DELF and DALF diplomas are awarded by the French Education Ministry (Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale) as certificates of French language ability for non-native speakers. The exams can be taken in official centres both in France and in some 130 countries worldwide. The examinations are organized by CIEP (Centre International d'Études Pédagogiques). Go to its website www.ciep.fr to find more information (in French, English and Spanish).
TCF (Test de Connaisance du Français) is the French Education Ministry's official test for French language ability in non-native speakers. It is an evaluation of general language skills for professional or personal communication.
The scores provide an accurate benchmark corresponding to the six-level scale defined by the Council of Europe. The basic test has 80 questions with two optional sections to evaluate candidate's oral and written skills. More information about the test and certified testing centres can be found on the CIEP website www.ciep.fr.
TEF (Test d'Evaluation du Français), like the TCF, is an evaluation of general French language ability. It is organized by Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris (CCIP). It can be taken in many places in France as well as at over 300 centres abroad. More information can be found under www.fda.ccip.fr.
FAP (Français des Affaires et des Professions) certificates and diplomas are issued based on a series of examinations organized by Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris (CCIP). They focus on business or specific professions (such as secretarial work, tourism, hotel trade, science, technology and law).
There are three general business diplomas and four specialised ones. The CCIP also runs a certified course in business French for students with a basic level wishing to improve for business purposes. Students sit the diploma examinations at the CCIP or at other examination centres under CCIP supervision. For comprehensive description of all existing FAP diplomas and testing centres, visit www.fda.ccip.fr.
Recognized by the Ministry of Education, these diplomas are awarded by universities.
These are the diplomas issued by the Alliance Française, the largest French language teaching organization. The Alliance Française is the French representative in ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe - www.alte.org).
Diplomas from Alliance Française correspond to the six-level proficiency scale of the Council of Europe and are widely recognized. For more information visit www.alliancefr.org.
BULATS (The Business Language Testing Service) is a standard assessment of foreign language ability as a written or computer-based test. BULATS also uses the six-level proficiency scale. The tests are not well known in France, but they may become more widely used. For more information visit www.bulats.org.
The Council of Europe has developed a European Framework with common reference levels for foreign languages, as described in its reference document for the European Language Portfolio: "Common European Framework of Reference: Learning, Teaching and Assessment".
The framework is designed to allow objective comparison of different levels of language proficiency and aid comparisons between different qualifications. The scale has six levels, two for each of the following categories: basic (A1 and A2), intermediate (B1 and B2) and advanced (C1 and C2).
For more information and a description of each level, see http://culture2.coe.int/portfolio in the Council of Europe website www.coe.int. Further information can also be found on the ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) website www.alte.org/can_do/framework.
 Blinklist |
 Bloglines |
 Del.icio.us |
 Digg |
 Diigo |
 Facebook |
 Furl |
 Google |
 Ma.gnolia |
 Mr.Wong |
 Netvouz |
 Simply |
 Spurl |
 StumbleUpon |
 Technorati |
 Yahoo |
