Specification at a glance

This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course.

Subject content

Core content

Options

Assessments

Paper 1: Listening, reading and writing

What's assessed

  • Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends
  • Artistic culture in the French-speaking world
  • Grammar

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • 90 marks
  • 45% of AS

Questions

  • Listening and responding to spoken passages from a range of contexts and sources covering different registers and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail. Studio recordings will be used and students will have individual control of the recording.
Questions in French to be answered with non-verbal responses or in French (35 marks).
  • Reading and responding to a variety of texts written for different purposes, drawn from a range of authentic sources and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail.
Questions in French to be answered with non-verbal responses or in French (45 marks).
  • Translation into English; a passage of minimum 70 words (10 marks).
No access to a dictionary during the assessment.

Paper 2: Writing

What's assessed

  • One text or one film from the lists in the specification
  • Grammar

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • 50 marks
  • 25% of AS

Questions

  • Translation into French; a passage of minimum 70 words (15 marks).
  • Either one question in French on a set text from a choice of two questions or one question in French on a set film from a choice of two questions (35 marks).
  • All questions will require a critical response to aspects such as plot, characterisation, imagery or other stylistic features as appropriate to the work studied.

No access to texts or films during the assessment.

No access to a dictionary during the assessment.

Students are advised to write approximately 250 words for the essay.

Paper 3: Speaking

What's assessed

One sub-theme from Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends and one sub-theme from Artistic culture in the French-speaking world.

How it's assessed

  • Oral exam: 12–14 minutes
  • 60 marks
  • 30% of AS

Questions

Discussion of two sub-themes (6–7 minutes on each) with the discussion based on a stimulus card for each sub-theme. The student studies the cards for 15 minutes before the test begins.

No access to a dictionary during the assessment or during the preparation time.

Students may take the assessment only once before certification.