The Baccalauréat (the "Bac") is the French national school-leaving qualification, sat at the end of Terminale (the equivalent of UACE / A-Level). Pupils choose a series of speciality subjects from sciences, humanities or technology streams, with the Bac graded out of 20. The full French curriculum runs from maternelle (age 3) through the Bac at age 18.

Most are accredited (homologuées) by the AEFE, the Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Étranger, which oversees French education abroad. AEFE accreditation means the curriculum, teachers and examinations are aligned with the French national framework, so a pupil moving between an AEFE school in Uganda and one in Paris or Dakar continues seamlessly.

French is the principal language of instruction. English, Kiswahili and (at some schools) Luganda are taught as additional languages. Some French-stream schools in Uganda also offer bilingual sections where part of the timetable runs in English, especially in the early primary years.

The French Baccalauréat is universally recognised in France and across the Francophone world (Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, francophone Africa). Most Anglophone universities in the UK, US and Canada also accept the Bac, often requiring specific subject combinations and minimum overall scores.