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 by professional orders.
Description of the exam
The French exam for the professional orders 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. You must travel there to take the exam. No exam is offered remotely.
Exam process
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 .
Registering for the exam
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.
Passing or failing the exam
If you pass
To pass the exam, your level of French must correspond to the intermediate stage of the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes (in French only).
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.
Need help?
For general information, contact the Office québécois de la langue française:
Montréal aera:
514 873-6565
Elsewhere in Québec (toll free):
1 888 873-6202
Last update: May 26, 2023
