# How to Study Science for the Brevet: Biology, Physics and Chemistry
Studying for the science section of the brevet means triaging: on one side what you memorize (definitions, formulas, units, diagrams), on the other what you train through practice (reading documents, exercises, reasoning). Active recall and spaced repetition are perfect for the first category; solving varied exercises handles the second. The brevet is the French national exam taken at the end of middle school (around age 15). Its science section scares many students because it covers two disciplines at once. Yet it is one of the sections where a good method pays off the most, because a large part of the content is pure memorization.
TL;DR: The science section of the brevet covers two disciplines drawn from biology (SVT), physics-chemistry and technology, over about 1 hour, with documents to analyze and questions to answer. In biology, most of the work is memorization (nomenclature, cycles, diagrams, classifications): flashcards and redrawing diagrams from memory are your best weapons. In physics-chemistry, you memorize formulas, units and definitions, but you train on typical exercises (conversions, circuits, chemical reactions). Clearly separate what you learn from what you practice, and you will know which technique to apply to each chapter.
Cognitive science research is clear: to retain facts, definitions and diagrams, the most effective techniques are self-testing and spacing your review over time, far ahead of passive re-reading (Dunlosky et al., 2013). And brevet science is exactly that: many facts to retain, diagrams to know by heart, formulas to apply. So you hold an exam that hugely rewards the right method. This approach transfers internationally: biology and chemistry are memorization-heavy subjects in every education system, so the same method works whatever exam you sit.
This article gives you a concrete plan for biology and physics-chemistry. No filler: for each type of content, you will know which technique to use and why.
How is the brevet science section built?
On exam day, you do not work on all three sciences. The paper covers two disciplines drawn from biology, physics-chemistry and technology. You do not know in advance which ones will come up, so you must prepare all three (or at minimum the two you follow most seriously, though covering everything is the safest bet).
The exam lasts about 1 hour and the format is always the same: you are given documents (graphs, diagrams, tables, texts, experiment photos) and you answer questions based on them. Some questions test your direct knowledge (a definition, a formula, the name of an organ). Others test your ability to read a document, reason and justify.
This structure has a direct consequence for how you revise: you must both know your material by heart AND be able to apply it to a document you have never seen. These are two different skills, trained with two different methods.
What gets memorized and what gets understood?
This is the most important distinction in this whole article. Before revising a chapter, ask yourself: do I need to RETAIN this information, or do I need to know how to USE it?
| Type of content | Examples | Revision technique |
|---|---|---|
| To memorize | Definitions, organ names, formulas, units, steps of a cycle, diagram labels | Flashcards + active recall + spaced repetition |
| To understand / practice | Reading a graph, justifying an answer, solving an exercise, converting units | Varied exercises + past papers + analyzing your mistakes |
Most students do the opposite: they re-read definitions over and over (which barely sticks through reading) and they never practice on documents (when that is the only way to improve on that skill). Flip the logic. Definitions and diagrams, you have recited back to you. Documents and exercises, you practice.
How to study biology (SVT) effectively for the brevet?
Biology is the most memorization-heavy discipline of the program. Cell cycle, nervous system, genetics, ecosystems, classification of living things, transmission of genetic information: all of it rests on precise vocabulary, diagrams to know, and sequences to recall in the right order. It is ideal ground for flashcards and active recall.
Diagrams: redraw them from memory
This is the highest-return technique in biology and almost no one uses it. A diagram of a cell, the nervous system, the path of a nerve message or an ecosystem: do not just look at it. You must be able to redraw it on a blank sheet, labels included.
The method: look at the diagram once, close your notes, and redraw it from memory. Then compare. The forgotten elements are exactly what you need to revise. This process is active recall applied to the visual, and it is remarkably effective: forcing yourself to retrieve information from memory fixes it far more durably than re-reading it (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). Repeat the next day, then a few days later. By the third time, the diagram is etched in.
Definitions and nomenclature: flashcards
All biology vocabulary (cell organelles, phases of mitosis, classification levels, genetics vocabulary) is perfectly suited to flashcards. A question on one side, the answer on the other. You test yourself, set aside what you miss, and return to it more often.
The study by Karpicke and Blunt (2011), published in Science, compared several methods for learning scientific content: testing yourself (retrieving information from memory) produced far better long-term results than re-reading or even building concept maps. In other words, for biology, testing yourself beats everything else.
With Wizidoo, you can photograph a biology diagram or a definitions sheet straight from your notes or textbook, and the AI generates a quiz on it. The concepts you have not mastered yet (those where you have not gotten two correct answers in a row) automatically come back in the following quizzes, so you spend your time on what trips you up rather than on what you already know.
How to study physics-chemistry for the brevet?
