IB French B SL exam-day guide
IB French B SL · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and admission documents
Bring the identification your school or exam centre requires (often a passport or national ID) plus any admission slip or candidate number. The exact accepted ID and whether a slip is issued vary by centre, so confirm with the provider or your IB coordinator before exam day.
Know your session timing and room
Confirm the start time, room, and reporting time for each French B SL paper, including whether Paper 1 and Paper 2 are in the same session. Arrival and lateness cut-offs differ between centres, so verify locally.
Black or blue pens and spare pens
Write in ink, not pencil, for the written papers unless your centre says otherwise. Bring at least two working pens.
Pencil and eraser for planning and multiple-choice
Useful for rough notes, planning a text, or any multiple-choice section. Keep planning notes clearly separate from your final answer if your centre instructs you to.
No unauthorised electronic devices at your desk
Phones, smartwatches, and any wearable device should be switched off and stored as your centre directs. Rules on bringing phones into the building vary, so confirm with the provider.
A clear, unmarked water bottle
Many centres allow water in a transparent bottle with labels removed. Check whether drinks are permitted in your room.
Printed or written vocabulary notes for last-minute review
Review thematic vocabulary, connectors, and useful phrases for the individual oral and written tasks before entering the room. These notes must be left outside the exam room.
Rehearse the oral format
For the individual oral, know the structure you will follow and practise timing aloud. The precise timing and preparation conditions are set by the current IB guide, so confirm the exact format with your teacher.
Plan your written text conventions
Know the conventions of the text types your course has covered (for example, an article, blog, letter, or speech) so you can choose an appropriate format quickly in the exam.
Watch and check the time
Bring a simple watch if clocks may be hard to see, but confirm whether watches are allowed in your centre. Plan how to divide time between reading, planning, writing, and checking.
Confirm permitted reference materials
French B SL normally does not permit dictionaries or reference materials in the written papers, but confirm the exact rules with your coordinator.
Know the scoring structure
Understand how the papers and the oral are weighted and what each criterion rewards. Check the current weighting and criteria in the official IB subject guide rather than relying on memory.
Plan the day
Do targeted revision rather than broad rereading. Review your own past written tasks for recurring errors in grammar, register, and text-type conventions. Practise one timed Paper 1-style reading and one timed Paper 2-style writing task, then mark them against the criteria your teacher has given you. For the oral, rehearse your presentation and follow-up answers aloud, recording yourself and noting hesitations or repeated vocabulary.
Consolidate thematic vocabulary and connectors you will actually use, grouped by topic rather than as a long list. Prepare a small set of flexible phrases for expressing opinion, cause, consequence, and contrast, and practise inserting them into sentences so they become automatic.
Light review only. Reread your error log and a short list of structures you tend to get wrong. Confirm logistics: ID, reporting time, room, transport, and any materials your centre requires. Pack your bag the night before. Avoid learning large amounts of new vocabulary at this stage; sleep matters more.
Eat and arrive early enough to settle. Do a brief warm-up in French, such as reading a short article or speaking a few sentences aloud, so the language is active before you start. Leave notes and devices outside the room as instructed.
Read the questions before or alongside the texts, skim for overall meaning, then scan for the specific information each question needs. Answer in the language and format the question requires, and watch for questions that ask for inference rather than a copied phrase. Do not leave blanks.
Choose the task you can handle best, identify the required text type and audience, and spend a few minutes planning structure and key phrases. Write with a clear register and format, then reserve time to check agreement, tenses, spelling, and accents. A well-organised answer with accurate language scores better than an ambitious one riddled with errors.
Use any preparation time to note keywords, not a full script. In the presentation, structure your points clearly and connect them; in the discussion, listen to the question, answer directly, and develop your response rather than giving one-word answers. If you do not understand, ask for clarification politely in French.
Do not compare detailed answers with others in a way that unsettles you before later papers. Note anything useful for future assessments and move on.
Rules to check
Bring the identification your centre specifies and keep it on your desk if instructed. If you are unsure what counts as acceptable ID, confirm with the provider before exam day; do not assume a school card will be accepted.
Follow all instructions from the invigilator about starting, stopping, and leaving the room. Do not begin writing before you are told to start, and stop immediately when time is called.
Keep unauthorised materials, including notes, phones, and smart devices, out of the exam room as directed. Possession of a prohibited device can lead to consequences regardless of whether you used it, so confirm the centre's device policy.
Breaks and toilet access during exams are usually restricted and supervised; raise your hand and wait for the invigilator. The exact arrangements are centre-specific, so confirm with the provider if you have a medical need.
Write your answers in the spaces or answer booklet specified, and make sure your candidate number is on every sheet. Follow the rubric on the paper about which questions are compulsory.
In the oral, respond in French and do not read from a prepared script unless the format explicitly permits notes. Ask the teacher for clarification in French if a question is unclear.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam or discuss paper content in a way that could breach confidentiality rules. Confirm with your coordinator what discussion is permitted after the session.
Understand the weighting of each component before exam day, but check the current official subject guide or ask your teacher for the exact marks and criteria; weightings and assessment details can change between sessions.