French tests for residency and citizenship made harder by unfamiliar keyboard
Connexion reader has outlined the challenges she faced when taking the TEF French test – which she needs to pass in order to apply for French residency
Reader says the unfamilar layout of French keyboards slowed her down during the testDelpixel/Shutterstock
With more foreign people now faced with having to pass French language tests to stay in France, the question arises as to whether in addition, they may need to use unfamiliar Azerty keyboards to take the tests.
One reader, Elizabeth Godfrey from Aveyron, feels that the need to use an Azerty keyboard – the French layout – rather than Qwerty (used in the UK and US) was the main reason she failed the written part of her TEF French test at a centre in Toulouse this year.
She took the test – one of several recognised by the French state – in the hope of submitting an application for French nationality.
Applicants need level B1, but this will rise to B2 by January 1, 2026 at the latest, so Mrs Godfrey is aiming to take a test again shortly. The gradings are set at European level and are (from beginner to expert) A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.
The level for a 10-year carte de résident is rising from A2 to B1 (but over-65s are exempt from a test). Anyone applying for a ‘multi-year’ (see page 29) residency card after having one or more one-year cards is also set, by January 1, to have to prove they have reached at least level A2.
Mrs Godfrey, 79, who formerly worked for Marks & Spencer, has a Brexit WA residency card and her husband obtained French nationality two years ago via family links.
While the new language tests do not apply for Brexit WA card renewals, Mrs Godfrey says she would feel more comfortable getting French citizenship
“It really annoys me that I pay my taxes here and they won’t let me vote. And I would feel more confident being French, in case anything unexpected happens. But now, if I don’t apply before January I’ll need level B2.”
The TEF involves reading and listening comprehension tests plus oral and written tests. Points are awarded for each test, with a set score needed to attain a certain European level. To obtain a given level overall, it is necessary to attain it in at least three tests and the fourth may drop below it only slightly.
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The similar TCF certification instead uses an average of the scores of each test to give the overall level obtained.
Mrs Godfrey said she passed at B1 apart from the written test.
“I got an A2 for that. The keyboard definitely slowed me down. Most English people I talk to say it is the same for them if they have to use Azerty. I try to type a full stop and get a semi-colon, I get an L instead of an M… It’s infuriating.”
The test involved tasks such as writing an email and a letter and required full sentences. The rest of the test was much easier, as it was mostly multiple-choice, with boxes to be selected, she said.
The centre she took it at told her it did not offer a Qwerty option, saying it is common for language tests to test people using a keyboard ‘configured in the tested language’.
Can you take a test on a Qwerty keyboard?
There are two main routes to prove your French language skills: a ‘certification’ which lasts two years and evaluates your level (typically up to B2 maximum), or a ‘diploma’ valid for life, which is taken at a set level which you can pass or fail.
The TCF, a common certification, can be taken on either Azerty or Qwerty, according to France Education International, the agency which organises the tests. It stated a paper (handwritten) option also exists.
A spokesman said: “The computer-based TCF can be taken on a Qwerty or Azerty keyboard. There is an on-screen virtual keypad for accessing special characters [such as accents]. If sitting the TCF on a computer, the written expression test must be taken on a computer and cannot be hand-written.
“It is possible for test centres to set up ‘mixed’ sessions, with the multiple-choice questions taken on a computer and the written expression test on paper, but this is quite rare. If the candidate absolutely must write their written expression by hand, the best option is to sit the paper version of the TCF.”
A spokesman said: “Any keyboard can be used to take the TEF written expression test, but only Azerty keyboards will allow characters with accents to be entered. For other keyboards, candidates must use the on-screen virtual keyboard to click on accents.”
Since 2020, hand-writing is no longer an option.
The Connexion also spoke to several centres offering the DELF diploma, which all stated that it is taken via a handwritten exam.
As a result, if you are concerned about this issue, we advise checking with your local centres first as to what they offer, or taking the DELF, where the problem does not arise.
Note that all tests may be adapted for people with disabilities, and if you have an illness or disability which makes taking a test impossible, and a doctor’s certificate, it is possible to be exempted.
People coming to France on visas that require the signing of a Contrat d’intégration républicaine (this includes, for example, worker and self-employment visas) can now expect to be offered online-only language training in many cases.
Signatories of the CIR are given a (free) test of their language skills when they attend a welcome day at the Ofii immigration offices, and in the past were offered in-person lessons if their level was less than European level A1 (the most basic).
With the changes coming in requiring A2 for a multi-year residency card (see above), lessons will now be on offer to those below level A2. However, in most cases, from July 2025 this will be on an automated, AI-based online platform, not with a teacher.
In-person lessons will, it is planned, however still be offered to those with the poorest French, who cannot read or write the language at all.
The platform will be available at all times which, Ofii states, is a benefit for those who struggled to attend lessons due to work or other commitments.
The CIR process is also changing from this month to offer more culture and history elements, as these will also, from January 1 at the latest, be subject to obligatory tests for multi-year cards as well as 10-year cards and nationality.
