The Real French Test
Find out where your French truly stands
A short oral placement test designed to hear your French as it really is.
No multiple-choice shortcuts, no automated guesswork, just spoken language, carefully assessed by Mathieu.
In French Only
7 spoken responses · Approx. 25 min
€45 · Results under 48h
14 years of certified assessment experience
✦
Paris Chamber of Commerce–certified evaluator
✦
Official TEF examiner for French residency and citizenship applications
✦
Advisor to language-assessment start-ups working in recruitment
Trusted by international institutions and global teams.
C2
Distinguished
C1
Advanced High / Superior
B2
Advanced Mid
B1
Intermediate High / Advanced Low
You can tell your story, share your plans, and find your way in French.
A2
Intermediate Mid
A1
Novice High / Intermediate Low
Pre-A1
Novice Low / Novice Mid
Understanding French Levels
French levels are usually described through the European framework:
A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.
This framework gives learners, teachers, schools and institutions a common way to understand progression. It makes it easier to locate a student’s current abilities and to identify the next stage of learning.
In practice, however, a level always contains nuance.
Two students placed at B1 can have very different profiles. One may speak with ease while making recurring grammar mistakes.
Another may write accurately but struggle to react quickly in conversation.
Some learners understand structured classroom French very well, yet feel less comfortable when people speak naturally. For this reason, a useful assessment needs to look at the full language profile.
At The French Pool, the level grid is paired with the Spoken French Prism, a unique visual assessment framework developed in-house to map both what you know and how you actually use French: clarity, rhythm, pronunciation, vocabulary, confidence, grammar, listening strategies and natural responsiveness.
The aim is to understand how your French currently works, where it is already solid, and what should be developed next.
How good is your French, really?
7 spoken responses · Approx. 25 min
€45 · Results under 48h
🇮🇪 Orla
International
Relations
Ireland
"His teaching was invaluable to me in my professional life and in settling in Paris. Above all, he knew how to put everyone at ease and was consistently patient and encouraging. This was essential in helping me gain confidence when speaking."
🇬🇧 Andrew
Emeritus
Profesor
United
Kingdom
"I still refer to the notes from the course, they are really helpful. I would warmly recommend his courses – a real pleasure, you won’t regret it!"
French Lessons In Town & Online
Meet Mathieu
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🇮🇹 Sofya
Language
Teacher
Italy
"Incredible experience! Not only has my level of French improved significantly thanks to Mathieu’s clear explanations and effective teaching methods, but I've also genuinely enjoyed every class. His passion for the French language and culture is contagious."
🇳🇱 Johan
Senior Financial Sector Specialist
Netherlands
"what truly sets Mathieu apart is his ability to blend language instruction with deep insights into French culture, both past and present, giving me a richer understanding of the world around me."
🇺🇸 Joshua
Psychotherapist
Psychoanalyst
United
States
"I can say that the trip and the experience were an absolute success.Mathieu was candid, direct, kind, creative, and thoughtful. He built a special connection with our son, and his feedback reflected exactly how we see him. He is an invaluable resource."
🇺🇸 Elizabeth
Photographer
United
States
"Mathieu is an exceptional teacher. I highly recommend him for his creativity, communication skills, and positive energy. As an atypical student myself, I especially appreciated his ability to explain complex concepts in a captivating and engaging way."
🇺🇸 Jenny
Entertainment
Producer
United
States
"My goal was to immerse myself in the language and it was an amazing experience having a native French speaker with me during the day, as we saw sites, stopped into stores, had meals and went to a jazz club."
🇮🇩 Jessica
Public
Relations
Indonesia
"Mathieu is an exceptional teacher. I highly recommend him for his creativity, communication skills, and positive energy. As an atypical student myself, I especially appreciated his ability to explain complex concepts in a captivating and engaging way."
🇷🇺 Anastasiia
Talent
Acquisition
Russia
"I took a class with Mathieu this year and made real progress in my French. Most of all, I really appreciated learning so much about French culture, as we talked a lot and did exercises based on current events and topics relevant to France. I highly recommend this school!"
🇧🇷 Lenon
Agritech
Scientist
Brazil
"Professor Mathieu is truly excellent. He is very kind, patient, and always attentive. His teaching approach is very clear and dynamic, which makes learning French much easier and more enjoyable."
🇧🇷 Mariana
Psychologist
Brazil
"Very enriching experience. His teaching method is dynamic, participatory, and always focused on practicing spoken French. The group activities encourage you to overcome your fear of speaking, and naturally become more fluent."
🇭🇺 Réka
Education
Specialist
Hungary
"I have studied French intermittently over the past few years, in different places and with varying levels of intensity, but Mathieu’s classes were the first to create a real breakthrough."
🇮🇷 Hamed
Computer Science
Iran
"I had the opportunity to learn French with Mathieu for several months. Mathieu is truly an exceptional teacher. Patient, always polite, cheerful, and very kind. I truly enjoyed taking his classes and made a lot of progress thanks to him."
🇩🇪 Hans
Fashion
Student
Germany
"Thanks to The French Pool Paris, I was able to earn my B2 French diploma! The classes are excellent, very well organized, and the teachers are exceptionally skilled and encouraging. Five stars, well deserved!"
🇹🇷 Kardelen
Instructional
Designer
Turkey
"I took 60 hours of classes with Mathieu, and it was a real pleasure to attend his lessons. I really appreciated his teaching method. He also has an excellent sense of humor, which contributes to the positive atmosphere in class."
🇦🇺 Australia
Communications
Consultant
Australia
"Mathieu is a wonderfully inspiring instructor that makes learning French a joy. I found that his courses were not only tailored to my goals and experience in French, but to my tastes and interests, too."
🇺🇸 April
Partnerships
Specialist
United
States
"Mathieu is a fantastic French teacher. He integrates individual interests into the material and builds a tailored curriculum for each class whilst also making it enormously fun!"
🇺🇸 Chris
Investor
united
States
"I greatly appreciated Mathieu’s patience and guidance, which helped me make progress. Now, every time I am in Paris — about four times a year — I try to schedule lessons with him."
🇮🇹 Michela
Partnerships
Analyst
Italy
"Mathieu is truly one of the best teachers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. His professional skills are exceptional—he brings dedication, creativity, and a clear passion for teaching to every lesson."
🇨🇳 Xiao
PhD
Student
China
"Mathieu’s French classes are a true delight for the senses, a feast for language and culture. His lessons are not only fascinating, but also deeply enriching."
🇬🇧 Rachel
Gender Equality
Specialist
United
Kingdom
"I have been taking online lessons with Mathieu for nearly a year and have definitely seen an improvement in my French speaking and comprehension."
🇺🇦 Kateryna
Psychologist
Ukraine
"Mathieu is an excellent teacher with an outstanding approach to learning! He not only immerses you in the language environment but also generously shares the rich culture of France."
🇺🇸 Carolyn
Product
Designer
United
States
"Mathieu is a wonderful and extremely effective teacher. In fact I still use the list of studying resources he gave me (that alone is worth paying for)."
🇺🇸 Bailey
Biosafety
Engineer
United
States
"The lessons were always interesting, combining grammar with real life practice and also lessons in French culture. I would highly recommend no matter where you are with your French!"
🇺🇸 Alex
Business
Consultant
United
States
"Mathieu was my French teacher even before I relocated to France, and his teaching skills exceeded my expectations."
🇩🇰 Morten
Engagement Lead
Specialist
Danemark
"I've had the sheer delight of a year of French classes with Mathieu, mostly face to face but also online. Mathieu is a wonderful, perceptive, creative, and unusually resourceful French teacher."