The French oral exam is one of the most difficult tests a student can take. It’s made up of questions that are meant to test your ability to speak and understand the French language. In this article, we will go over some of the most common French oral exam questions so that you can be better prepared for what to expect on test day!

The most common French oral exam questions

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If you’re a French student, there’s a good chance you’ll have to take an oral exam at some point. These exams can be pretty daunting, especially if you don’t know what to expect. So today, I’m going to give you a sneak peak at the most common questions that tend to come up.

Table of contents
  1. PDF Bonus
  2. In French, these french oral exam would be:
  3. Example of a French oral exam with a typical presentation question:
  4. ✔️ Ecoute & lis…
  5. 1. Be prepared.
  6. 2. Practice, practice, practice.
  7. 3. Relax and be yourself.
  8. 4. Show the examining teacher that you have learned your lesson! 
  9. 5. Beware of these two "trick" questions:
  10. Articles that might interest you:

But of course, you must know the basics of French grammar: the direct complement pronouns, the modes – moods – of French conjugation, the imperative or the irregular verbs in the subjunctive.

Bon courage ! 😊👍

PDF Bonus

We have prepared free PDF to help you prepare for your French oral exam.

👉 PDF: Talking about yourself
👉 PDF: Thematic questions

You will find the list of all the questions with the answers to give + tips for each question.
And at the end, you will have an exercise to practice with the correction.

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French oral exam

The French oral exam is a test that all students must take in order to receive their diploma. The exam is made up of questions that are meant to test your ability to speak and understand the French language.

We will go over some of the most common French oral exam questions so that you can be better prepared for what to expect on test day!

Some of the most common French oral exam questions include:

  • What is your name?,
  • Where are you from?,
  • How old are you?,
  • or What is your favorite food?…

In French, these french oral exam would be:

  • Vous vous appelez comment ?
  • Est-ce que vous pouvez vous présenter et nous parler de vous ?
  • Vous avez quel âge ?
  • Quelle est votre date de naissance ?
  • D’où venez-vous ?
  • Quelle est votre nationalité ?
  • Quelle est votre profession ?
  • Que faites-vous dans la vie ?
  • Avez-vous des animaux de compagnie ? Si vous n’en avez pas, aimeriez-vous en avoir ?
  • Quels sont vos loisirs ?
  • Quels sont vos projets pour le futur ?

While these may seem like simple questions, they can be difficult to answer if you are not prepared. Be sure to brush up on your French before the exam so that you can ace it!

Most common French oral questions

The first question that often comes up in oral exams is about your hobbies and interests. This question is meant to help the examiner get to know you better, and it’s a great opportunity to show off your French skills!

Another common question is about your school or work experience. This question is usually asked in order to gauge your level of French proficiency. Be sure to give clear and concise answers.

Another question that you might be asked is about your family. This is another opportunity to practice your French speaking skills. Be sure to talk about your parents, siblings, and other relatives.

You might also be asked about your plans for the future. This question is meant to see if you have a clear understanding of what you want to do with your life. Be sure to give a detailed answer in order to impress the examiner.

Finally, you might be asked a few general questions about France and its culture and what you think about. This is your chance to show off your knowledge of the country! Be sure to mention some of the famous landmarks, traditions, and cuisine.


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Example of a French oral exam with a typical presentation question:

✔️ Ecoute & lis…

  • Est-ce que vous pouvez vous présenter et nous parler de vous ?

Oui, bien sûr. Je m’appelle Gunther, j’ai 17 ans, j’habite à Berlin et je suis lycéen. Je vais bientôt passer le Bac et après, à l’université, j’aimerais étudier le droit pour devenir avocat. Pendant mes loisirs, en dehors de l’école, j’aime sortir avec mes amis. On en profite pour aller au cinéma, jouer au foot ou aux jeux vidéos. Par exemple, samedi dernier, on a fait un tournoi en ligne sur FIFA qu’on a gagné.

A la maison, on a un chien qui s’appelle Hulk, mais en fait c’est un chiwawa. C’est mon père qui a trouvé très amusant de l’appeler comme ça. Il est tout petit et fait plein de bêtises – Hulk, pas mon père ! Par exemple, il adore voler nos chaussettes et les cacher sous le canapé… Toujours Hulk, toujours pas mon père !

Plus tard, comme je vous l’ai dit, j’aimerais devenir avocat et me spécialiser dans le droit des affaires. Si c’était possible, j’aimerais le faire au sein d’une ONG et participer à la protection des consommateurs.

Voilà, si vous avez des questions, j’y répondrai avec plaisir.

Source : YouTube @LearnFrenchFun

Tips for success on your French oral exam

The French oral exam can be a daunting experience, but with a little bit of preparation, you can ace it! Here are a few tips to help you prepare:

1. Be prepared.

Make sure that you know the material well before the exam. This will help you feel more confident when speaking in front of the examiner.

2. Practice, practice, practice.

The best way to improve your French speaking skills is to practice as often as possible. Try talking to native speakers or recording yourself speaking French to see where you need improvement.

3. Relax and be yourself.

The examiner is just trying to get to know you better. Don’t worry if you make a mistake, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Just relax

4. Show the examining teacher that you have learned your lesson! 

Are you in school? In French class you learned the conditional tense? Well during the French oral exam, use the conditional tense.

It may seem obvious, but often, because of stress, students will want to make the simplest and shortest answers possible and will forget to show what they know.

Are you taking the DELF exam? During the oral exam, show the examiner that you know the vocabulary and grammar of the DELF level you are taking. Even if you could give a simpler answer, remember that this is an exam and the examiner wants to see if you have the level.

Do you know the subjunctive? Yes ?? Great, then use it!

5. Beware of these two “trick” questions:

  1. Quel âge as-tu ? (How old are you?) In French, we use the verb “avoir” to answer.
    J’ai xx ans ! (I am xx years old!)

I’ve seen B2 students start their DELF B2 exam by answering: “Je suis 22 ans“

The French oral exam starts badly…

  1. D’où viens-tu ? (Where are you from?)

With this question, all of a sudden, students don’t understand the: d’où (from where).

I don’t know why they hear : doux? dou? Huh?????

No, no, “Where are you from?” means: D’où viens-tu ? or Tu viens d’où ?.
It’s as simple as that 😀

The French oral exam is definitely a daunting task, but if you prepare for it and know what to expect, you’ll be just fine. So, the next time your teacher tells you that you have an oral exam coming up, don’t panic! Just use these tips to help you prepare and practice so that you can show off all that French knowledge that you’ve been working so hard on.

If you’re a student of the French, be sure to bookmark this article and come back to it before your big day. And don’t forget – practice makes perfect!

The more you prepare for your French oral exam, the better off you’ll be on test day.

Bonne chance et bon courage ! 💪😀

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