How IGCSE French (0520) is really marked
In our bank, IGCSE French runs across nine papers: three listening papers (11, 12, 13), three reading/writing papers (21, 22, 23), and three extended-writing papers (41, 42, 43). The listening and reading/writing papers are entirely points-marked — every one of the 185 to 210 questions per paper awards a mark for a specific correct answer, whether that's choosing the right option, matching an item correctly, or answering a comprehension question accurately.
The extended-writing papers (41, 42, 43) are structured differently: most of their questions are pure-levels (15 per paper out of 20), meaning the examiner reads the whole piece of writing and places it in a quality band, rather than ticking off individual facts. A small number of points questions (5 per paper) sit alongside these levels questions. Across the whole subject, our bank's aggregate is 1200 points questions against 45 pure-levels questions — so levels marking is concentrated entirely in the writing papers, while everything else is discrete points.
This means the two papers reward different things. In listening, reading and the shorter writing tasks, accuracy on individual items is everything — one right answer, one mark. In extended writing, no amount of correct isolated vocabulary substitutes for a coherently structured piece that a level-of-response mark scheme can place in a high band.
Command words in IGCSE French - Foreign Language
| Command word | Times in our bank | What it demands |
|---|---|---|
| Choose | 468 | Used in multiple-choice items — you select the one correct option from those given, based on what you hear or read. |
| Match | 245 | Asks you to pair items correctly, usually spoken or written descriptions with the images, names or statements they correspond to. |
| Answer | 240 | Used for comprehension questions where you respond in the target language or in English based on a text or recording — accuracy of the specific detail given is what earns the mark. |
| Identify | 183 | Asks you to pick out the correct detail, speaker or piece of information from a listening or reading passage. |
| Write | 45 | Used for the extended-writing tasks, where the response is judged by level of response rather than points — overall coherence and range of language decide the band. |
| Give | 25 | Wants a short, specific piece of information stated directly, without further explanation. |
| Complete | 15 | Used for filling gaps in a table, form or sentence — each gap has a specific correct answer. |
| State | 15 | Asks for a brief, precise fact to be given, drawn directly from what was heard or read. |
How to revise with past papers
Because the listening, reading and shorter writing papers are entirely points-marked, past-paper practice here is about accuracy under time pressure: training yourself to catch the specific detail (a name, a number, a reason) that the mark scheme is looking for, rather than a general sense of what was said or written. Re-listening to or re-reading a passage after checking your answers, to see exactly which word or phrase carried the mark you missed, is more useful than simply totting up a score.
For the extended-writing papers, past-paper practice works differently, because these are marked by level of response. Rather than checking off individual phrases, compare your writing against the band descriptors: is the structure clear, is the range of language and tense use varied, does the piece address the task fully? Writing more vocabulary you know is well-formed is more valuable here than trying to include everything you've revised.
Because this subject spans both marking styles, it helps to revise them separately rather than as one undifferentiated 'French paper'. Treat listening and reading accuracy as a discipline of precision, and treat extended writing as a discipline of overall quality and range.
Practise real 0520 questions with AI marking →FAQs
Is French graded the same way across all its papers?
No. In our bank, the listening and reading/writing papers (11–13, 21–23) are entirely points-marked, while the extended-writing papers (41–43) are mostly pure-levels, with a small number of points questions alongside.
What does level-of-response marking mean for extended writing?
It means the examiner reads the whole piece and places it in a quality band based on overall coherence, range and accuracy of language, rather than adding up marks for individual correct words or facts.
What's the most common command word to prepare for?
Choose, used 468 times in our bank, reflecting how much of this subject's listening and reading is tested through multiple-choice and matching-style questions.
Do listening and reading questions need full sentences?
Generally not — this is generic exam guidance, not specific to this subject's mark scheme, but in point-marked comprehension questions the specific detail asked for is what earns the mark, not the length or grammatical polish of the response.