More study resources

About this exam

The Secondary 5 Enriched ESL course (code 136-520) is the advanced English as a Second Language stream that Quebec students can take in their final year of secondary school. It is aimed at students who already handle English comfortably and want to push toward greater fluency, precision, and independence - the kind of English expected in CEGEP, university, and English-speaking workplaces. In practice, the enriched stream asks you to do more than communicate accurately: you analyse oral and written texts, take a position, and reinvest what you have understood in your own speaking and writing.

The evaluation is balanced across four competencies: oral interaction, reinvestment of understanding of oral texts, reading comprehension and reinvestment, and written production. That means no single skill carries you. A strong writer who freezes in discussion, or a confident speaker whose written accuracy is weak, will lose ground. Expect to work with authentic material - articles, podcasts, interviews, short documentaries - and to respond to it rather than simply answer comprehension questions.

Preparation is mostly about volume and feedback. Read English opinion journalism, listen to unscripted speech, and practice producing extended turns of speech and multi-paragraph texts under time pressure. Ask a teacher to mark your writing against the provincial criteria and to correct your spoken errors. The official body responsible for the program publishes current administrative details, including the exact weighting and any assessment rules, on its own website; check there for the authoritative figures.

What you'll study

Common questions

About Quebec Sec 5 ESL Enriched (136-520) preparation

What is the difference between regular and enriched ESL in Secondary 5?

The enriched stream moves faster and demands more independence. You are expected to handle longer, more authentic texts, sustain longer turns of speech, and produce more developed writing with greater accuracy and range. The core competencies are the same, but the level of sophistication expected in your response is higher.

What does the exam actually look like?

Assessment is competency-based and covers all four areas: oral interaction, understanding of oral texts, reading comprehension and reinvestment, and written production. That usually means a mix of listening and reading tasks, extended writing, and spoken interaction or presentation. The responsible authority's website gives the current official description of the assessment.

How long is the exam, and how many questions are there?

Those numbers are set by the official body and can change, so they are not fixed here. Check the current published information from the authority that administers the Quebec secondary program before you plan your timing. Do not rely on numbers you heard from other students.

What score do I need to pass?

The passing threshold and the weighting of each competency are determined officially, not by this page. Look up the current rules on the responsible authority's site. Your teacher should also be able to explain how the competencies are weighted in your school's evaluation.

Can I retake it if I fail?

Retake rules depend on your school board and the official regulations in force. Ask your guidance counsellor or the person responsible for evaluations at your school, and confirm the current policy with the authority that administers the program. Do not assume a retake is automatic.

Is it hard to get a strong mark?

It is demanding but predictable. Marks are usually lost through shallow responses rather than poor English: summarising a text instead of reacting to it, giving opinions without support, or writing accurately but with little range. Strong candidates read widely, listen to unscripted English, and get regular feedback on both speaking and writing.

In what order should I prepare the four competencies?

Build reading and listening first, because they feed everything else. Then practise reinvestment: turning what you read or hear into an argument, a summary, or a spoken response. Work on written production throughout with teacher feedback, and rehearse oral interaction regularly with a partner, since it is the hardest skill to improve alone at the last minute.

What are the most common mistakes candidates make?

Three recur: not answering the actual question asked, supporting opinions with vague generalities instead of specific evidence from the text, and neglecting spoken fluency until the final weeks. A fourth is ignoring accuracy in writing because ideas are strong. Balance content, organisation, and language; all three are usually assessed.

Where can I find the official exam information?

The authority responsible for the Quebec secondary curriculum and its ministry website publish the current program and assessment information. Your school board and your ESL teacher are the best local sources for dates, registration, and how the competencies are evaluated in your school. Always confirm details there rather than on unofficial pages.