How to Survive the TCF

I whined about it, wondered if I was crazy for taking it, worried about failing it and almost cried when I got mocks back. But in reality, I survived it, notwithstanding the fact I found it unbelievably miserable.

There are two large French language exams, the DELF and the TCF. Both are published by the same company (like the SAT/ACT) and follow the same system for levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2. The DELF is valid for life but you choose your level and pass/fail it. The TCF is valid for 2 years but is more to know your level; maybe you'll be A2+ or B1, surprise! I took the TCF back in December (scored an A2) but took it again today to see if maybe my French improved to an extent that perhaps I could pass for a higher level. Either way, I wanted to experience the joys of high level exams and the panic that you might die and reseed back into the earth from which you came.

The TCF has 5 sections of torture.

1) Comprehension Orale is listening to a tape and identifying what's going on; did he call his wife or boss an idiot? Are the speakers approving or disapproving of the recycling habits of modern Parisians? The questions for the entire exam always start out easy and get progressively harder as the levels advance.

2) Following Comp Orale is Structure de la Langue (i.e. grammar). It's mostly high level grammar fill in the blanks with the correct conjugations of irregular verbs.

3) Comprehension Ecrite. Comp Ecrite is just like the SAT, reading passages and answered A, B, C, D, this passage expresses black, this article has a blank option, this sign would be found black. The C1 questions would be college level papers with text so small you need a magnified glass to read it and evidently, a huge vocab to understand what it's about!

4) After all this is Expression Ecrite, to assess your writing abilities. There are 6 assignments on typically like writing appropriate responses to business letters, articles for make-believe newspapers, arguments for causes, letters to friends for 95 minutes.

5) Following all this comes the Expression Orale, talking into a mic while the director of your school posses the questions. Oh joy. I think that might be the most stressful part of the entire deal.

Anyway, oh joy it's over. Oh no I have to wait 3 weeks for the results and yahoo I can take it again in August if I hate my results. I thought of a Carrie Underwood song when the whole thing was over though, every tear that had to fall from my eyes, every day I wondered how I'd get though the night, every change life has thrown me...some pages turned, some bridges burned but they're were lessons learned...