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NB FSL Oral Proficiency study materials
NB FSL Oral Proficiency study resources

NB FSL Oral Proficiency practice questions

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Question 1Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Bonjour, je m'appelle Claire. » What is the speaker doing?

  1. Ordering food
  2. Saying goodbye
  3. Introducing herself Correct answer.
  4. Asking for directions

Explanation

The phrase « je m'appelle » literally means "I call myself" and is the standard way to give one's name in French. Hearing a name after this expression signals a self-introduction, not a question or a farewell.

Question 2Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Il est huit heures et quart. » What time is it?

  1. 8:04
  2. 8:15 Correct answer.
  3. 8:45
  4. 8:30

Explanation

In French time telling, « et quart » means "and a quarter", so it adds fifteen minutes to the hour. « Huit heures » is eight o'clock, giving 8:15.

Question 3Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. » Where is this most likely said?

  1. In a classroom
  2. At a doctor's office
  3. At a café or restaurant Correct answer.
  4. At a train station

Explanation

« Je voudrais » is the polite conditional form used to order something, and « un café » is a drink. The combination of a polite order plus « s'il vous plaît » points to a food-service setting.

Question 4Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « J'habite à Lyon depuis trois ans. » How long has the speaker lived in Lyon?

  1. Three days
  2. Three years Correct answer.
  3. Three months
  4. Three weeks

Explanation

« Depuis » marks the starting point of an ongoing situation, and « ans » means years. So the speaker has lived in Lyon for three years and still does.

Question 5Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Attention, le train part dans cinq minutes ! » What is the speaker warning about?

  1. A crowded platform
  2. An approaching departure Correct answer.
  3. A cancelled trip
  4. A delayed train

Explanation

« Attention » is a warning, and « part dans cinq minutes » states that the train leaves in five minutes. The message urges the listener to hurry because departure is imminent.

Question 6Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Qu'est-ce que tu fais le week-end ? » What is being asked?

  1. How old the listener is
  2. Where the listener lives
  3. Why the listener is late
  4. What the listener does at weekends Correct answer.

Explanation

« Qu'est-ce que » asks for information about an action, and « tu fais » is the second-person form of "to do". Together with « le week-end », the question asks about weekend activities.

Question 7Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Il fait très froid aujourd'hui. » What is the weather like?

  1. Very windy
  2. Very hot
  3. Very cold Correct answer.
  4. Very rainy

Explanation

The impersonal expression « il fait » introduces weather, and « très froid » means very cold. The adjective « froid » is the key word identifying the temperature.

Question 8Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Mon frère s'appelle Marc et ma sœur s'appelle Julie. » Who is Julie?

  1. The speaker's sister Correct answer.
  2. The speaker's cousin
  3. The speaker's friend
  4. The speaker's mother

Explanation

« Ma sœur » is the feminine possessive plus the word for sister, and it directly precedes the name Julie. « Mon frère » introduces the brother Marc, so Julie is the sister.

Question 9Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? » What does the speaker want?

  1. To pay the bill
  2. To speak more slowly
  3. To leave the room
  4. To hear the words again Correct answer.

Explanation

« Répéter » means to say something again, and the polite conditional « pourriez-vous » softens the request. The speaker has not understood and asks for a repetition.

Question 10Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais en Afrique. » What does the speaker imply?

  1. They travel to Africa often
  2. They do not currently have the time Correct answer.
  3. They have plenty of time
  4. They dislike travelling

Explanation

The structure « si + imperfect » with a conditional main clause expresses a hypothetical situation contrary to reality. Because the speaker says "if I had the time", the implication is that they do not have it now.

Question 11Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « J'ai cherché mes clés partout, mais je ne les ai pas trouvées. » What happened?

  1. The speaker lost the keys and never found them Correct answer.
  2. The speaker bought new keys
  3. The speaker gave the keys away
  4. The speaker found the keys

Explanation

« Chercher partout » means to search everywhere, and the negative « je ne les ai pas trouvées » states the keys were not found. The result is an unsuccessful search.

Question 12Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Il pleut, donc je prends mon parapluie. » Why does the speaker take an umbrella?

  1. Because it is raining Correct answer.
  2. Because it is sunny
  3. Because it is snowing
  4. Because the umbrella is new

Explanation

« Donc » introduces a consequence, and the cause stated is « il pleut », meaning it is raining. The umbrella is the logical response to rain.

