In the 1980s, Malian education followed a two cycle system.[13][2] During the first cycle, children began their education in state schools at the age of seven or eight for six years before taking the CEP Exam which stands for the Certificate de Fin d'Etudes du Premier Cycle in French.[13][2] Many students found the first cycle to be difficult, especially because Malian schools were primarily in French, a language that most Malians, especially those that lived in rural areas, had little experience with.[13] Thus, 1 in 6 students in the first cycle opted to attend medersas.[13] Afterwards, a student who successfully completed the second cycle of education, which took three years, was eligible to take an examination known as the Diploma in Basic Education also known as the Diplôme d'Etudes Fondamentales.[13][2] After 2012, the government merged these two cycles into one, but the examinations that the students had to take stayed in place.[2] Currently, children ages 7 to 15 are required to attend school, which lasts from October to June every year.[21]