French test

The fastest way to check your French level is to take a free French test online, but there are other ways to measure your level. If you sign up for a French course, you will usually take a placement test before starting. You could also ask someone you know who speaks French well to give you a rough idea of your level. Finally, taking an official, paid French exam will tell you your level on the CEFR scale.

If you need an official certificate to prove your level of French, the best French exams are the DELF (A1 to B2) and DALF (C1 & C2) exams. These French exams are run by the French Ministry of Education and they provide diplomas that do not expire. Two other official paid exams are the TCF and the TEF. These tests offer a certificate valid for 2 years. However, if you are only looking to showcase your French level on your CV, you may instead opt for a free French test or, if you take a French course, a course completion certificate can do the job.

The most obvious way to measure your French level over time is to take the same French test at regular intervals, however, most tests aren't sensitive enough to measure small amounts of progress and you may find this lack of progress discouraging. A better way to measure your progress while learning French is to keep a learning journal or to compare samples of your spoken and written French at different periods. Of course, if you take a French course, your teacher will assess your level regularly.

If you're taking a French course, studying actively, or have recently moved into a French immersion environment, you may want to check your French level as often as every 6 weeks. It will take at least that long for you to make measurable progress. However, for most people, checking your French level one time is sufficient. You can check it again in a year or two if you feel your level has changed significantly.