Learn every school noun with its article
Group every school noun with its article — gender is a named accuracy fault. Institutions: l'école primaire (f), le collège, le lycée, l'université (f). Classroom/tools: la salle de classe, le tableau, le bureau (desk), un manuel. School day: l'emploi du temps (m), la récréation, la cantine, les devoirs (always plural), la rentrée. le collège and le lycée are masculine — don't guess gender. Full lists in the note.
Subjects + study verbs (passer ≠ réussir)
Subjects (les matières, f): le français, les maths (f pl), l'histoire-géo (f), les sciences, l'espagnol (m). Study verbs: apprendre, étudier, réviser, faire ses devoirs. Exam-verb trap: passer un examen = to sit it (false friend); réussir (à) un examen = to pass; échouer à = to fail. Opinions must agree: les maths sont difficiles, le français est intéressant. Full tables in the note.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
la journée (day) ≠ le trajet (commute)
Asked to describe a favourite school day, some candidates answer about the journey to school instead. la journée = the whole day — ma journée préférée, c'est le vendredi. le trajet = the commute — le trajet jusqu'au collège dure vingt minutes. They share no root; describe lessons, break and activities, not how you travelled there.
Cited s22 Speaking Topic 6: journée (a day) confused with trajet (the commute) describing a favourite school day.
les matières (subjects) ≠ le métier (job)
les matières (f pl) = school subjects (le français, les maths). le métier = a job/career (médecin, professeur). They look unrelated, yet candidates swap them when a task shifts from 'what subjects do you study' to 'what job do you want'. Re-check the exact word: quelle est ta matière préférée ? is not quel métier veux-tu faire ?
Cited s23 Speaking Topic 6; w23 Writing P4 Q3(a) Task 5: matières confused with métier in Speaking and Writing.
un voyage scolaire = a school TRIP
un voyage scolaire = a school trip (a class visit to a museum or abroad). Candidates who don't know the phrase redescribe their daily commute instead — a different topic that only shares the vague idea of 'going somewhere for school'. If a task mentions un voyage scolaire, describe the trip (where, when, what you did), not your daily journey to school.
Cited s22 Speaking Topic 6: voyage scolaire not recognised, candidates redescribing the daily commute.
Spell subject names right: chimie, espagnol
Subject-name spelling is a named accuracy fault, even in Q1 single-word gap-fills where no article is needed — a misspelt subject still loses the mark. la chimie (chemistry) and l'espagnol (m, Spanish) are flagged specifically. Learn the awkward subject spellings (l'informatique, l'histoire-géo, la physique-chimie) accurately, not just their meaning.
Cited w23 Writing P4 Q1: subjects vocabulary (chimie, espagnol) frequently misspelt.
Agree adjectives with plural subjects
Plural subjects like les maths and les sciences are feminine plural, so an opinion adjective must be feminine plural too — les maths sont difficiles, les sciences sont intéressantes, never difficile or intéressant. A plural subject doesn't 'look' feminine, so candidates often leave the adjective masculine singular. Check number and gender before writing it.
general FL trap
passer un examen means SIT, not pass
Two false beliefs about school words. (1) passer un examen = 'to pass' — WRONG; it means to sit an exam. 'To pass' is réussir (à) un examen; j'ai passé mon examen only says you sat it. (2) an adjective on the plural les maths must be feminine plural (les maths sont intéressantes), and devoirs has no singular meaning 'homework'.
general FL trap; School/education precision confusions named across sittings (s23/w23).
Name it, agree it, justify it
For a subject opinion: (1) name the subject with its article (les maths, l'histoire-géo); (2) agree the adjective in gender/number (les maths sont difficiles); (3) justify with a connective beyond parce que (j'aime la biologie car...).
Compare subjects, use the right exam verb
To widen Range, compare two subjects: je préfère les sciences à l'histoire (préférer X à Y, not 'que'). Use the right exam verb — réussir (à) to pass, passer only to sit, échouer à to fail: j'ai réussi à mon examen (perfect, a completed result).
Check which word the rubric uses
Check which word the rubric uses — matière (subject) or métier (job), journée (day) or trajet (commute) — so you answer what's asked. Then check each subject name is spelt right (chimie, espagnol): a misspelling loses the mark.
This topic covers learning institutions, the classroom, learning tools, school subjects, studying, and the school day — vocabulary tested across all four papers, and the natural bridge into Section 5's careers/work-of-the-future topics.
Learning institutions (by age):
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l'école primaire (f) | primary school |
| le collège | lower secondary (11-15) |
| le lycée | upper secondary (15-18) |
| l'université (f) | university |
Classroom and tools:
Full notes, flashcards, Q&A and the topic quiz for every premium subject.
Premium plans are US$8.99/month or US$49.99/year — first month free.
Studying with a parent's blessing? Show them this.
