French exam exemptions

You do not need to take the exam (general exam and complementary exam) if you are a Swiss or Liechtenstein citizen.

Exception: If you want to study at the École de langue et civilisation françaises (ELCF), you must take a free placement test (for information only) instead of both exams (general and complementary).

You do not need to take the exam (general exam and complementary exam) if:

• you have a Swiss or Liechtensteiner upper secondary education diploma meeting the UNIGE enrollment conditions;
  • Exception: If you want to study at the École de langue et civilisation françaises (ELCF), you must take a free placement test (for information only) instead of both exams (general and complementary).
• you have a foreign upper secondary education diploma meeting the UNIGE enrollment conditions and whose medium of instruction is French;
• you have a first bachelor's degree (or any equivalent diploma) from a university and program recognized by UNIGE. The studies must have been at least 3 years long (180 ECTS at least) and the medium of instruction must be French;
• you have a certificate attesting successful completion of 1 year of studies in:
  • the École de langue et de civilisation françaises (ELCF) - University of Geneva,
  • the Institut de langue et de civilisation française - University of Neuchâtel,
  • the École de français langue étrangère - University of Lausanne (B2 level).

You do not need to take the exam (general exam and complementary exam) if:

• you have taken the French exam as part of the ECUS;
• you have been admitted to the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting (FTI) and:
  • you have passed the French exam (A and B language) from the specific FTI entry exams, or,
  • you are exempt (by the FTI) from the entry exams for the Master of Arts in Translation, if French is part of the language combination.

You do not need to take the general exam if you hold one of the following diplomas:

• B2 DELF (Diplôme d'Études de Langue Française);
• C1 or C2 DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française);
• TCF (at least B2 in the compulsory and complementary exams);
• TCF DAP (at least B2 in the compulsory and written expression exams);
• TEF (Test d'Évaluation du Français) with at least B2 level in compulsory and complementary exams, issued by the CCIP/Alliance française;
• Summer French courses certificate from the University of Geneva.

Important: you must still take the complementary exam if it is required.

Pay attention to the dates: your diploma must have been delivered in the 4 years before the start of the chosen term:

• For the Spring semester: Monday from week 8,
• For the Fall semester: Monday from week 38.

You do not necesseraly need to take the exam if you are applying to the following study program:

• complementary certificates, if the program does not require it;
• Masters of Arts, if the program does not require it;
• Certificates of specialization, if the program does not require it;
• Masters of Advanced Studies;
• PhDs.