Question 13Comprehension of spoken French

You hear on the phone: « Je voudrais parler à Monsieur Dupont, de la part de Madame Legrand. » Who is calling?

  1. Monsieur Dupont
  2. A delivery driver
  3. Madame Legrand's secretary
  4. Madame Legrand Correct answer.

Explanation

« De la part de » means "on behalf of" and identifies who is calling. The caller names Madame Legrand as the person making the call, while Monsieur Dupont is the person being sought.

Question 14Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Bien qu'il soit fatigué, il continue à travailler. » What does this tell us?

  1. He finished work early
  2. He stopped working because he was tired
  3. He is tired but keeps working Correct answer.
  4. He is not tired at all

Explanation

« Bien que » introduces a concession and is followed by the subjunctive « soit ». The sentence contrasts his fatigue with his continued work, so both facts are true at once.

Question 15Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Le musée est fermé le lundi, mais ouvert le mardi. » What can you conclude?

  1. The museum is closed on Mondays Correct answer.
  2. The museum never opens
  3. The museum is open every day
  4. The museum is closed on Tuesdays

Explanation

The sentence contrasts two days: closed on Monday, open on Tuesday. The key information is that Monday is the closing day.

Question 16Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Je suis désolé, mais je ne peux pas venir ce soir. » What is the speaker doing?

  1. Inviting someone out
  2. Apologising for not coming Correct answer.
  3. Asking for the time
  4. Confirming attendance

Explanation

« Je suis désolé » is an apology, and « je ne peux pas venir » states an inability to attend. The message politely declines an invitation or arrangement.

Question 17Comprehension of spoken French

You hear a shopkeeper say: « Je peux vous aider, monsieur ? » What is the purpose of this question?

  1. To offer assistance Correct answer.
  2. To ask for payment
  3. To complain about a product
  4. To close the shop

Explanation

« Je peux vous aider » literally means "can I help you", a standard offer of service. In a shop this is how staff greet and assist customers.

Question 18Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Il a dit qu'il arriverait vers midi. » When is he expected?

  1. In the late evening
  2. Around midnight
  3. In the early morning
  4. Around noon Correct answer.

Explanation

« Midi » means noon, twelve o'clock in the daytime, as opposed to « minuit » which is midnight. The conditional « arriverait » reports a future arrival from a past viewpoint.

Question 19Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Tu devrais voir un médecin si la douleur continue. » What is the speaker advising?

  1. To ignore the pain
  2. To buy medicine immediately
  3. To consult a doctor Correct answer.
  4. To take a taxi

Explanation

« Tu devrais » is the conditional of « devoir » used to give advice, and « voir un médecin » means to see a doctor. The advice is conditional on the pain continuing.

Question 20Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « C'est la personne dont je t'ai parlé hier. » What does « dont » refer to here?

  1. A time in the future
  2. A quantity of objects
  3. A place where they met
  4. The person previously mentioned in conversation Correct answer.

Explanation

The relative pronoun « dont » replaces « de qui » after verbs constructed with « de », such as « parler de ». Here it links back to the person the speaker talked about yesterday.

Question 21Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Il aurait dû prendre le train de sept heures. » What does this suggest?

  1. He missed or did not take the intended train Correct answer.
  2. He regrets taking the train
  3. He took the seven o'clock train
  4. He will take the train tomorrow

Explanation

The past conditional of « devoir », « il aurait dû », expresses an unfulfilled obligation or regret about the past. It implies he did not do what he should have done, namely take the seven o'clock train.

Question 22Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Ce n'est pas qu'il soit paresseux, mais il manque de motivation. » How does the speaker characterise him?

  1. Lacking motivation rather than being lazy Correct answer.
  2. Completely indifferent to everything
  3. Extremely motivated
  4. Lazy and unwilling

Explanation

The construction « ce n'est pas que... mais... » rejects the first explanation and substitutes another. The speaker denies laziness and instead attributes the behaviour to a lack of motivation.

Question 23Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Quoi qu'il fasse, il reste calme. » What does « quoi qu'il fasse » mean?

  1. What he is doing now
  2. Because he does it
  3. Before he does it
  4. Whatever he does Correct answer.

Explanation

« Quoi que » plus the subjunctive means "whatever", expressing concession about an action. « Quoi qu'il fasse » therefore means "whatever he does", and the main clause says he stays calm.

