French Language Placement Guidelines

Begin with FREN 101 Beginners' French I

• If you have no previous experience with the French language
• If you have Grade 9 French in BC and want to review your basics
• If you received “Novice Mid” or “Novice Low” on both receptive and productive skills of the ACTFL assessment

Notes: If you were educated in a francophone school, you are not allowed to stay in FREN 101-102. If you grew up in a Francophone environment without attending a Francophone school, go to section "You have untutored knowledge of French (or speak it at home)" on this page. For ACTFL assessment conversion, please refer to the chart. If you have any questions, please contact us at fhis.undergrad@ubc.ca for consultation.

Begin with FREN 103 Intensive Beginners' French

• If you have completed less than French 11 in British Columbia (i.e. you received credits up to French 10)
• If you have completed less than French 20 in a prairie province
• If you have completed less than junior-year French in an American high school
• If you received “Novice High” on both receptive and productive skills of the ACTFL assessment

You are not allowed to take FREN 103 for credits if you already completed FREN 101 and/or 102. 

Notes: If you were educated in a francophone school, you are not allowed to stay in FREN 101,102 and/or 103. If you grew up in a Francophone environment without attending a Francophone school, go to section "You have untutored knowledge of French (or speak it at home)" on this page to verify your placement case by case. If you completed French immersion up to Grade 8, you can start at the level 200 (see level 200 below) If you completed French immersion up to Grade 12, you can start at the level 400 (see level 400 below). For ACTFL assessment conversion, please refer to the chart. If you have any questions, please contact us at fhis.undergrad@ubc.ca for consultation.

Begin with FREN 201 Elementary French I

• If you have completed no more than French 11 in British Columbia
• If you have completed no more than French 20 in a prairie province
• If you have completed a secondary-school course for which you earned transfer credit for FREN 101 and FREN 102, or FREN 103
• If you have completed less than GCSE French in the British system
• If you have completed IB Ab initio SL or IB B SL 11
• If you have completed any courses that are aligned with the entire CEFR A1 level (E.g. Alliance Française courses)
• If you have earned a DELF A1 certificate
• If you have completed no more than junior-year French in an American high school
• If you received “Intermediate low” on receptive and “Novice High” on productive skills of the ACTFL assessment 
• If you were educated in early French Immersion Programs (up to Grade 8) more than 5 years ago, we encourage you to start from FREN 201. If it has been less than 5 years, you may use FREN 202 as a refresher

Notes: If you were educated in a francophone school, you are not allowed to stay in FREN 201-202. If you grew up in a Francophone environment without attending a Francophone school, go to section "You have untutored knowledge of French (or speak it at home)" on this page. For ACTFL assessment conversion, please refer to the chart. If you have any questions, please contact us at fhis.undergrad@ubc.ca for consultation.

Begin with FREN 301 Intermediate French I

• If you have completed French 12 (or IB French B SL) in British Columbia
• If you have completed French 30 in a prairie province
• If you have completed a secondary-school course for which you earned transfer credit for FREN 201 & FREN 202
• If you have completed GCSE French in the British system
• If you have earned a DELF A2 certificate
• If you have completed senior-year French in an American high school
• If you received “Intermediate Mid” on receptive and “Intermediate Low” on productive skills of the ACTFL assessment 

Notes: If you were educated in a francophone school, you are not allowed to stay in FREN 301-302. If you grew up in a Francophone environment without attending a Francophone school, go to section "You have untutored knowledge of French (or speak it at home)" on this page. For ACTFL assessment conversion, please refer to the chart. If you have any questions, please contact us at fhis.undergrad@ubc.ca for consultation. 

Begin with FREN 401 Upper-Intermediate French I

• If you have completed French Immersion 12 in any place offering such a program 
• If you have completed, at any time, a secondary-school course for which you earned transfer credit for FREN 301 & FREN 302 
• If you received “Advanced Low” on receptive and “Intermediate High” on productive skills of the ACTFL assessment 
• If you have earned a DELF B1 and/or B2 certificate

Notes: If you were educated in a francophone school, you are not allowed to stay in FREN 401-402. If you have completed less than French Immersion 12, please contact us at fhis.undergrad@ubc.ca for consultation. If you have earned a DELF C1 certificate, you may register in upper-level courses. For ACTFL assessment conversion, please refer to the chart. If you have any questions, please contact us at fhis.undergrad@ubc.ca for consultation. 

For students with credits for their post-secondary French course work:

Students can use the prerequisites for our 100-level and 200-level French courses as a guide to select the sequel to a post-secondary course that they have already taken at UBC, or for which UBC has given them course-specific transfer credit.

Students who doubt their readiness for the course they are considering (due to taking the prerequisite some years ago or with only modest success) may repeat the prerequisite or take a Placement Test. However, while the marks earned from these repeated courses count towards sessional and cumulative averages, the credits from these courses are not countable a second time for any purpose. 

