How to Read the Minimum-Averages Table (Moyennes Minimales): What the Number Really Means, and Its 4 Traps

As BAC results arrive and orientation season begins, the minimum-averages table becomes the document every student rereads dozens of times. Yet the number printed next to each major does not mean what most people assume. In this article we explain what that figure really represents, how to read it wisely, and the four traps that push many families toward the wrong choices every year. What the number really means The minimum admission average is not an official cutoff announced in advance, and it is not a promise that you will be admitted if you reach it. It is simply the lowest average with which a candidate was actually admitted last year to that filière or school. In other words, it is a historical result, a record of what happened once placement was over, not a guaranteed rule for this year. The figure shifts every session because it depends on the number of seats, the number of applications, and the candidates' averages. Trap 1: it is last year's number The table you consult while filling in your fiche de vœux is usually the previous year's. The official 2026 averages are published only after placement, on the orientation-esi.dz platform. So treat the 2025 numbers as an indicator that approximates reality, not as a fixed truth. A major in high demand may see its average rise, while one that opens extra seats may see it fall. Trap 2: it varies by wilaya and quota The same major can show a different minimum average from one university pole to another and from one wilaya to another. There is also a difference between the national quota and the local or regional quota: nationally recruited majors are contested across the whole country, while some licences are reserved for candidates from the region. That is why the 2026 rules require you to choose at least two local or regional licences among your 6 to 12 choices. Trap 3: it depends on your BAC stream The minimum average is not a single figure per major: it changes by stream. The same major may require one average for Experimental Sciences students and another for Mathematics, Technical Mathematics, or Management and Economics students. When reading the table, always look for the row that matches your own stream, not the smallest number on the page. Trap 4: sitting exactly on the number is not safe Because the minimum average is the last admitted candidate's average, landing exactly on it means you are right at the edge. If demand rises a little this year, or if candidates apply with higher averages, the threshold can climb and push out anyone who matched last year's number. The prudent reading: consider your average comfortable only if it exceeds last year's figure by a reasonable margin, and always keep less-contested backup choices. How to read the table, step by step Identify your stream first, then read only the row that matches it. Compare your average to last year's number and treat the gap as a margin, not a promise. Check the wilaya, the pole, and the quota: national or local. Rank your choices from ambitious to safe, with at least two local licences. Return to the current year's official table as soon as it is published on orientation-esi.dz before you confirm. Let the BAC Compass do the reading Reading this table by hand for every major and every stream is exhausting. That is where Formaxi's free BAC Compass tool comes in. In just three minutes, with no signup, the tool reads the averages table against your average and your stream, estimates your chances, adds a read of your interests, and proposes a ready fiche-de-vœux draft. It is simply the table, read for you. And if you then decide to strengthen a subject before university, Formaxi brings together independent tutors and academies across many specialties and all 58 wilayas, so you can learn at the pace that suits you.