Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE French Foreign Language specification (0520)
Understanding the exam specification is key to doing well in your Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE French Foreign Language exam. It lays out exactly what you need to learn, how you'll be assessed, and what skills the examiners seek. Whether you're working through the course for the first time or revising for your final exams, the specification helps you stay focused and confident in your preparation.
We've included helpful revision tools to support you in putting the specification into practice. Wherever you're starting from, you'll find everything you need to feel prepared, from the official specification to high-quality resources designed to help you succeed.
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In the next section, you'll find a simplified summary of the official Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE French Foreign Language specification, along with a breakdown of key topics, assessment structure, and useful study resources. We've also included links to topic-level guides and revision tools to help you put the specification into practice.
Contents
Disclaimer
This page includes a summary of the official Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE French Foreign Language (0520) specification, provided to support your revision. While we've made every effort to ensure accuracy, Save My Exams is not affiliated with the awarding body.
For the most complete and up-to-date information, we strongly recommend consulting the official Cambridge (CIE) specification PDF.
Specification overview
The Cambridge IGCSE French Foreign Language syllabus aims to develop effective communication skills in French for practical use in everyday situations. The course fosters listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills while promoting an appreciation of French-speaking cultures and societies. It encourages learners to use familiar structures and vocabulary with confidence, reflecting on how to convey ideas, attitudes, and opinions in different contexts. The syllabus also develops positive attitudes towards language learning and cultural understanding, supporting personal growth and future study or employment. The course aligns with CEFR A2 (Basic User) with elements of B1 (Independent User) proficiency:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.Subject content breakdown
A Everyday activities
- Time expressions, food and drink, human body and health, travel and transport.
B Personal and social life
- Family, home, colours, clothes, leisure activities.
C The world around us
- People and places, natural world and environment, communication and technology, built environment, measurements, materials.
D The world of work
- Education, employment, careers, workplace.
E The international world
- Countries, nationalities, languages, cultures, customs, festivals, celebrations.
Skills Developed
- Listening to everyday conversations, factual information, and descriptive texts.
- Reading authentic texts on familiar topics and deducing meaning from context.
- Speaking in social exchanges, role play, topic conversations, expressing opinions.
- Writing factual information, short phrases, connected texts with reasonable accuracy:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
Assessment structure
Paper 1: Listening (25%)
- Approx. 50 minutes.
- Multiple-choice and matching questions based on recorded material.
- Covers understanding key points, opinions, attitudes.
Paper 2: Reading (25%)
- 1 hour.
- Includes matching, multiple-choice, and short answer questions on familiar topics.
- Assesses main ideas, relevant details, opinions, and attitudes.
Paper 3: Speaking (25%)
- Approx. 10 minutes plus preparation time.
- One role play and two topic conversations.
- Internally assessed, externally moderated.
- Assessed on communication, language quality, interaction.
Paper 4: Writing (25%)
- 1 hour.
- Includes form-filling, directed writing, and an extended writing task.
- Assesses factual writing, connected text production, and language accuracy.
Assessment Objectives
- AO1 (25%): Listening – understand spoken information.
- AO2 (25%): Reading – understand written information.
- AO3 (25%): Speaking – communicate in spoken French.
AO4 (25%): Writing – communicate in written French.
- No dictionaries allowed in assessments.
- Speaking tests conducted before the main exam period under exam conditions.
- Speaking marks cannot be carried forward to future series:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.
Key tips for success
Doing well in your Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE French Foreign Language isn't just about how much you study, but how you study. Here are a few proven tips to help you stay on track
- Start with a clear plan: Break the subject into topics and create a revision schedule that allows enough time for each. Start early to avoid last-minute stress.
- Focus on understanding, not memorising: Use our revision notes to build a strong foundation in each topic, making sure you actually understand the material.
- Practise regularly: Attempt past papers to familiarise yourself with the exam format and timing. Mark your answers to see how close you are to full marks.
- Be strategic with your revision: Use exam questions by topic to focus on weaker areas, and flashcards to reinforce important facts and terminology.
- Learn from mistakes: Whether it's from mock exams or practice questions, spend time reviewing what went wrong and why. This helps prevent repeat mistakes in the real exam.
- Stay balanced: Don't forget to take regular breaks, eat well, and get enough sleep, a healthy routine makes revision much more effective.
With the right approach and consistent practice, you'll build confidence and improve your chances of exam success.
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