Begin with:

• FREN 102 if you have credit for FREN 101 
• FREN 201 if you have credit for FREN 102 or FREN 103 
• FREN 202  if you have credit for FREN 201  
• FREN 301  if you have credit for FREN 202  
• FREN 302  if you have credit for FREN 301  
• FREN 401 if you have credit for FREN 302  
• FREN 402  if you have credit for FREN 401  

For students without credits for their post-secondary French course work:

Many students have acquired communicative competence in French by studying at institutions like the Alliance Française that do not award academic credit, while others have taken college courses that are so different from UBC's that only unassigned credit (of FREN 1st or FREN 2nd) can be awarded for them. Those students need to request a Placement Interview. 

Additional Guidelines:

The level of training offered by many of these courses is identified according to the criteria of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which is a guide created by the European Union that is also used outside Europe to grade individuals' language proficiency according to the range of communicative tasks they can perform.

If you have taken a course anywhere to which a CEFR language-level has been attached, you can use it to place yourself in one of our eight communicative courses. The syllabus for each course has been designed to teach the skills related to one of the CEFR levels, with a textbook that is also published for use at that level in language schools.

The CEFR levels of our eight courses are:

• A1: FREN 101 & 102 or FREN 103
• A2: FREN 201 & 202
• B1: FREN 301 & 302
• B2: FREN 401 & 402

Begin with:

• FREN 102 or 103 if you have completed a course at Level A1.1
• FREN 201 if you have completed a course at Level A1.2
• FREN 202 if you have completed a course at Level A2.1
• FREN 301 if you have completed a course at Level A2.2
• FREN 302 if you have completed a course at Level B1.1
• FREN 401 if you have completed a course at Level B1.2
• FREN 402 if you have completed a course at Level B2.1

Students for whom French is a heritage language, or who have lived, worked, or taken courses abroad in a French-speaking environment long enough to have acquired some level of proficiency, cannot be placed in university courses as precisely as those with formal training. Those students can request taking the Challenge Exam.

Additional Guidelines:

Students with untutored knowledge can use the descriptions of levels of proficiency defined by the CEFR to place themselves at one of the four broad levels (A1, A2, B1 or B2), in preparation for a discussion with an instructor or course coordinator about which of the two courses at that level would be appropriate. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

A1

• A1 Listening: Can you understand familiar words and common expressions about yourself, your family and friends or your immediate environment, when they are spoken slowly and clearly?
• A1 Reading: Can you understand common words, phrases and sentences in advertisements, on posters or public notices, or on websites dealing with topics familiar to you?
• A1 Speaking: Can you talk understandably for a minute or so to describe yourself, your friends and acquaintances or where you live?
• A1 Conversation: Can you ask and answer questions on familiar topics or immediate needs, if speaking with someone who is willing to speak slowly, to repeat things and even to help you as needed?
• A1 Writing: Can you write a brief personal note or message? Can you fill out an identity form or questionnaire?

If you cannot do these things, you probably need further training at the A1 level (FREN 101 and FREN 102 or FREN 103).

A2

• A2 Listening: Can you also understand basic words and expression, and complete statements, concerning work, shopping, your studies and other matters that concern you directly?
• A2 Reading: Can you also extract information out of advertisements, menus, timetables and simpler web sites? And can you read a simple letter or on-line social message?
• A2 Speaking: Can you also talk, in simple terms, but at greater length, about your daily life, studies or work?
• A2 Conversation: Can you also ask and answer necessary questions in the context of a shared practical task (though not on the scale of a full-fledged conversation)?
• A2 Writing: Can you take notes on a familiar topic, or write a short message for posting to social media?

If you cannot do these things, you probably need further training at the A2 level (FREN 201 and/or FREN 202).

B1

• B1 Listening: Can you understand the essential points of a radio or television newscast or of other programmes on familiar topics? Can you follow a lecture, in standard French, about your studies or personal interests?
• B1 Reading: Can you understand, in a personal letter, not only narration and description, but also expressions of attitude or feeling?Can you find information in French sources as part of your studies?
• B1 Speaking: Can you summarize a book or a film, or recount your own experiences? Can you express your goals or hopes for the future? Can you express and justify your opinions?
• B1 Conversation: Can you engage in sustained conversation on a familiar topic without preparation? Can you deal with most ordinary situations that might arise on a trip to a French-speaking place?
• B1 Writing: Can you write a simple, but coherent letter or blog posting of modest length on a familiar topic?

If you cannot do these things, you probably need further training at the B1 level (FREN 301 and/or FREN 302).

B2

• B2 Listening: Can you understand a long, complex lecture on a topic related to your studies or personal interests? Can you follow most films or television programmes in standard French?
• B2 Reading: Can you understand essays, reports and scholarly articles in your own field of studies or on issues of current interest? Can you read literary works in standard, contemporary French prose?
• B2 Speaking: Can you communicate clearly your opinions on a wide range of topics relative to your studies and personal interests? Can you present a hypothesis and argue effectively in its defence?
• B2 Conversation: Can you converse spontaneously and naturally with a native French speaker, and can you hold your own in a discussion or argument with a group of native speakers?
• B2 Writing: Can you write a well organized and effectively argued essay in correct and idiomatic French? And can you write a personal letter or social-media posting that is not only informative but insightful?

If you cannot do these things, you probably need further training at the B2 level (FREN 401 and/or FREN 402).