GCSE French

Update on assessment in 2025

Following the Summer 2022 series, Ofqual conducted a survey on the proposed adaptation to the assessment of GCSE MFL qualifications. The proposal was to carry forward the vocabulary changes that were made to last year's qualifications to future assessments. 

Ofqual has now confirmed the outcome of the consultation on their website and the decision has been made to remove the regulatory requirement for assessments to use words outside of vocabulary lists and the regulatory permission to gloss where necessary.

In line with this, we have outlined our approach to the vocabulary included in our question papers from the 2023 exam series for French, German and Spanish:

We will still include and target some vocabulary items not included in the vocabulary lists. These will not be glossed and students may need to understand them in order to answer the questions. This could include:

• vocabulary which assumes some prior knowledge from KS3 (colours, days of the week etc). Excluding these would increase the demand of the tasks.
• cognates/near cognates and derived words
• commonly-used items

Words which are not listed in the vocabulary lists but are necessary for the understanding of the material will be glossed.

For the 2022 exam series, Ofqual permitted exam boards to add additional optional questions where they existed already in writing assessments. In response to this we added a second and third option to Foundation tier Question 3 and a third option to Higher tier Question 2.  This amendment is no longer required, so for the final assessment opportunity in 2025, Component 4 Writing papers will revert to the format used in the 2018 and 2019 papers with a choice from two questions for Higher tier Question 2 and no choice for Foundation tier Question 3.

The Listening Paper Recording Audio files can be found under ‘Resources / Key documents / Listening Paper Recordings’.

The Eduqas GCSE in French is based on a conviction that learners studying a modern foreign language will develop their desire and ability to communicate with and understand speakers of the assessed language in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes. The specification supports the aim that the study of a modern foreign language will broaden horizons, develop cultural knowledge and understanding and foster transferable skills such as confidence, communication, problem solving and creativity. The specification also aims to provide learners with a solid foundation on which to prepare them for future language study. This GCSE in French will enable learners to:

• develop their ability to communicate confidently and coherently with native speakers in speech and writing, conveying what they want to say with increasing accuracy
• express and develop thoughts and ideas spontaneously and fluently
• listen to and understand clearly articulated, standard speech at near normal speed
• deepen their knowledge about how language works and enrich their vocabulary in order for them to increase their independent use and understanding of extended language in a wide range of contexts
• acquire new knowledge, skills and ways of thinking through the ability to understand and respond to a rich range of authentic spoken and written material, adapted and abridged, as appropriate, including literary texts • develop awareness and understanding of the culture and identity of the countries and communities where the language is spoken
• be encouraged to make appropriate links to other areas of the curriculum to enable bilingual and deeper learning, where the language may become a medium for constructing and applying knowledge
• develop language learning skills both for immediate use and to prepare them for further language study and use in school, higher education or in employment
• develop language strategies, including repair strategies. The specification fully meets the Department for Education requirements for modern foreign languages. The content and structure have been developed based on consultation with practising teachers, senior examiners and subject experts.

Consideration has also been given to the following:

• accessibility of assessments for learners of different abilities
• topics of interest and relevance to learners
• assessments which reward spontaneity and creativity by the learner
• length of each assessment

This specification builds on subject content which is typically taught at key stage 3 and provides a suitable foundation for the study of A level French.