Hamburg Abitur French exam-day guide
Hamburg Abitur French · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Personal ID (Personalausweis or passport)
Bring an official photo ID. Schools generally require identification at written and oral Abitur components; if you are unsure which document your school accepts, confirm with the provider (your school's Oberstufenkoordination) beforehand.
Admission letter / invitation to the Prüfung
Know your room, start time, and any seat or candidate number. If you have not received written confirmation of room and time, confirm with the provider.
Permitted dictionaries
In Hamburg French, a monolingual French dictionary (einsprachiges französisches Wörterbuch) is typically allowed for the written exam; bilingual dictionaries are generally not permitted. Exact rules and any school-specific list must be confirmed with the provider before exam day.
Approved calculators and formula/reference materials
Only use devices on the school's approved list. Whether a graphing calculator is allowed in the French exam and which model is permitted varies by school and subject combination; confirm with the provider.
Black or blue ballpoint pens, spare pens, pencil, eraser, ruler
Write in ink for the graded text. Bring at least two working pens. Pencil is for notes and markings only unless instructed otherwise.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Phones must be switched off and stored away, so a simple analogue watch helps you manage time. Smartwatches are not permitted.
Water and a small snack
Written components can run several hours. Keep drinks in a closed bottle; check with invigilators whether snacks are allowed in the room.
Tissues and any personal medication
Bring what you need for comfort. If you need medication during the exam, inform the invigilators in advance; special arrangements must be confirmed with the provider.
No phones, smartwatches, or other electronic devices at your desk
Switch devices off and place them in the designated storage area. Having a device accessible during the exam can be treated as an attempt to cheat.
Review your set texts, topics, and task formats the day before
Know which Aufgabenart and which texts or Themen your course has prepared. Confirm the exact permitted topics and materials with your teacher if anything is unclear.
Plan your route and arrival time
Arrive well before the stated start; late arrival rules are set by the school. If you are delayed, contact the school immediately. Confirm arrival and lateness policy with the provider.
Know the oral exam (mündliche Prüfung) format if applicable
For the oral component, expect a short preparation period and a monologue plus dialogue with the examiners. The exact preparation time and task types must be confirmed with the provider.
Plan the day
Confirm logistics: room, start time, ID, dictionary rules, and permitted materials. Re-read your course overview of task types and set topics. Build a one-page overview of useful structures (connecteurs, subjonctif triggers, expressions for commenting and structuring an argument) and practise using them in full sentences.
Do one timed practice task under exam conditions without notes, then correct it yourself using a checklist: task fulfilment, structure, range of vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and register. Note your three most frequent errors and write short rules to avoid them.
Light review only: key vocabulary, your error list, and the structure of a good introduction and conclusion. Prepare clothes, ID, pens, dictionary, water, and watch. Check your route and set two alarms. Sleep early; do not start new topics.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive early, and leave your phone switched off and stored. Read the whole paper before writing: choose tasks carefully and note the point values and recommended times. Skim any source texts once for gist before detailed reading.
Allocate time according to the marks and the recommended minutes per task. Spend a few minutes planning each writing task (ideas, structure, key phrases). Write in French throughout, keep handwriting legible, and reserve the final 10–15 minutes for checking: verb endings, agreements, tenses, and whether every part of the task has been addressed.
Use the preparation time to structure your monologue with a clear introduction, two or three main points with examples, and a conclusion. Speak in full sentences, ask for clarification politely if needed, and treat the dialogue as a conversation rather than a recitation.
Do not discuss detailed answers in a way that unsettles you before other components. Note anything you want to review later, and check with your school about when results and any oral follow-up (Nachprüfung) are announced.
Rules to check
Bring official photo ID; invigilators may check it. If you are unsure which document is accepted, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Electronic devices, including phones and smartwatches, must be switched off and stored away for the duration of the exam. Keeping a device accessible can be treated as cheating.
Use only the aids explicitly permitted for your exam, such as the approved dictionary and calculator. If you are unsure whether a specific item is allowed, ask your teacher or confirm with the provider in advance rather than bringing it.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on seating, filling in headers, and when you may begin writing. Do not start before the signal and stop immediately when time is called.
If you need to leave the room (for example, for the toilet), raise your hand and wait for permission. Time lost is generally not made up; confirm the school's policy with the provider.
If you feel unwell or cannot complete the exam, inform the invigilators immediately. Rules on illness, withdrawal, and medical certificates are set by the school and authority; confirm the exact procedure with the provider.
Scoring follows the official Hamburg rating criteria for French: content and task fulfilment, communicative design, and language accuracy and range. Understand the weighting for your course and confirm details with your teacher.
Any suspicion of cheating or use of unauthorised aids can lead to the exclusion of the examination component. If you are unsure about a rule, ask before the exam rather than risk it.