CCEA past papers and mark schemes for GCSE French

CCEA GCSE French past papers and mark schemes

Here you can find CCEA past papers for GCSE French. Use the links below to download question papers and mark schemes (which contain the answers).

There is an examination for each of the specification’s four assessment units, each worth 25% of the overall mark.

In Unit 1: Listening, the exam will consist of 12 questions, all of which you will be expected to complete. Some questions are expected to be answered in English, some questions are expected to be answered in French.

Unit 2: Speaking is a speaking examination, conducted in French, and consists of two role-plays and a general conversation on two topics. You can prepare one conversation topic in advance.

In Unit 3: Reading, the exam will consist of 12 questions, all of which you will be expected to complete. Some questions are expected to be answered in English, some questions are expected to be answered in French, and some translation from French into English will be required.

In Unit 4: Writing, the exam will consist of four questions, all of which you will be expected to complete. Questions are expected to be answered in French, there will be some requirement to translate English into French and the final question will be a structured, extended writing task (from a choice of three) in French.

Unit 1

Listening

Foundation Tier

Higher Tier

Unit 2

Speaking: Role-play situations

Summer 2025 - Past paper | Mark Scheme – (Teacher’s Booklet)
Summer 2024 - Past paper | Mark Scheme – (Teacher’s Booklet)
Summer 2023 - Past paper | Mark Scheme – (Teacher’s Booklet)

Unit 3

Reading

Foundation Tier

Summer 2025 - Past paper | Mark Scheme
Summer 2024 - Past paper | Mark Scheme
Summer 2023 - Past paper | Mark Scheme

Higher Tier

Summer 2025 - Past paper | Mark Scheme
Summer 2024 - Past paper | Mark Scheme
Summer 2023 - Past paper | Mark Scheme

Unit 4

Writing

Foundation Tier

Summer 2025 - Past paper | Mark Scheme
Summer 2024 - Past paper | Mark Scheme
Summer 2023 - Past paper | Mark Scheme

Higher Tier

Summer 2025 - Past paper | Mark Scheme
Summer 2024 - Past paper | Mark Scheme
Summer 2023 - Past paper | Mark Scheme

More CCEA past papers and mark schemes

You can find more French past papers and mark schemes on the CCEA website.

Past papers and mark schemes going back as far as 2018 are available there, along with many Irish Medium and modified versions of the papers.

Five top tips for your French revision

A girl studying at a desk in her room at home.

1. Build topic-specific vocabulary
Try to revise a vocabulary topic every day. Start by with learning words from French to English – this will help for reading and listening. Learning from English to French will help for speaking and writing. Learn common verbs in different tenses, not just in the infinitive (eg je vais – I go, I am going; je suis allé(e) – I went). Common verbs will be useful for role plays, conversation topics, translation sentences and the writing paper. Learning vocabulary is like learning the words of your favourite songs, you need to practice every day!

The core topic vocabulary lists for all contexts can be found in the CCEA GCSE French specification, appendix five.

2. Unit 1: Listening
For the listening paper, recognising French pronunciation is very important. You might have learnt the word, but you need to listen to it in a sentence. There are audio clips available for listening practice on each topic on Bitesize. Listen to short clips twice – once for the gist, once more for detail. Studying the transcript after listening will help you find the unfamiliar words and learn them, so if you hear them again in the exam you will recognise them. Practise identifying negatives (eg ne… pas / ne… jamais / ne… rien), numbers, times, and adjectives and opinions.

3. Unit 2: Speaking
For the speaking exam, practise saying answers to questions. Record yourself and practise with your teacher or a friend to improve pronunciation and fluency. Learn phrases you can use in all contexts. Your speaking exam will last between 7-12 minutes. Practise saying your answers without hesitating or pausing, so you are able to say as much as you can when it comes to the test.