Physics-chemistry is more balanced: there is a big chunk of memorization (formulas, units, definitions, circuit symbols, chemical reactions) but also a real chunk of practice (doing a calculation, converting a unit, reading a graph, interpreting an experiment). So you must combine both approaches.
What you memorize: formulas, units, quantities
Formulas (speed, density, Ohm's law, etc.), the units associated with each quantity, the symbols of electrical circuit components, key definitions: all of this is memorized like vocabulary. Flashcards, active recall, spaced repetition.
A classic brevet trap: knowing the formula but getting the unit wrong. On your formula flashcards, always add the unit of each quantity. You do not revise "speed = distance / time" alone, you also revise "in which units?". You turn a sheet into a series of questions, which is already a learning act in itself (Craik & Lockhart, 1972).
What you practice: exercises, conversions, graphs
Problem-solving is not memorized, it is practiced. For unit conversions, calculations with a formula, circuit analysis or reading a graph, there is only one method: do many varied exercises and analyze your mistakes.
One important point: do not do the same type of exercise ten times in a row. Mix the types (a speed calculation, then a conversion, then a circuit, then a chemical reaction). This alternation, called interleaving, feels harder in the moment, but it clearly improves your ability to recognize which type of problem you are facing on exam day (Rohrer & Taylor, 2007). And that is exactly what is missing when you "can do" an exercise at home but freeze when it is mixed with the others in the paper.
Reading a document: the cross-cutting skill
A large share of exam points comes from your ability to read a document and extract information from it. Graph, measurement table, experiment diagram: train yourself to analyze them in past papers. Spot what each question asks (read off a value? compare? justify?) and answer precisely. This skill is only learned on real documents, so do brevet science past papers.
How to organize your revision over the final weeks?
Here is a simple framework that works for most students.
| Phase | Goal | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Identify and memorize | List the chapters, build flashcards for definitions and formulas, redraw biology diagrams from memory |
| Phase 2 | Practice | Varied physics-chemistry exercises, document reading, first timed past papers |
| Phase 3 | Consolidate | Full past papers under real conditions, return to still-fragile concepts, enough rest |
The golden rule: spread your revision over time instead of cramming the night before. Reviewing a concept several times a few days apart fixes it far better than one long session. This is spaced repetition, one of the best-validated techniques in research: distributed sessions vastly outperform massed cramming (Cepeda et al., 2006).
If you want a more detailed plan for the final weeks, look at our 2-week study plan. And for the overall exam revision method, see how to revise the bac 2026.
On Wizidoo, you track your progress chapter by chapter: a mastery percentage shows you where you stand on each biology and physics-chemistry topic. You immediately see which chapters are solid and which still need work, instead of revising by feel. The summary sheets generated from your courses also serve as a quick review support before the big day.
Try Wizidoo for free at wizidoo.com
Frequently asked questions
Should I revise all three sciences or only two?
The brevet paper only covers two disciplines among biology, physics-chemistry and technology, but you do not know in advance which ones will come up. The safest approach is to revise all three, or at minimum to cover solidly the two you master best while keeping a foundation in the third. Do not skip a discipline entirely: if it comes up, you lose a lot of points at once.
How do I retain biology diagrams durably?
The best method is to redraw them from memory. Look at the diagram, close your notes, redraw it with its labels on a blank sheet, then compare. The elements you forget are the ones to review. Repeat a few days apart. This visual active recall fixes the diagram far more durably than just looking at it, because forcing yourself to retrieve the information strengthens memory (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006).
In physics-chemistry, I know my formulas but fail the exercises. Why?
Because knowing a formula and knowing how to apply it are two different skills. The formula is memorized, the application is practiced. If you fail the exercises, you have not done enough of them, or you have done them too repetitively. Do varied exercises, mixing the types (calculation, conversion, circuit), and analyze each mistake: is it a forgotten formula, a wrong unit, a misreading of the question? The remedy is different each time.
Are flashcards or exercises better?
Both, but not for the same content. Flashcards are unbeatable for what is memorized: definitions, formulas, units, labels, biology nomenclature. Exercises are essential for what is practiced: problem-solving, document reading, reasoning. The trap is using only one of the two methods for everything. Separate the content, then apply the right technique to each category.
How long before the brevet should I start the sciences?
Ideally several weeks, because spaced repetition needs time to work: reviewing a concept a few days apart fixes it far better than piling everything up the night before (Cepeda et al., 2006). If you start late, focus on flashcards for the essential concepts and on past papers, and accept that you cannot cover everything. But the earlier you start spreading your revision, the less you will have to cram at the end.
References
- Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: a review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354-380.
- Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972). Levels of processing: a framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11(6), 671-684.
- Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58.
- Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval practice produces more learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping. Science, 331(6018), 772-775.
- Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249-255.
- Rohrer, D., & Taylor, K. (2007). The shuffling of mathematics problems improves learning. Instructional Science, 35(6), 481-498.
