French knowledge assessment by the Office québécois de la langue française to become a member of a professional order

To obtain a certificate of knowledge of French, you must pass the exam of the Office québécois de la langue française.

No other exam is accepted.

The French exam of the Office:

• is free
• lasts about three hours
• assesses your oral and written skills in French

The exam takes place at the Office’s Montréal offices. The exam is also offered twice a year at the offices of the Office québécois de la langue française in Québec City. You must travel there to take the exam. No exam is offered remotely.

The exam consists of 4 parts. You must pass all the parts in the same session to obtain the certificate.

The exam takes the form of a case study linked to a professional situation. You must discuss this topic with other people wishing to join the same professional order as you.

The exam assesses your skills in French and not your professional or technical skills. 

Consult the Guide d'information sur l’examen de français de l’Office québécois de la langue française  (in French only) for more information on:

• content of the exam
• exam process
• evaluation criteria

To prepare for the exam, consult the educational resources and various learning tools on the Office’s website .

Contact the professional order  that you want to join. They will tell you if you need to take the exam and explain how to register.

If you are completing studies that lead to a profession governed by a professional order, contact your educational institution for guidance through the registration process.

If you pass

If you pass your exam, you will receive an attestation of knowledge of French relevant to your profession.

If you pass your exam, you will receive a certificate of knowledge of French from the Office.

If you fail

If you fail your exam, you can retake it as many times as needed. However, you must wait 3 months before retaking the exam. You must then retake the entire exam.

For general information, contact the general information service of the Office québécois de la langue française:

Montréal area:
514 873-6565

Elsewhere in Québec (toll free):
1 888 873-6202