4. Unit 3: Reading
For the reading paper, learn core vocabulary for each topic, practise past papers and read other short passages (from Bitesize or your textbook). Scan the passages for key words. Highlight unfamiliar words and note down any , as these are often key to getting an answer right (eg arrêter/cesser, sans emploi/au chômage). Use a dictionary or your notes to check the meaning of the words you don’t know and revise them before the exam. There are words that occur frequently, and with practice you will recognise them.

5. Unit 4: Writing
Learn to write sentences in different tenses. You need to use present, past and future tenses. Showing you can use tenses will allow you to access the higher marks. Make lists of sentences in different tenses for each context. Learn opinion phrases and connectives (eg à mon avis…, je trouve que…, cependant…, pourtant…). Learn common verb phrases (eg on peut faire, j’aime aller) and practise similar sentences from past papers. Always check adjective agreements, accents and verb endings. Grammar structures boost marks. Accuracy is very important. If you are aiming for a high grade, use higher grammatical structures and other tenses like the imperfect or conditional (eg si j’avais l’argent je voudrais…, après avoir fait…). Learn basic irregular verbs (eg être, avoir, aller, faire) and make sure you can use these verbs correctly in all tenses.

Five top tips for your French exam

A line of students at their desks in an examination room.

1. Tips for the listening exam
In the listening exam you need to pick out the key information for the answers. Read the questions carefully during the five minutes at the start so you know the information that you need to answer the question. The listening tracks often include ‘distractors’, which are extra details that you don’t need. So don’t worry if you don’t understand everything. Pick out the important information. Listen carefully to numbers, times, places, prepositions and opinions and watch out for negatives, eg ne… pas (not), ne… jamais (never), ne… rien (nothing) and ne… personne (nobody).

2. Tips for the speaking exam
In the speaking exam, choose your role play context carefully. The second conversation topic will be on the context you haven’t chosen for your role plays. Use the 10 minutes preparation time to think carefully about sensible answers. You don’t need lots of information for role play answers, so keep it simple. You may have to ask a question, so be ready for that! Remember, you will go through the role play point by point, taking it in turns with your teacher, who will ask a question or give an answer. After that, your teacher will ask questions on the prescribed conversation topic, and you can use the sheet with useful words which you prepared in class. Timing is very important in the conversations, so try say as much as possible in the time allowed. If you make mistake, don’t worry – just keep going!

3. Tips for the reading exam
In the reading exam, make sure you answer in the correct language. Read the instructions carefully – there will be answers you need to write in English and answers you need to write in French. Look at the number of marks – if there are two marks, try to find two details. Include all relevant information to ensure you access the maximum number of marks available for each question. Look very carefully at the words in every question, so you know what information the answers needs – eg qui (who), quand (when), combien (how many) or pourquoi (why).

4. Tips for the writing exam
In the writing exam, there are two sections. The longer question will be last on the paper, so leave enough time to answer it, including time to plan. It is important to write roughly the same amount of information for all points, and to write each point as a separate paragraph. Make sure you notice what tense a sentence needs. Read through the questions and note this down beforehand. Don’t guess new words in the exam, use words you know. Aim for simple, correct sentences that you have already practised and then add opinions and good phrases. Leave time to read over what you have written so you can check spelling.

5. Tips for all papers
Practising with past papers will ensure that you know the timings of all four exams and have experience completing each within the recommended time. If there is a very difficult question you are struggling to answer, move on and come back to it at the end. Complete all the questions as best you can and, if possible, leave yourself time to read over what you have written. Clear communication is the key, so check what you have written makes sense! You may also be able to spot any mistakes and make sure you have answered every part of each question.

Revise specific French topics

A young girl holding a mobile phone and writing revision notes in a jotter

If practising past papers has shown you an area of French you want to improve, there’s extra help available.

You can go straight to the most relevant CCEA GCSE French resources and refresh your knowledge of the key skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. All three contexts of learning are covered – identity, lifestyle and culture; local, national, international and global areas of interest; and school life, studies and the world of work.

Follow the links to the unit or skill you want to focus on, where you’ll find clear revision support, helpful guidance and materials designed to build your confidence for the exams.