Bac C or bac D: which stream to choose in Seconde, and what it changes later

Information checked on 2 November 2026.

Bac C or bac D? Both streams lead to science degrees, but they do not put the weight in the same place. Stream C puts maths and physics-chemistry at the centre; stream D puts life and earth sciences (SVT) at the centre, with maths that matters but weighs less. The right choice depends on your grades, your plans and how much maths you can handle. Here is what the official texts say, what schools, Campus France and scholarships look at, and a method for deciding in Seconde.

Bac C or bac D: what the texts say

Cameroon publishes its coefficients in an order of 17 March 2022, which makes it a good worked example. Stream C is defined there as "mathematics, physics-chemistry", stream D as "life and earth sciences, environmental education, hygiene and biotechnology (SVTEEHB), mathematics".

In the final year of C, maths weighs 7 out of 33, more than a fifth of the total. In the final year of D, SVT weighs the most (6 out of 31), and physics moves to the second group of subjects.

That detail matters, because in Cameroon the decree on the bac makes the first-group written papers, those of the specialist subjects, eliminatory: you need at least a 10/20 average in them. In C, maths and physics are in that first group. In D, it is SVT, maths, chemistry and computer science. A weakness in physics is easier to absorb in D than in C.

The same order also shows that in Cameroon stream D only starts in Première: in Seconde, the only science stream is C. The real choice therefore happens at the end of Seconde. Details for your country are in our guides to the bac in Cameroon and the bac in Benin.

In Senegal: S1 and S2

Senegal does not use the letters C and D: its general science streams are called S1 and S2. The Office du Baccalauréat publishes separate maths, physical science and SVT papers for each. The official final-year SVT syllabus shows the gap: 74 hours and 19 lessons in S1, 122 hours and 30 lessons in S2. S2 therefore gives much more room to life sciences, like D; S1 gives less, which brings it closer to C. Our guide to the bac in Senegal details the papers.

Study paths: C and D open more doors than you think

The idea that only C leads to engineering schools does not hold up against the schools' own texts:

What changes is your level in maths at the time of the exam or application. A D student aiming for an engineering school must work on maths beyond the syllabus. A C student aiming for medicine or biology must keep a good level in SVT, even if it weighs little in the bac. Our article on entrance exams for top schools in Africa covers these exams.

What Campus France and scholarships look at

Campus France

Campus France does not require a specific stream. Offices publish recommended criteria: Campus France Togo, for example, recommends for first-year bachelor's no repeated year in upper secondary and at least a 12/20 overall average, from Seconde to final year, and in the core subjects of the chosen programme. In practice:

• for a bachelor's in maths, physics or computer science, your maths and physics grades are read first, whether you are in C or D;
• for a bachelor's in biology or chemistry, your SVT and chemistry grades count just as much.

A good average in D beats a shaky average in C. To place your grades, read our article on the average needed for Campus France and the one on Campus France eligibility criteria, then test your profile with the Campus France simulator (in French), free and anonymous.

Scholarships

Scholarships mostly look at your results and your plans, rarely at your stream. A few examples from our directory:

• the AIMS master's in mathematical sciences (in French) trains African mathematicians and scientists: later in your studies, a solid maths background is an asset there;
• the WAAW Foundation scholarship (in French) supports African women in a science bachelor's at a university on the continent;
• the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (in French) funds full bachelor's and master's degrees at partner universities.

Our guide to scholarships for women in science and the one on fully funded scholarships go further. Also turn on scholarship alerts (in French).

How to choose in Seconde: the method

1. Look at your grades honestly

Take your Troisième and Seconde reports. Compare your average in maths and physics-chemistry with your average in SVT.

2. Start from your plans, even vague ones

Write down three jobs or fields that attract you. For each, look up the subjects really used there. Engineering, computer science, physics, statistics: C prepares you better. Medicine, pharmacy, agronomy, biology, environment: D makes sense. If your plans are not fixed yet, that is fine: choose the stream where you will get the best grades, because grades open applications.

3. Measure the workload

C demands hours of maths every week, all year. If you choose C for its prestige and end up with 9 in maths, you lose twice: in the bac, where the first group is eliminatory, and in applications, where the average counts.

4. Ask those who are there

Talk to Première and final-year students in C and D, to your teachers, to the guidance counsellor. On Compatri, your class group connects you with pupils in the same class in other cities, and the diaspora's volunteer mentors, often former C or D students, can tell you what comes next. Contact goes through a connection request with a message, which the mentor accepts.

What if you get it wrong?

Your choice of stream does not close your life. The schools above accept both streams, Campus France reads your grades more than your stream letter, and scholarships look at your whole record. What closes doors is poor grades and an application without a plan. Prepare it early with our guide to preparing your application from Première.

Compatri is neither a ministry nor a Campus France office: only the official texts and the institutions are binding.

Official sources

• Cameroon: order no. 91/22/MINESEC of 17 March 2022 defining upper secondary streams
• Cameroon: order no. 92/22/MINESEC of 17 March 2022 on the nature, duration and coefficients of subjects
• Cameroon: decree no. 95/035 of 24 February 1995 on the organisation of the baccalauréats
• Office du Baccalauréat of Senegal: 2026 general bac papers
• Office du Baccalauréat of Senegal: final-year L and S SVT syllabuses
• École supérieure polytechnique de Dakar: 2025 DUT exam, subjects and options
• 2iE Institute: programme catalogue
• INP-HB: admission after the baccalauréat
• Campus France Togo: recommended criteria