ADHD: how to prepare for the brevet and baccalaureat with this condition?
National exams represent a particular challenge for pupils with ADHD. The length of the papers, time management and performance pressure amplify the symptoms. With the right arrangements and suitable preparation, it is entirely possible to succeed.
The arrangements you are entitled to
Pupils with ADHD may benefit from official arrangements during national exams on the basis of the PAP. Extra time, i.e. 33% additional time, is the most common and most impactful arrangement. Short active breaks may be scheduled for long papers. Placement in a smaller room with fewer distractions is often possible. And in some severe cases, the spreading of papers over several days may be arranged.
How to obtain these arrangements
The request for arrangements must be made well in advance: from Year 9 for the brevet and from Year 11 for the baccalaureat. The request goes through the school doctor, who compiles a file based on the diagnostic documents. If the pupil already has a PAP, exam arrangements are generally granted more easily.
Preparing for the papers with suitable strategies
Revision techniques must be adapted to the ADHD profile. Short, frequent sessions rather than revision marathons. Active methods, revision sheets, mind maps, spoken reformulation, which maintain engagement rather than passive reading. And the use of digital tools such as spaced-repetition apps to memorise the key information.
Managing exam stress
Exam stress is particularly intense for pupils with ADHD whose emotional regulation is already fragile. Stress-management techniques learned in advance, cardiac coherence, mindfulness, and preparing a stabilising morning routine on the day of the papers. For resources on exam arrangements for pupils with DYS and ADHD, lesdys.fr offers practical guides.
