CE1D preparation: private lessons and holiday courses
Is your child sitting the CE1D in June 2027? Two options to prepare, which can be combined:
- small-group holiday courses;
- private lessons with a coach chosen for them, at home anywhere in Belgium or online.
They strengthen the foundations of the first two years of secondary school, practise on past papers and arrive in June with method and confidence.
Holiday courses or private lessons: how to prepare for the CE1D?
Depending on the time left and your child's needs, choose one or the other, or combine them.
Small-group holiday courses
During the school holidays, a few days in a small group cover the CE1D subjects using past papers. The next dates are announced on this page. No registration fee.
Private lessons
A coach chosen by an educational advisor, at home anywhere in Belgium or online, follows your child week after week on what they find difficult. From €35 to €40 an hour depending on the size of the programme, plus a €75 registration fee per school year and per family.
Both, combined
The course gives an overview of all four tests; the coach then works at home on the weak points it revealed. This is the option to consider as soon as a gap appears, ideally from the second term.
The CE1D 2027 at a glance
The CE1D (certificat d’études du premier degré) is the external exam that concludes the first two years of secondary school in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. All pupils in the 2e secondaire commune sit it, with the same questions and the same marking criteria.
Four tests, from 18 to 24 June 2027:
- modern languages (Dutch, English or German): written test on Friday 18 June, oral on the day chosen by the school;
- the mathematics test, Monday 21 June;
- the French test, Tuesday 22 June;
- sciences: Wednesday 23 June.
The pass mark rises to 60% in each of the four tests, up from 50% until 2026.
Preparation built around your child
The CE1D brings no new material: it covers the first and second years of secondary school, built on primary school foundations. The coach therefore starts from what your child already knows.
Revisit weak foundations
Fractions, negative numbers, algebra, conjugation, agreement: the coach spots what has been difficult since the first year of secondary school, sometimes since primary school, and rebuilds it from the basics.
Practise the CE1D format
100-minute blocks, long instructions, sets of documents to cross-check, listening tasks in languages: your child learns to manage their time and read the whole instruction.
Plan the revision
A practice paper every two or three weeks from the second term, then a steadier pace in May and June. Your child knows what to work on and when.
Private lessons in every CE1D subject
Choose the subject where your child needs the most help: the coach works on it with them until June.
CE1D preparation holiday courses
During the school holidays, small-group courses review the CE1D subjects and train pupils on past papers. They are taught in French.
The dates of the next courses will be announced here soon. In the meantime, an educational advisor can help you on 02 533 07 70.
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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Past papers, the best practice
The Wallonia-Brussels Federation publishes each CE1D paper with its answer key. Sitting it under timed conditions, then marking it with your child, remains the best way to spot what is not yet secure.
We explain where to find the papers and how to use them, subject by subject:
Your questions about CE1D preparation
The certificat d’études du premier degré (CE1D) is the common external exam that concludes the first two years of secondary school in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. It assesses French, mathematics, sciences and a modern language (Dutch, English or German). All pupils in the 2e secondaire commune sit it.
From 18 to 24 June 2027: modern languages (written) on Friday 18 June, oral between 18 and 24 June, mathematics on Monday 21, French on Tuesday 22 and sciences on Wednesday 23 June.
From June 2027, pupils need at least 60% in each of the four tests. Until 2026, 50% was enough. A pupil who fails a test can still be awarded the certificate by the class council, based on their school record.
Ideally from the second term of the 2e secondaire: a practice paper every two or three weeks, then a steadier pace in May and June. If a gap appears earlier, it is better to deal with it straight away.
Private lessons suit a child who needs regular follow-up on their weak points. The holiday course offers intensive small-group revision during the holidays. Both options can be combined, and an educational advisor helps you choose.
Yes. The coach comes to your home anywhere in Belgium, or teaches online. Online lessons have no travel costs.
Private lessons follow the secondary school rate: €40 an hour for a programme of less than 12 hours, down to €35 an hour from 36 hours, plus a €75 registration fee per school year and per family. The group course has its own price, shown on its page, with no registration fee.
Yes, it is the best practice there is. Past papers and their answer keys are published by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. We explain how to use them in our subject guides, for example CE1D mathematics or CE1D Dutch.
