Making their mark internationally, French universities offer a world-class learning experience, dynamic curriculum, and extensive research facilities to students across the globe. There are a variety of English-taught programs at an affordable price being offered to international students that makes France the new and rising study abroad destination.
Most of the top universities in France offer English-taught degrees to their international students. Hence, you are required to submit some types of certificates/scores of exams to study in France to prove your proficiency in the language. Some of the ELP tests accepted by French universities are IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, TOEIC, etc.
However, English is not the only mode of education in France. Plenty of courses, specifically at the UG level are offered in the native language, French. This makes it mandatory for any international student to have taken French language proficiency tests. Admissions to French Universities offering French-taught programs require scores from tests like TCF and LeTEF.
Apart from language exams, specific skills exams like GMAT or GRE are also an important part of the application package for master's courses from French universities. Highly recognized for its B-schools, France requires a competitive score on your GMAT to consider your MBA applications.
Before we dive into the details of exams to study in France, let's find out what these exams are:
- English language proficiency exams- TOEFL/IELTS/TOEIC/PTE
- French language proficiency exams- TCF/LeTEF
- Specific-skills exams GRE/GMAT.
English Proficiency Exams to Study in France
With a pool of English-taught courses to choose from, universities in France asks their non-native English-speaking students to appear for tests like IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, PTE, and Cambridge tests.
The English language certifications are valid for a period of two years prior to the application deadline of the programs. Given below are the minimum ELP exams to study in France universities:
| University | IELTS | TOEFL IBT | PTE | TOEIC | Cambridge English Exams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEC Paris | 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each section | 100 | 72 | NA | 185 with a minimum of 176 in each part |
| INSEAD Paris | 7.5 | 105 | 72 | NA | NA |
| Ecole Polytechnique | 6.5 | 90 | NA | NA | 176 Grade B |
| ESSEC Business School | 6.5 | 95 | NA | 850 | 175 |
| SKEMA Business School | 6 | 71 | NA | 810 | NA |
| CentraleSupélac | 6.5 | 90 | NA | 850 | 175 |
| SciencesPo Paris | 7 | 100 | NA | NA | Advanced- C1 |
IELTS
International English Language Testing System or IELTS is regarded as the most popular English language proficiency test taken by students wishing to study abroad. All the universities in France accept IELTS scores as proof of language proficiency. Indian students appearing in the test must be prepared to spend 14000 INR on the IELTS fees. Note that the test scores expire after a period of two years.
The minimum range of overall IELTS score required to get accepted in French institutions varies between 6 to 7.5 depending upon the course, and university you are applying to.
Study in France without IELTS
If you are an international student wishing to pursue higher studies in France, cracking the IELTS exam might be one of your biggest concerns. But, the good news is that many top universities in France also enroll students without IELTS scores. Some of the universities not requiring IELTS to study in France are:
| American Business School | NEOMA Business School | SKEMA Business School |
|---|---|---|
| ISC Paris | EBS Paris | ESC Rennes Business School |
| IESA International | Paris Business School | Toulouse Business School |
Upon making an application to a french university, students are asked to take an interview via Skype with the admissions committee. Students who want to study in France without IELTS must exhibit their spoken English skills in these video interviews.
TOEFL
While applying to universities in France, international students may submit Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL scores to demonstrate their English language proficiency. Currently, most of the French universities are accepting only TOEFL iBT. However, top universities like HEC Paris also accept a minimum TOEFL PBT score of 600. The applicants must make sure to check if the university they’re applying to accepts TOEFL PBT.
By appearing in the TOEFL exam, the Indian students can exhibit their language proficiency under three sections, i.e. Speaking, reading, and listening. The TOEFL test fee for Indian students is 13560 INR and is also valid for two years.
PTE Academic
Unlike IELTS and TOEFL scores, PTE scores are not accepted in all French institutions. Only some of the top universities accept PTE scores from international students. The cost of appearing for the PTE exam is 13700 INR in India. Students are assessed based on their reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills.
TOEIC
The Test of English for International Communication or TOEIC test is immensely popular in France to measure the English language proficiency of overseas students. Conducted by ETC, Indian students wishing to appear for this exam may contact their nearest EPN office. Top universities in France require the students to secure a minimum TOEIC score between 800-850.
