Secondary Contest

2024 Secondary Contest Testing Dates:

February 13th - April 7th, 2025 

Levels/Niveaux

Level is the difficulty of test the student is registered to take (between 01 and 5) and is based on what French course the student is taking. 

Basic Level Guidelines

Students take Concours at the level of high school French course (or equivalent) they are completing at the date of Concours, that is, at level:

• • MS1 (Level 01)
  • MS2 (Level 1)
  • Level 1
  • Level 2
  • Level 3
  • Level 4 or
  • Level 5* [*high school students taking French above level 4. This level is the only level that may be repeated.]

Please see the specifications here for more info about the material covered in each level 

There are always exceptions and borderline cases which the teacher and Chapter Contest Administrator must decide based on good judgment, fairness, and consistency.  The level at which the student is registered is irrevocable.  Therefore, in case of doubt, be sure to contact the National Chairman for Eligibility before registering the student.

Placement of Middle School Students (6th - 8th Grade) 

Level Placement of 6th Grade Students

Students taking French at grade levels 1st – 6th take FLES Concours, except as indicated below:

Sixth-grade students who are... 

• • beginning a two-year course sequence equivalent to high school French 1  will take Concours level MS1 (Level 01).
    • In 7^th grade, they will take MS2 (Level 1) and in 8^th grade they will go to Concours level 2.
  • in a three-year course sequence equivalent to French 1 will take FLES;
    • in 7^th grade, they will take MS1 (Level 01) and in 8^th grade they will take MS2 (Level 1).

Level Placement of 7th & 8th Grade Students

Seventh graders who are...

• • taking the first half of high school French 1 take level MS1 (Level 01).

Eighth graders who are....

• • completing the second half of high school French 1  take MS2 (level 1).
  • taking the entire French 1 course in eighth grade  will take MS2 (Level 1).

There are always exceptions and borderline cases which the teacher and Chapter Contest Administrator must decide based on good judgment, fairness, and consistency.  The level at which the student is registered is irrevocable.  Therefore, in case of doubt, be sure to contact the National Chairman for Eligibility before registering the student.

Level Repetition Rules 

No student shall take the same level of Concours more than once. 

Exceptions:        

1.  A high school obliges all entering ninth graders to take French 1: the student, who has already taken Concours at level 1, will have the choice of:
   1. taking Contest level 2;
   2. abstaining for a year; or
   3. taking level 1 Hors Concours (results unranked and ineligible for National awards).
2. Level 5 and FLES students [except MS1/level 01] may take the same level more than once.
3. Students will be permitted to take the Concours at the same level two years in a row provided they submit evidence to the Contest National Director, through their teacher, that they are repeating the same French course because they did not pass it when they took it previously.

Teachers and Contest Administrators will keep registration records to prevent repeat registrations and to simplify record keeping from year to year.

There are always exceptions and borderline cases which the teacher and Chapter Contest Administrator must decide based on good judgment, fairness, and consistency.  The level at which the student is registered is irrevocable.  Therefore, in case of doubt, be sure to contact the National Chairman for Eligibility before registering the student.

Division

Division is the student's degree of experience with the French language (e.g.: heritage speakers) and determines which students within their level  whom they will compete against. 

Basic Division Guidelines

Students may be entered at Divisions A, B, C, D, E, or AP as determined by the teacher following the guidelines below. In case of doubt, be sure to contact the National Chairman for Eligibility before registering the student.

Divisions A, C , D, and E apply to all levels, 01-5.

Division B is available only at levels 01, 1 and 2, where it permits at the first three levels a fairer ranking of students of differing French backgrounds. Division B is not offered beyond level 2, since the Concours is more challenging at the higher levels and early French experience will not give students any measurable advantage over students who do not have any previous exposure.

Division AP is only available to levels 4 and 5.

Remember the ABCs:

• Division A – absolute beginner;
• Division B – some outside background;
• Division C – completely native;
• Division D – different schedule/block/started next French course second semester;
• Division E – not currently enrolled in a French class;
• Division AP – student taking Advanced Placement French.

For additional specifics and detailed eligibility rules, please see the "Detailed Secondary Contest Eligibility Policies" tab under the Terms & Conditions page here.

