CLEP French Language Exam Prep Course: Part 1
Part 1 of 2 · 300+ practice questions and a practice exam
Part 1 of the two-part CLEP French prep course. 6 chapters of first-semester French — greetings, campus, family and town vocabulary, the present tense, articles, adjectives and the passé composé with avoir — with a quiz after every subchapter. Part 2 continues with the past tenses, pronouns, the conditional, the future, the subjunctive and exam strategies. About 121 questions in 90 minutes. A score of 50 earns 6 college credits and 59 earns 9.
- Backup ACE/NCCRS credit path — earn the credit even if you don't pass
- Lifetime access — no deadlines, no expiry, study at your own pace
- Credits accepted at 2,900+ U.S. colleges
Pricing
$19 for this course with lifetime access, or $29 a month for all 28 CLEP subjects. Every plan also unlocks the ACE/NCCRS course in the same subject.
- All 6 chapters and 41 lessons
- Five-question quiz after every subchapter
- Readiness score tracker
- First-semester French, step by step
- Lifetime access, no expiry
- All 28 CLEP prep courses
- Every chapter, lesson and quiz
- Readiness tracker per subject
- Backup ACE/NCCRS credit path
- Cancel or pause anytime
- Lifetime access to all 28 subjects
- All current and future courses
- 12-month ACE/NCCRS backup path
- Pay once, never renew
What are ACE and NCCRS?
Two independent bodies that review online courses and recommend them for college credit. The American Council on Education (ACE) and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) put courses through faculty panels that assess rigor and learning outcomes, then publish a credit recommendation. When you complete one, the credentialing body issues an official transcript you send to your college — the same kind of transfer credit a student moving from another university would bring with them.
- Reviewed by faculty panels, not by the course provider
- Official transcript issued on completion
- Recognized at 2,100+ colleges, many of which also take CLEP and DSST
Both routes, one plan
Buying CLEP French Language prep also opens the ACE/NCCRS course in the same subject — French I — at no extra cost. So exam day isn't the only way through. If the score doesn't land, the course is already sitting in your account: complete it self-paced, no proctor and no 90-minute timer, and earn three semester hours of credit through coursework instead.
- French I: 3 semester hours through coursework
- Unlocked automatically — no extra fee, no application
- CLEP can still be retaken after three months
Each college sets its own transfer policy, so confirm yours accepts the route you plan to use.
Check your college's policy before you buy. We keep 280+ school pages listing accepted exams, required scores and credits awarded.
Check your collegeCLEP French Language exam format and topics
The exam measures the French of a student who has completed two to three semesters of college study, covering both years in a single test. About 121 questions in 90 minutes across three separately timed sections: two listening sections and one reading section. Some are unscored pretest items.
| Content area | Weighting | Questions | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section III: Reading — passages and authentic materials | 30% | ≈36 | Reading comprehension of passages and real-world texts such as signs, ads and notices |
| Section II: Listening — dialogues and narratives | 25% | ≈30 | Answering questions about longer spoken selections |
| Section III: Reading — short cloze passages | 20% | ≈24 | Choosing words and structures that complete a passage |
| Section I: Listening — rejoinders | 15% | ≈18 | Choosing the best response to short spoken prompts |
| Section III: Reading — discrete sentences | 10% | ≈12 | Vocabulary and grammar in single sentences |
| 5 content areas | 100% | ≈121 | 3 timed sections · score 50 for 6 semester hours, 59 for 9 |
The reading section is 60% of the exam in total. Each question contributes equally to the final score, and there is no speaking or writing section.
How hard is the exam?
The exam tests understanding, not production: you listen and read, but you never speak or write. Reading is 60% of the questions, and listening is 40%, split between quick rejoinders and longer dialogues. Level 2 credit requires a score of 59, which means comfortable command of past tenses, pronouns and the subjunctive. Listening to French regularly is as important as studying grammar.
- Reading is 60% of the exam — build vocabulary
- Practice listening daily for the 40% listening share
- Level 2 needs the subjunctive and compound tenses
Exam fee and booking
Register with College Board for $97. Test centers may add an administration fee. You can test at a center or remotely with a proctor, year-round. Scores are reported immediately for multiple-choice exams, and you send them to your college yourself.
- Score 50 for 6 semester hours; 59 for 9
- Retake permitted after three months
- Free for active-duty military via DANTES
There's no speaking or writing on this exam. Every question is multiple choice, based on something you hear or read.
