u/Bougie-Baguette

Hello everyone,

I just finished my TEF IRN test today. I was actually shocked because I got the official results the exact same day. I was told that the first three computer sections take 24 to 48 hours and the oral part can take up to 10 days, so getting them this fast was a huge surprise.

-Context and background:

French is my third language. I started learning it completely from scratch about 3 years ago. I am married to a French person, and I'm taking this test to get my multi-year residence permit.
I didn’t pay for any websites, apps, private tutors, or regular language schools. Most of my French comes from daily life, talking to friends and acquaintances, watching TV (mostly the news channels), movies, and reading newspapers. For the actual exam practice, I just used the free TV5 Monde website. It looks and feels just like the real test. I also used Google AI to help me practice. I spent a week actively preparing for the test itself (TV5 Monde + Google AI)

•The location and cost:

I took it in Paris at an official language school approved by the government, not sure if I'm allowed to post the name here, if yes, I can drop it in the comments.
It cost 155€, paid online and secured my spot around two weeks in advance. The school itself was really nice, the laptops worked well, and the staff were friendly and organized.

•What I wish I knew before the test

Here is the breakdown of how it goes:

1. Getting there and checking in

Get there about 15 or 20 minutes early. You absolutely need your physical ID or Passport. They will turn you away if you don't have it. It doesn’t have to be a French ID, but the name and photo have to match your online registration perfectly. They also take a photo of you before you start, it will be shown on your official results/certificate. Once you sit down at your assigned computer, make sure the name on the paper next to you matches yours, because your personal login code (needed to start the test; generated and provided by the establishment itself) is on it, DOUBLE CHECK.

2. Listening (Compréhension Orale)

Check your headphone volume before you hit start. Keep those headphones on until you finish the whole computer part, because it really helps block out the background noise. Make sure you listen to every single word. The audio gets way harder as you go. After the first two or three questions, it gets very serious, and by the end, it feels pretty tough to keep up. My advice is to read the question and all the multiple-choice answers before the audio starts playing.

3. Reading (Compréhension Écrite)

Just like the listening, every single word counts here. The texts get much harder as you progress. Near the end, I faced 4 or 5 questions that came with massive walls of text. You really need to be able to read FAST.

4. Writing (Expression Écrite)

This is where practicing ahead of time saved me. I memorized two basic text structures before the test: one for Section A (asking a friend for news) and one for Section B (writing a formal letter to an official). Try practicing your typing at home without any autocorrect. Having a memorized structure saves you so much time if you get nervous or run out of ideas on the spot. You just have to change a few words to fit the specific topic they give you.

5. Speaking (Expression Orale)

My speaking slot was scheduled 2 hours after the computer sections finished. When you go back inside, you have to show your ID again. The examiner records the conversation (audio only) and starts by reading your candidate number out loud. During my 2-hour break, I just sat in a cafe nearby and went over conversation phrases in my head to keep my brain thinking in French.

Section A (5 mins): You call a business to ask about a specific offer. Ask as many questions as you can. If you get stuck for ideas, look at the little icons on the screen—they are the exact same ones from the official TEF practice website
Section B (5 mins): You have to convince a friend to do something or make a choice. There are no icons on the screen for this one, so I found it a bit more difficult
Note: Every candidate gets different topics for Sections A and B.

If I forgot to mention something ask away in the comments! Hope this helps

Technically the truth

TEF IRN

Found on IG (not OC)

Sweet and short