FlexiLingoIn one line
These words appear in the question itself, not in the exam text — and none of them ever comes up in ordinary conversation.
Instruction verbs
All in the vous imperative:
| French | Pronunciation | What to do |
|---|---|---|
Cochez | /kɔ.ʃe/ | tick |
Entourez | /ɑ̃.tu.ʁe/ | circle |
Soulignez | /su.li.ɲe/ | underline |
Barrez | /ba.ʁe/ | cross out |
Complétez | /kɔ̃.ple.te/ | complete |
Remplissez | /ʁɑ̃.pli.se/ | fill in |
Reliez | /ʁə.lje/ | match, join up |
Classez | /kla.se/ | put in order |
Choisissez | /ʃwa.zi.se/ | choose |
Indiquez | /ɛ̃.di.ke/ | state, indicate |
Précisez | /pʁe.si.ze/ | specify |
Justifiez | /ʒys.ti.fje/ | give evidence |
Citez | /si.te/ | name, list |
Relevez | /ʁə.lə.ve/ | pick out from the text |
Répondez | /ʁe.pɔ̃.de/ | answer |
Rédigez | /ʁe.di.ʒe/ | write (a text) |
Résumez | /ʁe.zy.me/ | summarise |
Décrivez | /de.kʁi.ve/ | describe |
Expliquez | /ɛks.pli.ke/ | explain |
Comparez | /kɔ̃.pa.ʁe/ | compare |
Reformulez | /ʁə.fɔʁ.my.le/ | put in your own words |
Associez | /a.sɔ.sje/ | pair up |
Numérotez | /ny.me.ʁɔ.te/ | number |
Écoutez | /e.ku.te/ | listen |
Lisez | /li.ze/ | read |
Justifiezis the most expensive word on this list. It means the answer alone is not enough — you must also quote the phrase from the text. Without it, you lose half the marks.
Three of these are near-false-friends and worth pinning down.
Relevezis not "relieve" — it means extract the exact words from the text.Citezis not "cite" in the academic sense — it just means list. AndReformulezandRelevezare opposites: one wants your own words, the other wants the text's.
Question formats
| French | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
Vrai ou faux ? | true or false? | /vʁɛ u fo/ |
Vrai, faux, on ne sait pas | true, false, not stated in the text | /vʁɛ fo ɔ̃ nə sɛ pa/ |
Justifiez votre réponse. | give evidence for your answer | /ʒys.ti.fje votʁ ʁe.pɔ̃s/ |
en citant le texte | by quoting from the text | /ɑ̃ si.tɑ̃ lə tɛkst/ |
Plusieurs réponses possibles. | more than one answer is possible | /ply.zjœʁ ʁe.pɔ̃s pɔ.sibl/ |
Une seule réponse. | one answer only | /yn sœl ʁe.pɔ̃s/ |
Répondez par une phrase complète. | answer in a full sentence | /ʁe.pɔ̃.de paʁ yn fʁaz kɔ̃.plɛt/ |
en une dizaine de mots | in about ten words | /ɑ̃.n‿yn di.zɛn də mo/ |
en 160 à 180 mots | in 160 to 180 words | /ɑ̃ sɑ̃ swa.sɑ̃.t‿a sɑ̃ ka.tʁə.vɛ̃ mo/ |
d'après le document | according to the text | /da.pʁɛ lə do.ky.mɑ̃/ |
selon l'auteur | according to the author | /sə.lɔ̃ lo.tœʁ/ |
Vous entendrez le document deux fois. | you will hear the recording twice | /vu.z‿ɑ̃.tɑ̃.dʁe lə do.ky.mɑ̃ dø fwa/ |
Vous avez 30 secondes pour lire les questions. | you have 30 seconds to read the questions | /vu.z‿a.ve tʁɑ̃t sə.ɡɔ̃d puʁ liʁ le kɛs.tjɔ̃/ |
The
on ne sait pasoption is the main trap in the reading section. It means the text neither confirms nor denies — and answering from your own general knowledge is wrong.
