How to succeed at the Secondary 5 French writing exam

What the exam actually measures

The exam assesses a single competency from the French program: Écrire des textes variés (writing a variety of texts), in the argumentative family of situations. In practice, students write an open letter of about 500 words defending a position on a current issue.

The stakes are real. The high school diploma (DES) requires, among other things, 6 credits of Secondary 5 language of instruction. On the Secondary 5 report card, Writing counts for 50% of the French mark. According to the ministry's information document, for 2025-2026 the ministry exam was worth 50% of the competency assessed. That weighting is confirmed every year, so check the current document with the school.

How it unfolds: from the preparation file to the letter

The exam happens in two stages.

1. Preparation. About five school days before the exam, students receive a Dossier préparatoire: the topic, the target reader, an editorial policy (standard French, reliable information, nothing too personal), a warm-up activity and a reading file of five to eight texts. Two class periods are used to start reading and to discuss the issues. The rest is done independently.
2. Writing. On exam day, students discover the exact question and have 3 hours 15 minutes (plus 15 minutes if needed) to plan, draft, revise and copy out a final version in blue or black pen.

Allowed: the notes sheet checked by the teacher, any French-only dictionary, a grammar reference and a verb conjugation guide. Not allowed: class notes, any document presenting a revision method, and mobile devices, even switched off. The notes sheet may hold information, sources, short reactions and language reminders, but no text, paragraph or outline written in advance.

The five grading criteria

Letters are graded centrally by the ministry with a public rubric:

Criterion 1 considers the question, the reader, the text type and the required length. For criteria 4 and 5, the rubric gives benchmarks: 0 to 4 errors for an A, 5 to 9 for a B, 10 to 14 for a C. A letter with 35 or more spelling errors gets a closer review and can lose every point for criteria 3, 4 and 5, which is half the mark. In short, language quality is worth 50%, so proofreading is not optional.

A realistic preparation plan

During the year:

• Write one full open letter a month under time pressure and have it graded with the ministry rubric.
• Keep a log of recurring mistakes (three or four types are enough) and target them every time you proofread.
• Read opinion pieces in Quebec French media to absorb argumentative techniques and cultural references.
• Practise with your own grammar book and dictionary: on exam day, you need to know where to look, fast.

The week of the preparation file:

• Read each text twice, annotating useful facts, figures and sources.
• Think through possible positions, since the exact question is only revealed on exam day.
• Fill in the notes sheet within the rules, keeping a few personal language reminders.
• Sleep. Three hours of focused writing takes energy.

Structuring the open letter

A clear structure feeds criterion 2 directly. Many Quebec teachers recommend this pattern:

• Introduction: lead into the topic, frame it, then state the thesis in direct response to the question.
• Body: two or three paragraphs, each built on one argument, supported by information from the file (a fact, a figure, a quotation, a cultural reference) and then explained. One well developed argument beats three skimmed ones.
• Conclusion: restate the thesis, sum up the arguments and end with an opening or a call to the reader.

Keep the reader in mind. Criterion 1 rewards modality markers (connotative vocabulary, questions or exclamations, figures of speech) and personal touches such as cultural references. For coherence, vary your substitutes (synonyms, paraphrases, general terms) and link paragraphs with clear transitions.

Proofreading agreements with a method

One possible way to split the 3 hours 15 minutes: about 30 minutes to analyze the question and plan, 1 hour 15 minutes for the draft, 45 minutes to proofread and 45 minutes to copy out neatly. Practise this split at home so it becomes automatic. In other words, set aside at least 45 minutes for revision. Rereading "by feel" is not enough: go sentence by sentence, in several targeted passes.

1. Sentences: does each one have a subject and a conjugated verb? No comma between subject and verb? Are overly long sentences split?
2. Verbs: underline every conjugated verb, find its subject and check agreement, especially when the subject is far away or inverted.
3. Noun groups: circle each noun and check that determiners and adjectives match its gender and number.
4. Past participles: with être, agree with the subject; with avoir, agree with the direct object only if it comes before the verb.
5. Homophones: a/à, ce/se, ces/ses, on/ont, son/sont, leur/leurs, and -é versus -er endings.
6. Dictionary: look up any word you are not sure how to spell.

The ministry accepts both reformed (rectifications orthographiques) and traditional spellings.

Common mistakes to avoid

• A vague thesis, or one that shifts halfway: contradictions hurt criteria 1 and 2.
• Undeveloped arguments: quoting the file without explaining how it supports the thesis.
• Copying the file's texts instead of processing the information in your own words.
• Casual vocabulary or anglicisms, when the editorial policy calls for standard French.
• Running out of time to copy out: only the final version booklet is graded.
• Overly personal remarks in place of verifiable arguments.

If your teen would benefit from structured support, our French tutoring works on argumentation and proofreading with the official rubric, and you can book a session. More guides are in our resources.

Frequently asked questions