Specifications & Test Content

In the below accordion tabs, you can find details of what material is covered in the Secondary Concours, in both traditional format and based on the World Readiness French Standards:

Specifications - World Readiness French Standards  

NOTE: Le Grand Concours ONLY assesses the INTERPRETIVE competency of students.

 The specifications for each level are cumulative and include all material listed for lower levels.

Click here for a Printer-friendly PDF version of the World Readiness NFC Specifications

Level 01 - Proficiency Range: Novice Low

Communication	Learners understand and follow oral instructions in French related to daily classroom activities and topics such as the daily calendar (day, date, time, and weather). Learners identify the topic and some basic facts when they read and/or listen in French to very brief informational and fictional texts/stories on very familiar topics, with some gestures or visual support. Learners use keywords to identify the gist of authentic texts, make linguistic comparisons with native language, etc. Learners understand statements and questions when they read or hear conversations or discussions in French on very familiar topics. Learners understand the content of simple French language realia, such as picture books, menus, posters, or advertisements.
Cultures	Learners identify social customs that are of interest to either children or adults; topics may include traditional foods, aspects of family life, and typical holidays in various French-speaking regions. Learners identify and recognize products and symbols of the francophone world, such as foods, clothing, types of dwellings, modes of transportation, flags, and famous monuments.
Connections	Learners demonstrate their understanding of basic knowledge of simple math, weather, francophone geography, history, social practices and pop culture. Learners expand their knowledge of francophone regions and cultural practices by learning about holidays and names of francophone regions.
Comparisons	Learners demonstrate an awareness of formal and informal greetings, leave-takings, and expressions of politeness in French (such as Bonjour vs. Salut and s’il vous plaît vs s’il te plaît). Learners demonstrate an awareness of the use of tu and vous in conversations [with children vs conversations with adults]. Learners recognize cognates and idiomatic expressions in French that may or may not have exact English equivalents, such as regarder -> look at, watch, regard. Learners recognize the existence of grammatical gender in French, and their spoken and written language reflects that awareness, such as Il est français /Elle est française. Learners compare French grammatical structures to those of English, such as la maison de Jean/John’s house.

Level 1 - Proficiency Range: Novice Mid

Communication	Learners identify the topic and some basic facts when they read and/or listen in French to very brief informational and fictional texts/stories on very familiar topics, with some gestures or visual support. Learners use keywords to identify the gist of authentic texts, make linguistic comparisons with native language, etc. Learners understand statements and questions when they read or hear conversations or discussions in French on very familiar topics. Learners understand the content of simple French language realia, such as picture books, menus, posters, or advertisements. Learners understand spoken and written messages in French on topics of personal interest, such as family life, leisure and school activities, and everyday occurrences.
Cultures	Learners identify similarities and differences between school life in their own community and in one or several French-speaking regions. Learners identify social customs that are of interest to either children or adults; topics may include traditional foods, aspects of family life, and typical holidays in various French-speaking regions. Learners identify and recognize products and symbols of the francophone world, such as foods, clothing, types of dwellings, modes of transportation, flags and famous monuments.
Connections	Learners expand their knowledge of francophone regions and cultural practices by learning about holidays and names of francophone regions.
Comparisons	Learners recognize cognates and idiomatic expressions in French that may or may not have exact English equivalents, such as regarder -> look at, watch, regard. Learners recognize the existence of grammatical gender in French, and their spoken and written language reflects that awareness, such as Il est français / Elle est française. Learners recognize and compare nuances of meaning of words and idioms, in French and in English, such as avoir froid, faire froid. Learners compare aspects of French and American daily life, such as school schedules, weekend activities, and vacations as a reflection of their understanding of cultural perspectives.