Check your collegeCourse chapters and lessons
6 chapters across 66 instructional hours. Expand any chapter to see the lessons inside it.
Chapter 1 Salut! (Greetings & Introductions)
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1.1 The French alphabet, accent marks, and liaisons
The alphabet and accents, greetings, articles and gender, numbers, être, and adjectives of nationality.
- 1.2 Greetings, farewells, and courtesy expressions
- 1.3 Gender of nouns; definite & indefinite articles
- 1.4 Numbers 0-60 and the expression il y a
- 1.5 Subject pronouns and the verb être
- 1.6 Adjective agreement and adjectives of nationality
- 1.7 Culture: greetings, la bise, and the Francophone world
Chapter 2 À la fac (Campus & University Life)
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2.1 Vocabulary for courses, subjects, and places on campus
Campus vocabulary, likes and dislikes, regular -er verbs, questions and negation, avoir, and telling time.
- 2.2 Expressing likes and dislikes
- 2.3 Present tense of regular -er verbs and spelling changes ( -cer, -ger )
- 2.4 Forming questions and expressing negation
- 2.5 Present tense of avoir and expressions with avoir
- 2.6 Telling time; talking about schedules
- 2.7 Culture: the French university system and le bac
Chapter 3 La famille et les copains (Family & Friends)
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3.1 Family members, marital status, and pets
Family and friends, descriptive and possessive adjectives, professions, numbers to 100 and prepositions of location.
- 3.2 Descriptive and possessive adjectives
- 3.3 Professions and occupations
- 3.4 Numbers 61-100
- 3.5 Prepositions of location and disjunctive pronouns
- 3.6 Culture: the French family and types of relationships
Chapter 4 Au café (Around Town & the Café)
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4.1 Places and activities around town
Around town, aller and the near future, contractions with à, interrogatives, café food and the partitive.
- 4.2 The verb aller and the near future (futur proche)
- 4.3 Contractions with the preposition à
- 4.4 Interrogative words
- 4.5 Food and drink at a café; expressing quantity
- 4.6 The verbs prendre and boire; partitive articles
- 4.7 Culture: the role of the café in France and North Africa
Chapter 5 Les loisirs (Leisure & Weather)
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5.1 Sports and leisure activities; expressing frequency
Sports and leisure, faire and il faut, irregular -ir verbs, weather, dates and large numbers.
- 5.2 The verb faire; il faut to express necessity
- 5.3 Irregular -ir verbs
- 5.4 Seasons, months, the date, and weather expressions
- 5.5 Numbers 101 and higher
- 5.6 Spelling-change -er verbs
- 5.7 Culture: le football and public gardens in the Francophone world
Chapter 6 Les fêtes (Celebrations & Shopping)
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6.1 Parties, celebrations, and stages of life
Celebrations, clothing and colors, demonstratives, the passé composé with avoir, and indirect object pronouns.
- 6.2 Colors and clothing; shopping vocabulary
- 6.3 Demonstrative adjectives
- 6.4 The passé composé with avoir; irregular past participles
- 6.5 Indirect object pronouns
- 6.6 Regular and irregular -re verbs
- 6.7 Culture: French celebrations, fashion, and the arts in West and Central Africa
Practice exam Practice final exam
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Practice final exam — 100 multiple-choice questions
A full-length practice final that mirrors the exam's content areas and question style. Your score feeds the readiness tracker, so you know when you're ready to book the real exam.
These chapters make up the CLEP French Language exam prep class. They cover every content area on the official exam outline, and some topics go further than the exam requires.
Take the CLEP French exam for the fastest route to 6 or 9 credits once you've finished both parts. If it doesn't go your way, this part also includes a backup course, French I, that earns credit through coursework.
See pricingColleges that accept CLEP French Language
CLEP is recognized at more than 2,900 U.S. colleges, but each one sets its own minimum score and decides how many credit hours to award. Check yours before you book the exam.
Browse college credit policies
Policies change. Every college page lists the date the policy was checked, and we recommend confirming minimum scores and credit awards with the Registrar before you schedule an exam. TransferCredit.org is an independent education service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the institutions listed.
Practice tests and study guides
Five questions in the style of the CLEP French Language exam, drawn from the chapters above. No sign-up needed — see where you stand before you buy.