Question 24Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « On m'a fait attendre plus d'une heure. » What happened to the speaker?

  1. They waited for less than an hour
  2. They were kept waiting over an hour Correct answer.
  3. They were asked to leave
  4. They made someone else wait

Explanation

The causative construction « faire attendre » means to make someone wait, and « plus d'une heure » means more than an hour. The speaker was therefore kept waiting for over an hour.

Question 25Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Si seulement j'avais suivi ses conseils ! » What feeling does this express?

  1. Satisfaction with a decision
  2. Regret about a past choice Correct answer.
  3. Anger at someone else
  4. Indifference to advice

Explanation

« Si seulement » plus the past perfect expresses a wish that the past had been different, which is a form of regret. The speaker wishes they had followed the advice they ignored.

Question 26Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Prenez la deuxième rue à droite, puis continuez tout droit. » What is the speaker doing?

  1. Describing a friend
  2. Giving directions Correct answer.
  3. Asking for the time
  4. Ordering a meal

Explanation

The imperative forms « prenez » and « continuez » combined with « la deuxième rue à droite » and « tout droit » are the standard vocabulary of giving directions. The speaker is telling someone how to reach a place, not asking a question or describing a person.

Question 27Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Deux billets pour le train de quinze heures, s'il vous plaît. » Where does this conversation most likely take place?

  1. At a doctor's office
  2. At a train station ticket counter Correct answer.
  3. At a bakery
  4. At a library

Explanation

The request for « deux billets » for a specific « train de quinze heures » points to buying tickets for rail travel. The polite formula « s'il vous plaît » marks a service transaction at a counter.

Question 28Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « J'ai trente-deux ans et je travaille comme infirmier à l'hôpital. » What does the speaker do for a living?

  1. He is a teacher
  2. He is a nurse Correct answer.
  3. He is a driver
  4. He is a student

Explanation

The phrase « je travaille comme infirmier » identifies the speaker's profession directly. « Infirmier » is the French word for a male nurse, and the hospital detail confirms the medical setting.

Question 29Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Combien coûte cette chemise bleue ? » What does the speaker want to know?

  1. The size of the shirt
  2. The price of the shirt Correct answer.
  3. The colour of the shirt
  4. Where the shirt was made

Explanation

The interrogative « combien coûte » asks about cost, so the speaker is enquiring about the price of the blue shirt. « Combien » with the verb « coûter » is the standard way to ask how much something costs.

Question 30Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « J'habite à Lyon depuis cinq ans, mais avant je vivais à Marseille. » Where does the speaker live now?

  1. In Marseille
  2. In Paris
  3. Abroad
  4. In Lyon Correct answer.

Explanation

The present tense « j'habite à Lyon » states the current residence, while « avant je vivais à Marseille » uses the imperfect to describe the earlier situation. The time marker « depuis cinq ans » confirms the move to Lyon happened five years ago.

Question 31Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Je cherche la gare, mais je me suis trompé de direction. » What problem does the speaker have?

  1. He is going the wrong way Correct answer.
  2. He missed his train
  3. He cannot find his luggage
  4. He has lost his ticket

Explanation

The expression « se tromper de direction » means to take the wrong direction or go the wrong way. The speaker is looking for the station but realises the route taken is incorrect.

Question 32Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Il faut que tu rendes ce dossier avant vendredi. » What is the listener told to do?

  1. Translate a file before Friday
  2. Destroy a file before Friday
  3. Read a file before Friday
  4. Hand in a file before Friday Correct answer.

Explanation

The impersonal « il faut que » plus the subjunctive « rendes » expresses an obligation, and « rendre un dossier » means to submit or hand in a file. The deadline is « avant vendredi ».

Question 33Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Je préfère le thé au café, mais le matin je bois surtout du café. » What does the speaker usually drink in the morning?

  1. Juice
  2. Coffee Correct answer.
  3. Tea
  4. Water

Explanation

The general preference for tea is stated first, but the contrast with « mais » introduces the actual morning habit: « je bois surtout du café ». The adverb « surtout » signals the usual practice.

Question 34Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Si tu étais arrivé plus tôt, tu aurais vu le début du film. » What does the speaker mean?