Level 2 - Proficiency Range: Novice High

Communication	Learners understand and identify main ideas and principal characters in brief reading selections and French cultures. Learners understand the main ideas and significant details of materials in French that are accessible to teenage readers, such as magazine articles, short stories, poems, and short novels. Learners understand information from French online sources on a variety of topics, such as weather, current events, and sports.
Cultures	Learners identify social customs that are of interest to either children or adults; topics may include traditional foods, aspects of family life, and typical holidays in various French-speaking regions. Learners recognize and develop an awareness of the diversity of social customs in the French-speaking world; topics may include family life, folklore, and typical holidays, such as Christmas, New Year’s, or Ramadan. Learners identify and learn about products reflecting the lifestyle of people in various francophone communities, such as household items, clothing, and foods. Learners learn about and recognize artistic contributions from francophone cultures in areas such as art, music, dance, drama, theater, film, fashion, and cuisine.
Connections	Learners understand connections between their native culture and the target culture through discussing similarities and differences.
Comparisons	Learners recognize differences in word order between French and English, for example: une maison rouge/a red house. Learners recognize and compare nuances of meaning of words and idioms, in French and in English, such as avoir froid, être froid (objects), faire froid. Learners compare aspects of French and American daily life, such as school schedules, weekend activities, and vacations as a reflection of their understanding of cultural perspectives. Learners compare and contrast francophone and American cultural practices in areas such as sports (soccer and American football), music (m’balax and pop music) or holidays (le premier mai vs Labor Day).

Level 3 - Proficiency Range: Intermediate Low

Communication	Learners understand the main ideas and significant details of materials in French that are accessible to teenage readers, such as magazine articles, short stories, poems, and short novels.
Cultures	Learners recognize and develop an awareness of the diversity of social customs in the French-speaking world; topics may include family life, folklore, and typical holidays, such as Christmas, New Year’s, or Ramadan. Learners recognize and develop an awareness of the diversity of social customs in the French-speaking world; topics may include family life, folklore, and typical holidays, such as Christmas, New Year’s, or Ramadan.
Connections	Learners understand connections between their native culture and the target culture through discussing similarities and differences. Learners expand their knowledge of francophone regions and cultural practices by learning about holidays and names of francophone regions.
Comparisons	Learners compare aspects of French and American daily life, such as school schedules, weekend activities, and vacations as a reflection of their understanding of cultural perspectives. Learners compare and contrast francophone and American cultural practices in areas such as sports (soccer and American football), music (m’balax and pop music) or holidays (le premier mai vs Labor Day).

Level 4 - Proficiency Range: Intermediate Mid

Communication	Learners understand main idea and significant details of level-appropriate spoken and recorded materials in French on topics of personal and public interest, such as videos, commercials, films, interviews, and live presentations. Learners understand principal elements and main ideas of newspapers and magazine articles, as well as internet pages, on current events and topics of general interest in French.
Cultures	Learners compare and contrast cultural practices among different French-speaking regions in order to dispel stereotyping. Learners analyze social, economic, geographic, and historical factors that affect cultural practices in various French cultures, such as weddings, family celebrations, gender roles, education, medical practices, social and governmental institutions, and religious observations among French Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and so on. Learners read and/or view and analyze literary productions from France and francophone cultures such as poetry, novels, plays, and essays, and examine themes and ideas related to cultural values and perspectives. Learners access and examine video, audio, and written material from French and francophone media sources, both journalistic and popular or social-media, and analyze cultural values and perspectives found in this material. Learners compare and evaluate the themes and perspectives reflected in these French and francophone cultural products in light of their own culture, activities, and responsibilities.
Connections	Learners expand their knowledge of francophone regions and cultural practices
Comparisons	Learners demonstrate an awareness of idiomatic phrases and linguistic expressions and realize that there is not a word-for-word correspondence between French and English, such as Il m’a manqué = I missed him (He was lacking to me). Learners identify, analyze, and evaluate themes, ideas, and perspectives related to the products of various French cultures in light of the learners’ own culture, leisure time, after-school or work activities, and family and personal responsibilities.

Level 5 - Proficiency Range: Intermediate High or Advanced Low

Communication	Learners understand main idea and significant details of level-appropriate spoken and recorded materials in French on topics of personal and public interest, such as videos, commercials, films, interviews, and live presentations. Learners understand principal elements and main ideas of newspapers and magazine articles, as well as internet pages, on current events and topics of general interest in French.
Cultures	Learners compare and contrast cultural practices among different French-speaking regions in order to dispel stereotyping. Learners analyze social, economic, geographic, and historical factors that affect cultural practices in various French cultures, such as weddings, family celebrations, gender roles, education, medical practices, social and governmental institutions, and religious observations among French Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and so on. Learners read and/or view and analyze literary productions from France and francophone cultures such as poetry, novels, plays, and essays, and examine themes and ideas related to cultural values and perspectives. Learners access and examine video, audio, and written material from French and francophone media sources, both journalistic and popular or social-media, and analyze cultural values and perspectives found in this material. Learners compare and evaluate the themes and perspectives reflected in these French and francophone cultural products in light of their own culture, activities, and responsibilities.
Connections	Learners expand their knowledge of francophone regions and cultural practices Learners understand connections between their native culture and the target culture through discussing similarities and differences.
Comparisons	Learners identify, analyze, and evaluate themes, ideas, and perspectives related to the products of various French cultures in light of the learners’ own culture, leisure time, after-school or work activities, and family and personal responsibilities.

