Alliance Française or Français Prep?

Alliance Française is a long-established global network of French cultural centres, and in many countries its centres also administer the exam you are preparing for. That is a real advantage, and it answers a different question from the one this site answers.

Alliance Française teaches French. We prepare people for one exam, on a deadline, with every writing and speaking task marked by hand. Those are different products, and for a lot of candidates the right answer is one then the other.

Side by side

Alliance Française and Français Prep, compared honestly

Alliance Française and Français Prep, compared honestly: Alliance Française / Français Prep
What you are comparing	Alliance Française	Français Prep
What it is built around	General French proficiency across a level system, taught in term-length courses.	One exam, one target NCLC level, and the date you have booked.
Format	In-person classes at a physical centre in many cities, plus online options that vary by centre.	Online only. Self-paced, weekly small-group classes, or one-to-one.
Pace	Set by the course calendar and the level you enrol into.	Set by your test date, working backwards from it.
Marked writing and speaking	Varies by centre and course. Ask what is included before you enrol.	Every task, marked by Adèle, in both live tiers.
Exam administrationThis is a genuine reason to deal with them directly.	Many centres are approved to administer the TCF. Check your local centre.	None. We are not a test centre and cannot register you.
Price	Set locally by each centre and varies widely by country.	Published on this site in Canadian dollars, the same everywhere.

Français Prep is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with any organisation named on these pages. We describe them only in general terms that are publicly documented, and we do not quote their prices, because those are set independently and change. Verify anything that matters to your decision with the provider directly.

Scroll the table sideways to see both columns.

Choose Alliance Française if

You want to learn French properly rather than pass one exam, and you are not on a deadline.
You learn better in a physical room with other people, and there is a centre near you.
You need to sit the exam and your local centre administers it.
You are starting from close to zero, where general instruction beats exam drilling.

Choose Français Prep if

You have a test date, or you need one soon, and you are working backwards from it.
You already speak French and are losing marks to exam format rather than to the language.
You need every writing and speaking task marked by a person, weekly.
You need to know which of your four abilities is below NCLC 7 and what closing that gap takes.

If that points to us

What preparation here costs

Prices are in Canadian dollars and the same wherever you are sitting the exam.

Self-paced
The full lesson library plus timed practice tests for all four sections, worked on your own schedule.
CA$149one-time
One payment, no subscription. Lifetime access to the library.
Start self-paced
- Lesson library for all four exam sections
- Timed full-length practice tests
- Model answers for every writing and speaking task
- NCLC score tracker
Most popular
Small-group live
Weekly live classes with Adèle, in groups small enough that everyone speaks, plus marked writing and speaking.
CA$449per 8-week block
Covers all eight weeks, about CA$56 a class.
Join a small group
- Everything in self-paced
- Weekly live class with Adèle
- Marked writing submissions every week
- Marked speaking recordings every week
One-to-one tutoring
Private sessions scheduled around your test date, with a study plan built from your diagnostic results.
CA$950per 10 sessions
CA$95 a session, booked around your test date.
Book one-to-one
- Everything in small-group live
- Private sessions scheduled around your test date
- Study plan built from your diagnostic test
- Unlimited marked writing and speaking during your block

Not sure which tier fits? Book a free 15-minute video call.

Prices are in Canadian dollars and include any tax that applies. Exam registration fees are paid directly to your test centre and are not included in any tier.

Questions

About Alliance Française

Are you affiliated with Alliance Française?

No. We have no relationship with Alliance Française, we do not resell their courses, and nothing on this page is endorsed by them. We describe them in general terms only, because their offering is set locally by each centre and we are not in a position to speak for any of them.

Can I do both?

Plenty of candidates do, and it is often the sensible order: general classes to build the French, then exam-focused preparation in the weeks before the sitting. If you are a long way from your target level, front-loading general instruction and coming to exam work later usually costs less than doing exam work too early.

Which is cheaper?

We cannot answer that honestly, because Alliance Française pricing is set independently by each centre and varies enormously by country. Our prices are published on this site and are the same wherever you are. Get a quote from your local centre and compare it against what you actually need, rather than against a headline number.

They can administer my exam. Does that matter?

It can matter a lot, and it is a legitimate reason to build a relationship with your local centre regardless of where you prepare. We do not administer either exam, we cannot register you, and we have no influence over seat availability or dates.

The other options

NEXT STEP

Find out where your French actually stands

Book a short assessment with Adèle: one writing task, one speaking task, and an honest plan for the weeks you have left before the exam.

Book an assessment See the course tiers