•General conversation based on syllabus content (approximately twelve minutes in practice)
•2026 adjustment: ask about the three SEC set topics (Ma vie quotidienne; Ma ville / Mon quartier / Ma région; L'avenir) as well as wider themes
•Cover a range of topics and tenses; follow up naturally
•Maintain formal register ("vous") and exam-appropriate pacing
•If the candidate chooses, allow a short discussion of material they bring: an article, a picture, a project or a literary work (French-language only); it is not marked separately
•Do not introduce a role-play task