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Basic Information About the Grand Concours

The Grand Concours is an online test with a multiple choice listening component and reading component.

Students  of French in grades 1-12, in all 50 states and abroad, take the Grand Concours online and compete against students with similar educational background for prizes.  Grades 1-6 participate in the FLES Contest.  Grades 7-12 in the Secondary Contest.

Students enter via their French teacher.  All students are eligible—  home school parents or  private tutors can request  information on participation from the nearest Chapter Administrator (administrator contact info can be found on the purchasing page linked below in the "how to register" section).  Students of non-AATF members are also welcome to participate.  

For more info on how many students take the test, please see the statistics from the 2024 test here.
Teacher benefits:
  • Track program growth
  • Track individual student growth
  • Specific feedback on how students did on each type of question
  • Authentic readings and listening exercises, when possible
  • Focus on la francophonie
  • Promotion of your program
  • Increased program visibility
  • Access to vast library of practice materials that can be assigned for homework
Student benefits:
  • Excellent practice for any standardized French assessment
  • Looks great on college applications
  • Measure growth
  • Demonstrate skills in French
  • Access to library of materials for practice and enrichment
Testimonials

Le Grand Concours - Should I Give it This Year? by Laura Faga, CT

Le Grand Concours - deux ou trois mots à ce sujet by Daniel Bromley, WA

Memories from Prof. Kennelly

From Mme Walker's 4th grade students:
  • "That was fun!"
  • "It wasn't as hard as I thought!"
  • "That was more fun than French our regular French class!  (Though class is fun, too!)"
From Mme Leslie's French 3 students:
  • As far as tests are concerned, this one was rather enjoyable, they told me:
    • "Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday morning..."
    • "Fun, even!"
  • ALL levels have been extremely engaged while taking this exam. 
Mme Enzor-Finelli: 
"When I sent out the testing info to excuse my students from first period, I got multiple emails from faculty/staff saying how cool they thought it was and that they didn't even know it existed! I'm excited to have another occasion to promote our French program!"
M. Johnson:
"The National French Contest seems much more student and teacher friendly now that it ever has been. I have taught French for 48 years and have been involved with AATF and the NFE the whole time. Everything seems more welcoming, inclusive, and supportive than ever."
M. Ausseil from the Ambassade de France à Washington

M. Labat from the Consulat Général de France à Los Angeles

M. Ouellette from the Consulat Général de France à Boston

The Contest is taken online on Lingco.

In order to take the contest, students will need:

  • access to a device connected to the internet: computer (PC or Mac).
  • headphones or earbuds for the listening comprehension section.

Students are also allowed one sheet of scratch paper, to be provided by the teacher and collected by the teacher at the end of the Contest. A tablet or phone may not work for certain types of questions on the testing platform, Lingco.
The following fees represent the National expenses, basic test development and computer hosting; administrative costs; publicity; and prizes. Chapters normally add a charge to these fees to support local Contest expenses.

Individual tests:

    • AATF members: $5.00* PLUS local fees, if applicable
    • Non-members: $10.00* PLUS local fees, if applicable
*Chapters add additional fees to support local Contest expenses. See your state / chapter on the purchasing page here for more details.

FLES Contest: 30 minutes for Part A [Listening], and 30 minutes for Part B [Reading] (which is only taken by some divisions, refer to FLES division info here for more info).

Secondary Contest: 

  • Levels 01-1-2-3: 30 minutes for Part A and 30 minutes for Part B. 
  • Levels 4 and 5: 45 minutes for Part A and 30 minutes for Part B.
    Okay, I'm in. How do I register?

    First, you need to determine which test your student(s) will take. 

    Students take the test for the level at which they are currently receiving school credit (or equivalent). Generally speaking*:

    • Students in 1st grade through 6th grade generally take the FLES Contest

    Click here for FLES Contest Information

    • Students in 7th grade through 12th grade generally take the Secondary Contest

    Click here for Secondary Contest Information

    * For students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, click here for guidance on which test to take

    Once you've determined the correct level(s) of Contest to purchase for your students, as well as how many tests are needed, please proceed to our purchasing page below to begin your order.

    Please note: You will need to log in if you have an existing AATF account, or register for an account in order to purchase, even if you are not an AATF member.

    All set? Register here 

    Need a letter/permission slip? Click here to download a customizable parent letter/permission slip template 
    Specifications for the FLES Contest here and for the Secondary Contest here provide details about what content is covered in each level of the test. Reviewing these specifications and practicing with previous contests available in Lingco after purchasing the Contest will help both teachers and students prepare.
    Additionally, a complete review is included in student Contest registration. This can be accessed in Lingco. Once your order for the 2025 Concours is processed, you will be able to invite students to access review materials for all Contest levels from 2014 - 2024. For more information on using Lingco, or assistance accessing the site, check out our test administration guides here.
    Proctoring & Test Administration
    After purchasing tests for your students, you will receive an e-mail with a link to the testing platform, Lingco. Teachers will access the Contest by following the information in the order confirmation sent via e-mail.
    Written and video guidelines for individual steps of the registration process may be found below.
    1. Log into Lingco - After clicking the link in the order confirmation e-mail, you will need to log in to Lingco. If you haven't used Lingco before, you will need to create an account. 
    2. Access the Lingco Dashboard - Once you are logged in, you will have access to your Lingco Dashboard, which is where you can...

      Click here for complete video instructions detailing the steps above

      Additional guides for using Lingco
      General Info / Best Practices
      • We strongly urge you to have your students try the practice test BEFORE doing the 2025 Contest to familiarize themselves with the testing and to make sure that their device is compatible.
      • Teachers MAY proctor their own students.
      • Students in a single level may test at different times. Students in different levels may test in the same room.
      • Make-up Contests ARE permitted.
      • On-line testing is set-up for testing over more than one testing period: you may chose to do Part A one day and Part B a second day.
      • We understand that in some situations teachers must use remote testing via an online meeting. The online Contest is perfect for this situation. However, students MUST BE PROCTORED. If students are NOT proctored, they will be Hors Concours and ineligible for national awards.
        • Contact us for information on proctoring your students virtually. We will require teachers to complete an attestation form confirming the students were proctored

      Test Taking Integrity and Contest Restrictions
      • Lingco can determine if students use an online resource such as Google translate. If Lingco determines this has occurred, student results will be disqualified and will be considered Hors Concours. 
      • Students may access review tests an unlimited number of times. 
      • Students may only submit their answers to the 2025 Contest ONE TIME.

      Interrupted Contest

      If there are technical problems such as a power failure, internet interruptions that affect an entire class or verifiable problems with the device the student is using, we may be able to re-set the student.

      However,

      • If students leave the test screen (for example, if they click on the screen or type in the address bar to go to a different website), they may not be able to re-access that part Contest.
      • If students attempt to go to a different tab or switch screens, their results may be submitted.
      • If students take too long and run out of time, they will not be able to re-access this part of the Contest.

      In these situations, for the interest of fairness to all students, we may not be able to re-set the student.  Please contact director@frenchcontest.org for assistance.

      All requests must be documented in writing. No phone calls will be accepted.

      After test completion

      Student's raw scores can be accessed in Lingco by viewing the submissions page in the test module (the same place you would find the secret code).

      National results, including national and chapter ranking and national percentiles, are released in mid-April.

      For statistics from the 2024 test, click here

      If your student(s) need verification of previous Contest performance for college applications, please contact your French teacher or the National French Contest Director.

        Still have questions? Check out the FAQ here