NES French (402) Practice Tests

Competencies 0001–0002 make up about 15% of the test. They ask you to demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of formal and informal oral messages in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world; demonstrate inferential and analytical comprehension of a variety of formal and informal oral messages in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world.

• Competency 0001: Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of formal and informal oral messages in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world. Skills tested: Identify the main idea of an oral message; Identify supporting details in an oral message; Identify a sequence of events in an oral message; Recognize a cause-and-effect relationship described in an oral message; Demonstrate an understanding of customary greetings, leave-takings, comments, and questions likely to be encountered in a social situation; Recognize tone and/or intonational values in a given context and how they affect the meaning and purpose of the message; Select an appropriate response to a spoken question or comment.
• Competency 0002: Demonstrate inferential and analytical comprehension of a variety of formal and informal oral messages in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world. Skills tested: Draw conclusions based on information presented in an oral message; Characterize the mood of a speaker; Determine the intended audience of an oral message; Infer the relationship between speakers in a conversation; Determine the social or cultural context of an oral message; Analyze a speaker's assumptions, intent, or perspective; Analyze the communicative and discourse strategies used in an oral message; Evaluate the social and cultural appropriateness of language used in an oral message.

Competencies 0003–0004 make up about 15% of the test. They ask you to demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of authentic materials written in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world; demonstrate inferential and analytical comprehension of a variety of authentic materials written in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world.

• Competency 0003: Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of authentic materials written in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world. Skills tested: Identify the main idea of a passage; Identify supporting details in a passage; Identify a sequence of events in a passage; Recognize a cause-and-effect relationship described in a passage; Select an accurate summary of a passage. 3/12.
• Competency 0004: Demonstrate inferential and analytical comprehension of a variety of authentic materials written in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world. Skills tested: Draw conclusions based on information presented in a passage; Discern an implied cause-and-effect relationship in a passage; Infer the intended audience of a passage; Assess an author's mood in a passage; Analyze an author's assumptions, intent, perspective, or point of view; Distinguish between fact and opinion in a passage; Interpret often-used figurative language (e.g., metaphors, similes, personification), symbols, imagery, and common idiomatic expressions used in a passage; Analyze the structure of an author's argument and the sufficiency and reliability of evidence presented in support of an argument.

Competencies 0005–0006 make up about 13% of the test. They ask you to understand the language structures of the target language; apply knowledge of the language structures of the target language.

• Competency 0005: Understand the language structures of the target language. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of the phonology of the target language (e.g., sound system, phonological processes); Demonstrate knowledge of the morphology of the target language (e.g., inflectional endings, word formation); Demonstrate knowledge of the syntax of the target language (e.g., word order); Demonstrate knowledge of the pragmatics and sociolinguistics of the target language (e.g., register, social norms); Demonstrate knowledge of linguistic variations within the target language; Compare and contrast the language structures of the target language and English.
• Competency 0006: Apply knowledge of the language structures of the target language. Skills tested: Transform sentences or short passages in the target language according to given instructions (e.g., transforming the tense or mood of a sentence or passage, transforming a positive statement into a negative one); Analyze sentences in the target language to determine grammatically correct words to complete them; Analyze short passages in the target language to determine grammatically correct phrases or sentences to complete them; Identify the appropriate pragmatic or sociolinguistic use of words and phrases in the target language; Correct morphological and syntactic errors in the target language; Correct pragmatic and sociolinguistic errors in the target language. 3/12.

Competencies 0007–0008 make up about 15% of the test. They ask you to understand the geography and major developments in the history of the target-language-speaking world and their cultural impact; understand the practices, products, and perspectives of target-language-speaking cultures and how they relate to one another.

• Competency 0007: Understand the geography and major developments in the history of the target-language-speaking world and their cultural impact. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of major political, economic, social, and cultural trends and developments that have shaped and continue to shape the history and perspectives of the target-language-speaking world; Analyze the roles of major historical events and key eras in the target-language- speaking world and their influence on the development and evolution of their respective cultures; Analyze the roles of major figures in the history of the target-language-speaking world and their influence on the development and evolution of their respective cultures; Recognize the major physical and geographic features of target-language- speaking regions and the roles that these features have played and continue to play in the development and evolution of target-language-speaking cultures.
• Competency 0008: Understand the practices, products, and perspectives of target-language-speaking cultures and how they relate to one another. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of characteristic practices of daily life and customs in target-language-speaking cultures and ways in which such practices reflect the perspectives of target-language-speaking cultures; Demonstrate knowledge of products used in daily life in target-language- speaking cultures (e.g., food products, household items) and ways in which they reflect the perspectives of target-language-speaking cultures; Demonstrate knowledge of major cultural institutions (e.g., government, social relationships, educational systems, patterns of work and leisure) and practices (e.g., major traditions, holidays and festivals) of target-language-speaking cultures and ways in which such institutions and practices reflect the perspectives of target-language-speaking cultures; Demonstrate knowledge of major works, genres, and authors of literature written in the target language and ways in which they reflect the perspectives of target- language-speaking cultures; Demonstrate knowledge of major works, achievements, characteristic forms, and key individuals in the arts and sciences (e.g., visual and performing arts, architecture, medicine, inventions) of target-language-speaking cultures and ways in which they reflect the perspectives of target-language-speaking cultures; Identify major regional differences in the practices, products, and perspectives of various target-language-speaking cultures; Compare and contrast the practices, products, and perspectives of target- language-speaking cultures with the practices, products, and perspectives of non-target-language-speaking cultures. 3/12.

Competencies 0009–0009 make up about 20% of the test. They ask you to in response to a prompt, demonstrate the ability to construct a coherent, well-developed passage in the target language that effectively communicates a message.

• Competency 0009: In response to a prompt, demonstrate the ability to construct a coherent, well-developed passage in the target language that effectively communicates a message. Skills tested: Fulfill the purpose of the prompt in a manner that is appropriate for the given audience; Organize ideas in a logically sequenced, well-connected, and consistently clear fashion; Demonstrate development of ideas that are well supported with relevant details and examples; Demonstrate a consistent control of syntax and grammar, making only minor mistakes that do not interfere with the comprehensibility of ideas; Use contextualized vocabulary and idiomatic expressions as appropriate; Use correct punctuation, orthography, and diacritical marks and capitalization as appropriate.

Competencies 0010–0010 make up about 22% of the test. They ask you to in response to a prompt, demonstrate the ability to deliver coherent, well-developed discourse in the target language that effectively communicates a message.

• Competency 0010: In response to a prompt, demonstrate the ability to deliver coherent, well-developed discourse in the target language that effectively communicates a message. Skills tested: Fulfill the purpose of the prompt in a manner that is appropriate for the given audience; Organize ideas in a logically sequenced, well-connected, and consistently clear fashion; Demonstrate development of ideas that are well supported with relevant details and examples; Demonstrate a consistent control of syntax and grammar, making only minor mistakes that do not interfere with the comprehensibility of ideas; Use contextualized vocabulary and idiomatic expressions as appropriate; Maintain a strong flow of speech with few, if any, nonproductive pauses or hesitations; Demonstrate intelligible and clear pronunciation and intonation or tones, as appropriate. 3/12.