  1. The listener arrived early and saw the film
  2. The listener arrived late and missed the beginning Correct answer.
  3. The listener plans to arrive earlier next time
  4. The listener has not yet arrived

Explanation

The structure « si + plus-que-parfait, conditionnel passé » describes an unreal past situation. It implies the listener did not arrive early, and consequently did not see the start of the film.

Question 35Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Le directeur a annoncé que la réunion serait reportée à jeudi. » When will the meeting take place?

  1. On Thursday Correct answer.
  2. It has been cancelled
  3. Today
  4. On Tuesday

Explanation

The reported speech uses the conditional « serait reportée » after the past tense « a annoncé », but the new date given is « à jeudi ». The meeting is postponed until Thursday, not cancelled.

Question 36Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Je ne savais pas que tu avais déménagé ; je t'ai envoyé une lettre à ton ancienne adresse. » What mistake did the speaker make?

  1. He forgot to post the letter
  2. He sent the letter to an old address Correct answer.
  3. He sent the letter to the wrong person
  4. He wrote the letter in the wrong language

Explanation

The speaker says he did not know about the move and therefore wrote to « ton ancienne adresse ». The past perfect « avais déménagé » establishes that the listener had already moved before the letter was sent.

Question 37Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « On aurait dit qu'il avait vu un fantôme. » What does the speaker suggest about the person?

  1. He was pretending to be ill
  2. He was telling a ghost story
  3. He looked extremely frightened Correct answer.
  4. He had actually seen a ghost

Explanation

The expression « on aurait dit que » means « one would have said that » and introduces an impression rather than a fact. It describes the person's appearance as being as frightened as if he had seen a ghost.

Question 38Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Certes, le projet est ambitieux ; néanmoins, nous manquons de temps pour le réaliser. » What is the speaker's position?

  1. Certain the deadline will be met
  2. Doubtful, given the lack of time Correct answer.
  3. Fully in favour of the project
  4. Opposed because the project lacks ambition

Explanation

The connector « certes… néanmoins » concedes one point before introducing a reservation. The speaker acknowledges the project's ambition but highlights insufficient time, which expresses doubt rather than firm support or outright rejection.

Question 39Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Il n'a pas réussi l'examen faute de révisions sérieuses. » Why did he fail?

  1. He did not revise seriously enough Correct answer.
  2. He was ill during the exam
  3. He arrived too late
  4. The exam was too difficult

Explanation

The prepositional phrase « faute de » means « for lack of » and introduces the cause of the failure. The speaker attributes it to the absence of serious revision rather than to the exam's difficulty or external circumstances.

Question 40Comprehension of spoken French

You hear: « Quand bien même il pleuvrait, la sortie serait maintenue. » What does the speaker mean?

  1. The outing will happen even if it rains Correct answer.
  2. The outing is cancelled because of rain
  3. The outing has been moved indoors
  4. The outing depends on the weather forecast

Explanation

The literary connector « quand bien même » followed by the conditional means « even if ». It expresses a concession: rain would not change the decision, so the outing is maintained regardless of the weather.

Question 41Fluency and flow of speech

In a French oral exam, a student says: « Euh… donc… hier, je… je suis allé au marché. » What does the repeated « euh » and « donc » mainly signal about the student's fluency?

  1. The student is using fillers to hold the floor while planning the next idea. Correct answer.
  2. The student is quoting someone else's words.
  3. The student is changing the topic deliberately.
  4. The student is using a formal register marker.

Explanation

Fillers such as « euh » and « donc » are hesitation markers that speakers use to keep the turn while searching for the next word or idea. They are extremely common in spontaneous speech and are not grammatical errors. Their frequency and clustering are what examiners notice when judging smoothness.

Question 42Fluency and flow of speech

A candidate pauses mid-sentence for about three seconds, then restarts the same clause from the beginning. Which term best describes this phenomenon?

  1. Code-switching
  2. Backchanneling
  3. False start Correct answer.
  4. Self-repair

Explanation

A false start occurs when a speaker abandons an utterance and begins again, often after a hesitation. Self-repair involves correcting a specific error without necessarily restarting the whole clause. The restart from the beginning is the defining feature here.

Question 43Fluency and flow of speech

Which feature most directly supports a smooth, connected flow in a spoken French monologue?

