The CEB gets harder in 2027 — what English-speaking parents need to know
From June 2027, a child sitting the CEB must still score 50% in each of the three subjects — French, mathematics and éveil — and, on top of that, reach a 60% overall average. That is the only condition that changes. The school jury keeps the power it has today to award the certificate on the strength of the child’s wider record.
First, what the CEB is
The CEB — Certificat d’études de base — is the external exam at the end of primary school in the French-language system, the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. It is sat in June of the 6th year. If your child is in a Dutch-language school, this does not apply to them: they sit the Vlaamse toetsen, which are diagnostic and have no pass mark.
What changes in June 2027
The Federation’s government adopted the decree on 3 March 2026. It takes effect with the 2026-2027 school year, so the first exam affected is June 2027. The same reform raises the bar for the CE1D and the CESS later in secondary.
The arithmetic, with numbers
The two conditions stack. Three examples show what that means in practice.
- 55 – 55 – 70 — every subject clears 50%, and the average is 60%. The child passes.
- 50 – 50 – 60 — every subject clears 50%, but the average is 53.3%. That passed under the old rule. From June 2027 it does not.
- 45 – 70 – 80 — the average is a comfortable 65%, but one subject is below 50%. The per-subject condition is not met.
The middle case is the one that actually changes outcomes, and it is the one least talked about: a steady child with no disaster subject can now fall short.
The school jury still has the last word
This gets lost in most summaries. The school jury may still award the CEB to a child who misses these thresholds, if the child’s overall record justifies it. The June number is not a guillotine. If you are worried about where your child stands, the conversation to have is with the school, and earlier in the year rather than in June.
Why the Federation did it
The reasoning is a gap in the figures: 87 to 88% of children pass the CEB, yet repetition rates run as high as 16.6% in the 3rd year of secondary. The certificate was not guaranteeing real command of the basics. Alongside the higher thresholds come a new CLÉ test (calculate, read, write) from the 4th year of primary, and 320 full-time posts in primary plus 140 in lower secondary.
What it means for how you help
Under the old rule the question was whether each subject held up on its own. Now that there is an average to reach, the weakest subject counts twice: it can fail the 50% floor, and it drags the average down.
The practical consequence runs against a child’s instinct. Revision time is worth most where it is least enjoyable. A child who loves maths and avoids reading comprehension gains more from the reading, even though the maths exercises feel more rewarding to do.
Practising between now and June 2027
Hopla6 explains every wrong answer in three steps, in the language of your child’s school, then offers a similar question to check it landed — and the parent area is in English, showing where the marks are actually going, subject by subject. Two rounds a day are free, with no payment card.
Frequently asked
My child sits the CEB in June 2026. Are they affected?
No. The decree applies from the 2026-2027 school year, and the first exam affected is June 2027.
How many subjects are in the CEB?
Three: French, mathematics and éveil (general knowledge — history, geography and science). The subjects are unchanged; only the thresholds move.
Does this change anything for the Vlaamse toetsen?
No. The Vlaamse toetsen are the Flemish central tests, taken in Dutch-language schools. They are diagnostic: there is no pass mark and no certificate attached to them.
Sources: RTBF, “En juin 2027, 60 % seront nécessaires pour l’obtention du CEB” (5 July 2025) · Ligue de l’Enseignement, “Relèvement des seuils de réussite aux épreuves externes certificatives” (decree adopted 3 March 2026). Checked 24 September 2026.