Self-study and free resources or Français Prep?

This is the alternative we take most seriously, because for a meaningful number of candidates it is the right answer and we would rather say so than sell you something you do not need.

Self-study works when your gap is knowledge. It breaks down when your gap is production, because nobody is marking your writing and nobody is making you speak under time pressure.

Side by side

Self-study and Français Prep, compared honestly

Self-study and Français Prep, compared honestly: Self-study / Français Prep
What you are comparing	Self-study	Français Prep
Cost	Free, or the price of a book.	Published on this site, starting at CA$149 one-time.
Listening and reading	Well served. Free material from public broadcasters is genuinely good.	Timed practice in the exam format, with the clock as part of the exercise.
Writing	The weak point. Nobody marks it, so you repeat the same errors.	Marked by hand against the exam's criteria, weekly in the live tiers.
Speaking	Hard to practise alone, and impossible to practise under pressure alone.	Live classes where everyone speaks, plus marked recordings.
Knowing where you stand	Guesswork until results day.	Diagnostic first, tracked against a target NCLC level throughout.
Discipline	Entirely yours to supply.	A weekly class you have paid for is a deadline that exists whether you feel like it or not.

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 We describe them only in general terms that are publicly documented, and we do not quote their prices, because those are set independently and change.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 Self-study if

You already work or live in French daily and mostly need exam familiarity.
Your weak sections are listening and reading, which free material covers well.
You have time, discipline and no fixed deadline.
You want to try a full practice paper before deciding whether you need help at all.

Choose Français Prep if

Your writing or speaking is the weak ability, and nobody is currently correcting either.
You have sat the exam before and missed your target without knowing precisely why.
You have a deadline and cannot afford a second sitting.
You have been studying for months without a clear sense of whether you are improving.

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 Self-study

Which free resources do you actually recommend?

Public broadcasters put out a large amount of high-quality free French learning material aimed at exactly this level, and the exam operators publish sample papers and marking criteria. Start with the operator's own sample material, because it tells you what the exam wants, which no third party can tell you as reliably.

Would you really tell me not to buy?

Yes, and the placement call exists partly for that. If your four abilities are already sitting comfortably at your target level and you just need to see the format once, the honest advice is to buy a book and keep your money. We would rather lose a sale than take one that was never needed.

What is the most common self-study mistake?

Practising the enjoyable sections. Listening and reading are passive, measurable and satisfying, so they get the hours. Writing and speaking are uncomfortable and hard to self-assess, so they get skipped, and then they are the abilities that hold the file back. If you take nothing else from this page, take that.

How do I know if self-study is failing?

Sit a full timed practice paper and get one writing task marked by someone competent. If the result is close to your target, keep going alone. If the writing comes back with the same structural errors you have been making for months, that is the signal, and it will not fix itself with more input.

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