5 - The FIDE Test: A2 Oral Exam in Detail

For level A2, the focus is on everyday life situations. Here is a complete guide to effectively prepare for the oral part of the A2 exam and approach each task confidently.

1. Introduction to the A2 Oral Exam

In this part, you will face practical situations that could happen in everyday life. The goal is to prove that you can manage basic conversations in French. With good preparation and an effective method, you can pass this part without too much trouble.

2. Describing an Image: A Typical Exercise

The first step of the oral exam is to describe an image. This is an essential task to test your understanding of a given situation, your ability to form sentences, and your vocabulary. Here’s how to prepare well:

Using these phrases will allow you to structure your speech and show the examiner that you can react to a given situation in a natural way.

3. Role Play: Solving a Problematic Situation

The second part of the exam is a role play in which you have to solve a problematic situation (always related to the image from task 1). The examiner will give you a situation, for example:

Making, postponing, or canceling an appointment: This could be an appointment with a doctor or a friend. It's important to practice using phrases like:

Expressing being late: It is common that you may be asked to apologize for being late. For example, if you're stuck in traffic:

It is essential to know the appropriate vocabulary and practice forming sentences in a polite and clear manner.

4. Personal Questions: Talking About Your Experiences

The third and final part of the exam involves answering questions about your personal experiences. These questions are often linked to everyday situations, and you will need to be able to talk about a past experience using le passé composé. For example:

The goal is to show your ability to narrate events and express yourself in simple French, using the appropriate vocabulary.

5. Essential Grammar and Vocabulary

To succeed in the A2 oral part, you must master certain grammatical and vocabulary elements:

To help you learn the vocabulary, we invite you to visit this page.

6. Practical Tips for Success

• Practice regularly with a teacher or partner to get used to different types of questions and scenarios. Confidence comes with practice!
• Use typical phrases to structure your answers. This helps avoid getting stuck during the exam.
• Practice speaking spontaneously: Even if you make mistakes, the important thing is to keep talking and show that you understand the situation.

7. Recommended Resources

To go further and prepare optimally for the A2 oral exam, we recommend the following resources:

• Daily conversation course: This course covers all everyday situations, including making appointments, apologizing for being late, etc. Ideal for strengthening your A2 skills.
• Course on past tenses: Learn to master the passé composé and imparfait, essential for levels A2 and B1.
• All video courses on Udemy

Summary

➞ For image description, learn typical phrases to: describe a scene, describe emotions, make guesses.
➞ In the role play (second part), you have to solve a problematic situation.
➞ Practice: apologizing, expressing a delay, making an appointment, canceling an appointment, politely asking for information...
➞ The ability to speak in the past, using the passé composé, is tested in the 3rd part « Questions ».
➞ Practice these scenarios with a teacher to be confident on exam day.

With good preparation and regular practice, the oral part of the FIDE exam will no longer be an obstacle.

So don’t wait any longer, start your preparation for free, benefit from a tailored preparation, and receive all the necessary documents to best prepare for the exam.

Contact me

Don't wait any longer and give yourself the best chance to pass the FIDE test!

Would you like to learn more about the B1 oral part? Continue reading