  1. Frequent use of single-word answers
  2. Appropriate use of linking words such as « d'abord », « ensuite », « enfin » Correct answer.
  3. Speaking as quickly as possible without pauses
  4. Repeating the same sentence structure throughout

Explanation

Discourse connectors organise ideas and guide the listener, which creates a sense of continuity and logical flow. They reduce the impression of disjointed short utterances. Speed alone does not create coherence and can even harm clarity.

Question 44Fluency and flow of speech

A student speaks with long, frequent pauses that fall in the middle of words and phrases. What does this pattern most likely indicate?

  1. A deliberate rhetorical technique
  2. Planning pauses placed at clause boundaries
  3. Advanced fluency with natural rhythm
  4. Disfluency caused by real-time processing pressure Correct answer.

Explanation

Fluent speakers tend to pause at clause or idea boundaries, where the pause sounds natural. Pauses falling inside words or fixed phrases suggest the speaker is struggling to retrieve language under time pressure. This pattern is a classic sign of disfluency.

Question 45Fluency and flow of speech

Which of these best describes « fluency » as assessed in an oral proficiency interview?

  1. The ability to speak without any grammatical error
  2. The ability to produce speech at a steady, natural pace with reasonable continuity Correct answer.
  3. The ability to imitate a native accent perfectly
  4. The ability to use only complex sentences

Explanation

Fluency concerns the smooth, steady flow of speech, including pace, pausing and continuity. It is judged separately from accuracy, range and pronunciation. A speaker can be fluent while still making grammatical mistakes.

Question 46Fluency and flow of speech

During a conversation, a candidate says « Pardon, je reprends : il a pris le train, euh non, l'avion. » What is the candidate doing?

  1. Abandoning the turn entirely
  2. Switching to a formal register
  3. Asking the examiner a question
  4. Correcting an error within the flow of speech Correct answer.

Explanation

The speaker notices a lexical slip and repairs it immediately while continuing the turn. This kind of on-line self-correction is normal in fluent speech and shows monitoring. It does not necessarily disrupt overall flow.

Question 47Fluency and flow of speech

Which listening behaviour from an examiner is most likely to encourage a candidate to keep speaking fluently?

  1. Reading notes silently without reacting
  2. Maintaining eye contact and giving small encouraging nods Correct answer.
  3. Interrupting after every sentence
  4. Correcting each grammar mistake immediately

Explanation

Encouraging nonverbal signals reassure the speaker and reduce anxiety, which supports continuous speech. Constant interruption or correction breaks the flow and increases hesitation. A supportive listener helps the candidate sustain longer turns.

Question 48Fluency and flow of speech

A learner says each word clearly but with equal stress and no linking between words. How would an examiner most likely rate the flow?

  1. Perfect because pauses are absent
  2. Hesitant and choppy because natural rhythm and linking are missing Correct answer.
  3. Advanced because equal stress is a native pattern
  4. Highly fluent because every word is clear

Explanation

Natural flow depends on rhythm, stress patterns and linking sounds between words. Word-by-word delivery with equal stress sounds mechanical and choppy. Clarity of individual words does not compensate for the lack of connected rhythm.

Question 49Fluency and flow of speech

A candidate uses « du coup » in almost every sentence of a five-minute monologue. What is the most likely effect on the examiner's assessment of flow?

  1. It has no effect on the assessment at all.
  2. It becomes repetitive and gives the impression of a limited repertoire. Correct answer.
  3. It proves the candidate is a native speaker.
  4. It shows a wide range of connectors and improves the rating.

Explanation

Overusing a single connector makes speech sound repetitive and suggests a narrow range of linking devices. Examiners look for varied connectors used appropriately. Repetition of one formula reduces the impression of flexible, natural flow.

Question 50Fluency and flow of speech

Which pause placement would an examiner judge as most natural in this sentence: « Quand j'étais enfant, je passais mes vacances chez ma grand-mère »?

  1. After « enfant » and after « vacances » Correct answer.
  2. Between « j'étais » and « enfant »
  3. In the middle of « grand-mère »
  4. After « Quand »

Explanation

Natural pauses fall at boundaries between clauses and major phrases, where they reflect how ideas are grouped. Pausing after « enfant » separates the subordinate clause from the main clause, and after « vacances » marks the end of a prepositional phrase. Pauses inside words or between a subject and its adjective disrupt comprehension.