Specifications - Traditional 

NOTE: Le Grand Concours ONLY assesses the INTERPRETIVE competency of students.

 The specifications for each level are cumulative and include all material listed for lower levels.

Click here for a Printer-friendly PDF version of the Traditional NFC Specifications

Level	Vocabulary	Structures	Cultural Awareness
01	✔     Greetings and introductions, including asking name and age ✔     Common French names ✔     Family members, immediate family ✔     Physical description and personality characteristics ✔     Weather: il fait beau, mauvais, il fait du vent, il fait chaud, froid ✔     Numbers up to 100 ✔     Days, months, calendar ✔     Expressions of time, such as mois, semaine, année, journée, demain ✔     Expressions de quantité, beaucoup + de,+  d’ ✔     How to tell time ✔     Adverbs of time such as souvent, toujours, quelquefois, maintenant ✔     Classroom furniture ✔     Common prepositions of location: dans, sur, sous devant, derrière, avec, chez, pour, après, avant ✔     Colors and common clothing ✔     Common foods ✔     Leisure activities j’aime faire du ski, j’adore le tennis ✔     Countries bordering France, adjectives of nationality, languages ✔     Question words: Qu’est-ce que, comment, combien, pourquoi, où	✔     Elision ✔     Articles, definite, indefinite, (partitive in reading and listening only), contractions ✔     Regular plural of nouns ✔     Form of common adjectives, blond, blonde ✔     How to make questions and negations.  Use of est-ce que for questions ✔     Possessive adjectives mon, ton, ma, ta only ✔     Demonstrative adjectives ce, cette, ces ✔     Possession with de ✔     Subject pronouns je, tu, il, etc.  Limited use of moi, toi ✔     Regular verbs in -er at present, few regular common -ir verbs such as finir, choisir ✔     Il y a vs il est, voilà, voici ✔     Four irregular verbs: être, avoir, faire, aller	✔    Vous vs tu ✔    Proper greetings, Monsieur vs. first name ✔    Eating customs in France vs. U.S.
1	✔     Class schedule, subjects and school supplies ✔     Rooms of the house, basic furniture ✔     Cities, places, activities and transportation ✔     Shopping, restaurants and common food, simple restaurant menu ✔     Prepositions of location  à côté de, près de, loin de, en face de, entre, etc. ✔     Expressions such as: Combien coûte, j’ai besoin de, c’est cher , c’est bon marché,je veux, tu veux, je voudrais, tu voudrais. ✔     Leisure time activities jouer à, faire de ✔     Name of cognate-based professions ✔     Expressions of time: le mois prochain, l’année prochaine ✔     Expressions with avoir -- avoir tort, avoir raison, avoir soif, avoir faim, avoir besoin de, etc. ✔     Simple expressions with faire :  faire la vaisselle, faire des maths, faire du ski	✔     Near future aller + infinitive ✔     J’ai chaud vs. il fait chaud ✔     Interrogative quel, quelle, quels, quelle ✔     de, négatif de un, du, des... ✔     Il ya versus C’est..... ✔     Opposition of «j’aime le...je mange du... » ✔     er verbs at imperative– mange! mangez! ✔     Regular  common -ir verbs such as finir, choisir	✔    Eating customs in France vs. U.S. ✔    School schedule in France vs. U.S.
2	✔     Daily routine ✔     Rooms of the house and chores ✔     Food, typical French meal ✔     Body parts ✔     School related activities, such as la fanfare, la chorale ✔     Health, fitness and expressions such as j’ai mal à, tu as l’air malade, ça va bien? ✔     Shopping for special events, such as birthdays and proms ✔     Travel plans and activities ✔     Giving and asking directions ✔     Expressions with avoir such as avoir envie de, avoir le temps de, avoir peur de, avoir de la chance,  etc. ✔     Expressions with être such as: être en train de, être en forme, être de Toulouse, c’est à moi ✔     Basic body parts	✔     Add all common regular -ir and -re verbs ✔     Add to the four irregular verbs avoir, être, aller, faire.  