For more information, Check: TOEIC Exam for Indian students
French Language Exams to Study in France
Several top universities in France offer courses taught in French. Therefore, international students who wish to pursue these courses would need to submit scores French language exams to study in France.
Scores of French languages exams to study in France for admission to the top universities in France are as follows:
| University | DELF | DALF | Minimum TCF score required | Minimum TEF scores required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INSEAD Paris | A2/ B1/ B2 | C1/ C2 | 250 | 900 |
| PSL University Paris | B2 | C1 | NA | NA |
| Sorbonne University | B2 | C1 | NA | NA |
| University of Strasbourg | B1 | NA | NA | NA |
| Science Po Paris | B2 | C1, C2 | 400-500 | NA |
| University of Bordeaux | B1 | NA | NA | NA |
Some of the popular French proficiency exams are listed below:
DELF
DELF or Diplôme d'études en langue française is a test that evaluates a basic french fluency of international students. The exam is conducted for four levels- A1, A2, B1 and B2, of which A1 is the beginner level and B2 is the advanced level test. The exam is divided into four parts, namely speaking, reading, listening and writing.
DALF
DALF or diploma in advanced french is meant for students with a more advanced level of french understanding. The test is in C1 and C2 levels, where C2 is the most advanced level of the proficiency test. The C2 level consists of two sections- written and oral comprehension. On average, DALF costs 11,800 INR for Indian students.
TCF
It is mandatory for international students who are planning to pursue an undergraduate and postgraduate degree in French language to sit for French proficiency assessments. One of the ways to prove your French language proficiency is by submitting Test de Connaissance du Français or TCF scores.
Candidates are evaluated based on their performance in listening, speaking, writing and reading sections. The best feature of this language test is that the students can appear for the test as many times as they want, given that there is at least a gap of 60 days between two consecutive attempts.
TEF
The Test d’Évaluation de Français or TEF test measures the candidates' competency in the French language using a 7 level scale. The test measures the Reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills of the candidate. TEF costs around 23,940 INR for Indians students.
Specific-Skills Exams to Study in France
France has one of the greatest concentrations of top business schools across the world. Most of the courses in the business domain require the candidates to appear for certain management/ graduate entrance exams. Standardized test scores are usually required for admission to the Master's courses in French universities. Some of the popular exams required to study in France are listed below:
GRE
Graduate Record Examination or GRE scores are globally accepted as an essential admission requirement for postgraduate programs. GRE results are calculated based on the scores obtained by the candidates in verbal, quant, and analytical writing sections. GRE scores have a validity of five years and it costs around 15800 INR to appear in the aptitude test in India. Most universities do not specify a minimum GRE score for admission. Applicants are required to check their opted course page.
GMAT
To get admission to the best business schools in France, the applicants must submit Graduate Management Aptitude Test or GMAT score of 690 or above. It is a compulsory admission requirement while applying to MBA programs in France. As most of the elite business schools are present in France, applicants have to aim for a high GMAT cutoff.
Most of the universities do not have any stringent GMAT requirements. However, students are advised to submit the following average GMAT scores while making an application to the French business schools:
| University | Average GMAT score |
|---|---|
| HEC Paris | 690 |
| INSEAD Paris | 670-750 |
| TBS business school | 500 |
| Grenoble Ecole de Management | 550 |
| EDHEC Business School | 640-700 |
| Audencia Nantes Business School | 400-800 |
Exams to Study in France: Important Dates
The deadlines for most exams to study in France are not stringent but estimated. Given below is a timeline for the same:
| Exams | Application Deadline | Exam Date |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS | 1 month before the exam date | Applicants can book their test |
| TOEFL | 1 week before the exam date | On Sundays and Saturdays throughout the year |
| GRE | April 11, 2022 | June to December |
| GMAT | Multiple dates between July to September | 6 months to 24 hours prior to the test |
While assessing the candidates, French universities adopt a holistic approach. The candidates are not only judged based upon their academic excellence but also their Professional experience, soft and hard skills and other supplementary application documents. But submitting high test scores is an integral part of the admission process and can increase their chances of getting admission at their dream university in France.
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