French Middle School Exam Prep 2026
Prepare for the french exam (100 points, 3h paper) with AI-generated study sheets, quizzes & flashcards.
French exam format
The brevet French exam takes place in two distinct parts. Part one (1h10) includes work on a literary text: grammar questions (word nature and function, conjugation, subordinate clauses), comprehension questions (interpretation, figures of speech, author's intentions), and a rewriting exercise (transposing a passage by changing tense, number, or person). This is followed by a dictation of approximately 600 characters (20 minutes). Part two (1h30) is the writing assignment: two topics to choose from, one creative (writing a story, text continuation, or dialogue) and one reflective (arguing on a theme related to the studied text). The total is graded out of 100 points: 50 for part one and dictation, 50 for the writing assignment.
French program for 2026 exams
The brevet French curriculum covers four major domains. Grammar and language: conjugation of all indicative tenses, present subjunctive, and imperative; word nature (determiners, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions); word function (subject, direct object, indirect object, adverbial complement, attribute, epithet, apposition); relative, conjunctive, and indirect interrogative subordinate clauses; passive and active voice; language registers. Text comprehension and analysis: identifying genre (novel, poetry, theater, autobiography), spotting figures of speech (metaphor, simile, personification, antithesis, hyperbole), analyzing narration (point of view, narrative tenses, rhythm). Dictation: grammatical spelling (subject-verb agreement, noun phrase agreement, homophones), lexical spelling. Writing: narrative techniques (description, dialogue, portrait), argumentation (thesis, arguments, examples, logical connectors).
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Tips to succeed in the french exam
For the dictation, practice spotting recurring traps: past participle agreements with avoir (check the direct object), grammatical homophones (a/a, ou/ou, ces/ses/c'est/s'est), and verb endings (-er/-e/-ez/-ais/-ait). Read the entire dictation once after writing it and verify each subject-verb agreement by identifying the real subject.
In text comprehension, always answer by quoting the text in quotation marks with the line number. The PEL method (Point stated, Example cited, Link to the question) effectively structures your answers. Never paraphrase the text: analyze, interpret, explain the author's choice.
For grammar questions, revise grammatical classes and functions with mnemonic sheets. Distinguishing a relative subordinate clause (introduced by a relative pronoun: qui, que, dont, ou) from a conjunctive one (introduced by que, lorsque, parce que) appears almost every year.
In the writing assignment, spend 10 minutes building an outline before writing. For creative writing, prepare a narrative framework (initial situation, disrupting element, events, resolution). For reflective writing, organize 2-3 arguments with examples from your reading, cinema, or current events.
Take care of your paper: legible handwriting, paragraphs marked with indentation, text citations in quotation marks. Brevet examiners greatly value presentation. Keep 10 minutes for final proofreading of your writing and prioritize fixing spelling and punctuation.
Common mistakes in french
Avoid these classic pitfalls to earn more points on exam day.
Answering comprehension questions without quoting the text. Every interpretive answer must be supported by a precise citation with the line number. Without citations, the answer loses half its points even if the reasoning is correct.
Confusing grammatical homophones in the dictation: a/a (avoir verb vs preposition), sont/son (etre vs possessive), ces/ses/c'est/s'est, on/ont. These errors account for the majority of brevet mistakes. Each homophone has a simple verification method that must be mastered.
Submitting a writing assignment without paragraphs or visible structure. A creative text without initial situation, disrupting element, and resolution won't exceed 25/50. A reflective essay without introduction, arguments, and conclusion receives the same fate. Structure is graded independently from content.
Neglecting the rewriting exercise thinking it isn't worth many points. Rewriting represents 10 points out of 100 and generally focuses on agreements and tenses. It's a technical exercise where points are easily earned by methodically applying conjugation and agreement rules.
FAQ about the french exam
How does the brevet French exam work in 2026?
The exam is divided into two parts. Part one (1h10 + 20 min dictation) covers grammar, comprehension of a literary text, and a rewriting exercise, followed by dictation. Part two (1h30) is the writing assignment with two topics to choose from: creative or reflective. The total is graded out of 100 points, making it the highest-scoring written exam alongside mathematics.
How to study for the brevet dictation effectively?
The best method is to do one dictation per day during the 3 weeks before the exam. Use past brevet papers (previous dictations are available online). After each dictation, analyze your errors by category: subject-verb agreements, past participle agreements, grammatical homophones, lexical spelling. Create study sheets for your recurring errors. Learn systematic rules: past participle with etre agrees with the subject, with avoir it agrees with the direct object placed before.
Is it better to choose the creative or reflective writing topic?
The creative topic is often chosen by students because it seems freer, but it requires precise narrative skills: descriptions, dialogues, story coherence. The reflective topic suits you better if you can structure an argument with varied examples. Tip: practice both types during your revision. On exam day, read both topics and choose the one you have the most concrete ideas for, not the one that seems easiest at first glance.
Which figures of speech should I know for the brevet?
Essential brevet figures of speech are: simile (comparison using 'like', 'as'), metaphor (comparison without connecting word), personification (giving human qualities to objects or animals), antithesis (contrasting two ideas), hyperbole (exaggeration), enumeration (listing), anaphora (repetition at the start of sentences). For each figure, know how to give an example and explain its effect on the reader. Questions test both identification and interpretation of the effect produced.
How to get a good grade in brevet text comprehension?
Read the text twice: a first global reading to understand the general meaning, then a careful reading while underlining important passages. For each question, quote the text in quotation marks with the line number, then interpret the citation. Never just copy a passage: explain what the author meant and why they made that stylistic choice. Structure your answers by directly responding to the question first, then developing with the citation and analysis.
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