not its existence.
60%: a threshold, not a goal
The figure is impressive, but it helps to keep it in perspective. The CEB checks that the learning expected at the end of primary school is sufficiently mastered. For a child who follows their schooling without major difficulties, 60% remains achievable without intensive preparation.
The higher threshold does, however, leave less room for gaps. A difficulty with fractions or with reading documents, which could have been “offset” before, now weighs more. Hence the value of spotting it early.
How can you prepare without too much pressure?
The new threshold mainly invites you to follow the year closely, rather than packing everything into the last few weeks. A few pointers:
- From the autumn, look at the school reports subject by subject: a weak result in science or history-geography deserves as much attention as one in mathematics.
- Talk to the teacher at parent meetings: which skills does your child still need to consolidate?
- Tackle a difficulty as soon as it appears. Fractions misunderstood in October leave months to work on them; discovered in May, they become a source of stress.
- Keep past exams for the spring, to practise the format, the instructions and time management. We explain how to use them in the article CEB: past exam papers.
For the general organisation of revision, from planning to exam day, see our guide on how to prepare your child for the CEB.
The “60% effect” on stress
For many children, the CEB is their first big exam. Hearing that “you now need 60%” can be enough to give them the impression that the exam has become much harder.
Parents often feel this pressure too, and it gets passed on without meaning to: talking about the CEB more often, worrying about every test, piling on exercises. Yet taking the CEB seriously and turning it into a source of anxiety are two different things.
Present it for what it is: an important step that your child has been preparing for over several years, and for which the school jury takes their whole school career into account.
A coach to strengthen the basics throughout the year
At My Sherpa, an educational advisor chooses a coach suited to your child’s needs. With private tutoring in primary school, at home anywhere in Belgium or online, the coach works on weak points subject by subject, trains your child on the CEB format and helps them approach June with confidence.
Depending on your child’s needs, a few targeted sessions in one subject are enough, or regular support throughout the year.