Exam structure words
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
le document | /dɔ.ky.mɑ̃/ | the text, the source |
l'extrait (m.) | /ɛks.tʁɛ/ | extract |
l'énoncé (m.) | /e.nɔ̃.se/ | the question as set |
la consigne | /kɔ̃.siɲ/ | the instruction |
l'exemple (m.) | /ɛɡ.zɑ̃pl/ | example |
la réponse | /ʁe.pɔ̃s/ | answer |
la question | /kɛs.tjɔ̃/ | question |
le point | /pwɛ̃/ | mark |
la note | /nɔt/ | grade |
le barème | /ba.ʁɛm/ | mark scheme |
l'épreuve (f.) | /e.pʁœv/ | exam paper, section |
la durée | /dy.ʁe/ | duration |
le brouillon | /bʁu.jɔ̃/ | rough draft |
la copie | /kɔ.pi/ | answer sheet |
le sujet | /sy.ʒɛ/ | topic |
la production écrite | /pʁo.dyk.sjɔ̃ e.kʁit/ | the writing section |
la production orale | /pʁo.dyk.sjɔ̃ o.ʁal/ | the speaking section |
la compréhension orale | /kɔ̃.pʁe.ɑ̃.sjɔ̃ o.ʁal/ | the listening section |
la compréhension écrite | /kɔ̃.pʁe.ɑ̃.sjɔ̃ e.kʁit/ | the reading section |
Where you meet them
In all four sections, but with different concentrations:
| Section | Most frequent | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| listening | Cochez Vous entendrez deux fois Répondez | /kɔ.ʃe/ · /vu.z‿ɑ̃.tɑ̃.dʁe/ · /dø fwa/ · /ʁe.pɔ̃.de/ |
| reading | Vrai ou faux Justifiez en citant le texte Relevez | /vʁɛ u fo/ · /ʒys.ti.fje/ · /ɑ̃ si.tɑ̃ lə tɛkst/ · /ʁə.lə.ve/ |
| writing | Rédigez en 160 à 180 mots Vous exprimerez | /ʁe.di.ʒe/ · /ɑ̃ sɑ̃ swa.sɑ̃.t‿a sɑ̃ ka.tʁə.vɛ̃ mo/ · /vu.z‿ɛks.pʁim.ʁe/ |
| speaking | Vous présenterez Vous dégagerez le thème | /vu pʁe.zɑ̃.tʁe/ · /vu de.ɡaʒ.ʁe/ · /lə tɛm/ |
And two writing-section phrases that must be understood word for word:
Vous exprimerez votre opinion sur…— give your opinionVous dégagerez le thème du document.— identify the main theme
Traps
| Trap | Explanation |
|---|---|
Justifiez means quote the text | Not explain in your own words. Write the exact phrase. |
on ne sait pas really is an option | If the text does not say, choose it — not what you happen to know. |
| The word count is enforced | Going outside 160 à 180 mots costs marks. |
Relevez means extract from the text | Not paraphrase. The exact wording. |
Reformulez is the opposite | It means in your own words. Quoting scores nothing. |
Cochez une seule case | Two ticks and both are void. |
Entourez is not Soulignez | One circles, one underlines — and the marker checks. |
The thirty seconds people waste
a habit that recovers several marks in the listening section
In the listening section, before each recording there is a short window to read the questions:
Vous avez trente secondes pour lire les questions.
Most candidates spend those thirty seconds reading all the questions and understanding none of them properly.
The right approach: in those thirty seconds, look for three things only:
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| numbers and dates | if the question wants a number, prime your ear for numbers |
| proper names | a person's or place's name is an anchor in the audio |
| the question word | où or quand or pourquoi — it tells you what to listen for |
And the recording is played twice. So not understanding everything the first time is normal:
| Pass | What to do |
|---|---|
| first | the overall picture — what the topic is, how many people, where |
| between the two | write down the answers you are sure of |
| second | only the details for the questions you left blank |
One last point: never leave a question blank. There is no negative marking, so a guess always beats nothing.
And one habit specific to confident readers. English speakers with strong general literacy often try to translate the audio into English as they listen, because that is how they check comprehension. That is fatal in the listening section — translating one sentence costs you the next two. Listen for the answer, not for the meaning of everything.