Eight additional irregulars: mettre, prendre, dormir, sortir, partir, vouloir, pouvoir, savoir ✔     Regular -er, -ir and -re verbs at passé composé, along with passé composé of the above mentioned irregular verbs avoir, être, aller, faire, mettre, prendre, dormir, sortir, partir.  Common « être » verbs vs. « avoir » ✔     Pronominal verbs only at present ✔     Imperfect might be used in listening comprehension and reading selections, but not tested as a grammar item ✔     Agreement and position of all adjectives ✔     Comparatives and superlatives of regular adjectives and adverbs plus.que, moins. .que ✔     Interrogative pronouns: qui, qui est-ce qui, que, qu’est-ce que, quoi ✔     Object pronouns with verbs at present tense, use of one pronoun only – le, lui, y, en., etc... ✔     Use of prepositions with geographical names à, en, au, aux ✔     Simple negations rien, jamais, personne, plus ✔     All regular imperatives, including mangeons, finissons ✔     All possessive adjectives, notre...., leur..... ✔     Verbs with spelling changes such as espérer, acheter	✔    House construction, size, rooms ✔    Differences in daily life, energy conservation, extracurricular activities ✔    Health care ✔    School life ✔    The many facets of Francophone lifestyles ✔
3	✔     Wider scope vocabulary related to:  school, daily schedule, parts and rooms of house, extended family, clothing and appearance, more complex menus, leisure, sports and entertainment, future plans for education and job, health, city life and environment, holidays and traditions.	✔     Use of inversion to make questions ✔     Recent past: venir de + infinitif ✔     All regular verbs at passé composé, including pronominals ✔     Contrast of imparfait and passé composé ✔     Simple agreement of past participle with être and common pronominals ✔     Pronominal verbs at impératif ✔     Future and conditional ✔     Simple use of subjunctive: Il faut + subjunctif of “er” verbs and faire ✔     Common verbs requiring a preposition followed by infinitive commencer à, etc. ✔     Correct use of sortir, partir, laisser, quitter ✔     Depuis + present tense ✔     Use of ne…..que ✔     Adjectives followed by de ✔     Relative pronouns qui, que.  Dont, lequel used only in reading and listening comprehension, not tested as grammar item. ✔     Common negative structures, including ni…ni ✔     Expanded comparative structures aussi…que, autant…que, etc	✔    Driving and car use among teenagers ✔    Secondary studies and college in France and US ✔    Teen life and dating in France and US ✔     Communities and the environment
4	✔     Social issues, such as human rights, equality between sexes, crime and violence, diversity, emigration, prejudice and discrimination, science and medicine, nature and ecology in France and the Francophonie ✔     Culture, celebrations and traditions, arts, historical events, literature in France and the Francophonie	✔     All interrogative pronouns ✔     All possessive pronouns ✔     Si clauses with present and imparfait ✔     En with present participle ✔     Past infinitive with après ✔     Relative pronouns including dont, lequel.... ✔     Demonstrative pronouns ✔     Developed negative words, aucun, ni....ni... ✔     Correct use of manquer de, manquer à ✔     Use of present and imparfait with depuis, il y a, ça fait…que ✔     Most simple uses of subjunctive, ✔     Use of descendre, monter, sortir, rentrer, passer + direct object at passé composé ✔     C’est vs. il est,more complex uses ✔     Recognition of futur antérieur and passé simple in readings only.	✔    All the preceding topics expanded
5	✔     Globalization and technology, such as current events, politics, communications, media in France and the Francophonie	✔     Plus-que-parfait and conditionnel passé ✔     Correct use of imparfait and passé composé ✔     Agreement of past participles with all passés composés ✔     All si clauses, including plus-que-parfait ✔     Double object pronouns ✔     More elaborate use of subjunctive ✔     Expended use of relative and demonstrative pronouns	✔    All the preceding topics expanded

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