Master GCSE French with Adaptive Practice
Practise GCSE French with questions covering listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills across all exam themes.
Content reviewed February 2026 · Aligned to current specifications
About GCSE French
GCSE French tests your ability to listen, speak, read, and write in French across a range of everyday topics including family, school, free time, holidays, and the world of work. You will learn to communicate in present, past, and future tenses and develop your understanding of French culture.
Languages are highly valued by universities, particularly Russell Group institutions, and studying French opens up careers in international business, diplomacy, translation, tourism, and the charity sector. It also develops cognitive skills like memory, multitasking, and problem-solving.
Many students find the listening and speaking exams the most daunting. Listening requires you to pick out details from natural-speed French, and the speaking exam puts you under time pressure to recall vocabulary and grammar on the spot.
Topics Covered
How UpGrades Helps
Adaptive Practice
Questions adapt to your level in French, focusing on the topics where you need the most improvement.
Spaced Repetition
Review French topics at optimal intervals to maximise long-term retention for your GCSE exam.
Progress Tracking
See exactly how you're progressing across all 8 French topics with detailed analytics.
Study Tips for French
- ✓ Learn vocabulary in phrases rather than individual words. Knowing that je fais du sport is more useful than learning faire and sport separately, because phrases stick in your memory and sound more natural.
- ✓ Practise listening to French every day — podcasts, songs, YouTube videos, or French radio. Even 10 minutes of exposure daily trains your ear to the rhythm and pronunciation of the language.
- ✓ For writing, prepare a set of impressive opinion phrases and complex structures (such as si clauses and relative pronouns) that you can adapt to any topic. Examiners reward variety of language and ambitious structures even with occasional errors.
- ✓ Use spaced repetition apps to build your vocabulary systematically. Aim to learn and review 10-15 new words or phrases per day in the months leading up to the exam.
Exam Tips for GCSE French
- ✓ In the listening exam, read the questions carefully before the audio plays. This tells you what information to listen for. Do not panic if you miss something on the first play — use the second play to confirm your answers.
- ✓ In the speaking exam, do not give one-word answers. Extend your responses with opinions, reasons, and examples. Even if your French is not perfect, a longer answer with varied tenses will score higher.
- ✓ For the writing exam, check that you have used at least three different tenses. This is a key requirement for reaching the higher mark bands. A good strategy is to plan which tense you will use in each paragraph before you start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is GCSE French assessed? +
What tenses do I need to know for GCSE French? +
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Useful Resources
French at other levels: A-Level French · iGCSE French
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