National French Contest

The National French Contest, known as Le Grand Concours, is an annual competition organized by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) for students learning French. Each year, thousands of students participate, making it a significant event in the academic calendar for French learners and educators alike.

Interested in the competition?

Competition Overview

Students in grades 1-12 across various levels, from beginner to advanced

Eligibility

Varies

Entry Fee

March 9, 2026

FLES Registration Deadline

April 9, 2026

Level 1-5 Registration Deadline

📌 Note: Aralia is not the organizer of this competition. For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer directly to the competition organizer. Aralia provides listings and information about competitions for student reference. Aralia is an online education platform offering competition preparation classes to students worldwide.

Competition Details

1. Competition Categories

Students in Grades 1-6 will participate in the FLES (Français Langue Étrangère et Second) Contest, while students in Grades 7-12 will participate in the Secondary Contest (levels 01-05). All testings are completed online on Lingco.

2. FLES (Français Langue Étrangère et Second) Contest

Contest Date: February 11 – March 10, 2026

Release of National Results: Mid-April 2026

Divisions:

1A: Students in school grades 1, 2, 3. (Listening only and speaking if qualified.)
2A: Grade 4; students in grades 5 or 6 who have just started French or are in strictly oral programs. (Listening only and speaking if qualified.)
2B: Students in grades 5 or 6 with several years of French. Recommended for most 6th graders. Listening, Reading & Structure, and speaking if qualified.)
3A: Students in grades 1, 2, or 3 who are in partial (500 minutes of French per week) or full immersion programs, students privately tutored for two or more years, all students studying in French-speaking countries, and/or students with more than one year of immersion preschool. (Listening section only and speaking if qualified.)
3B: Same as Division 3A, but for students in grades 4, 5, or 6.
HORS CONCOURS: Students who speak French at home with any household member. These students must do Division 3A (Grades 1, 2, 3) or Division 3B (Grades 4, 5, 6). Hors Concours students are eligible for national prizes.

Students from at grade level 1-6 will take FLES except for:

Student Grade 6, who begins a two-year course sequence equivalent to high school French 1, will take Concours level MS1 (Level 01). In 7th grade, they will take MS2 (Level 1); in 8th grade, they will go to Concours Level 2.
Students Grade 6 in a three-year course sequence equivalent to French 1 will take FLES; in 7th grade, they will take MS1 (Level 01), and in 8th grade, they will take MS2 (Level 1).

3. Secondary Contest

Contest Date: February 12 – April 10, 2026

Levels:

MS1 (Level 01): Novice Low
MS2 (Level 1): Novice Mid
Level 1: Novice Mid
Level 2: Novice High
Level 3: Intermediate Low
Level 4: Intermediate Mid
Level 5: Intermediate High or Advanced Low

4. Divisions

In addition to levels, students with different levels of proficiency will participate in different divisions:

Division A – absolute beginner;
Division B – some outside background;
Division C – completely native;
Division D – different schedule/block/started next French course second semester;
Division E – not currently enrolled in a French class;
Division AP – a student taking Advanced Placement French.

Divisions A, C , D, and E apply to all levels, 01-5.

Division B is available at levels 01, 1, and 2.

Division AP is only available to levels 4 and 5.

Students can’t take the same levels of Concours more than once. However, below are the exceptions:

A high school requires all ninth graders to take French 1. If a student has previously taken Concours at level 1, they can either take Contest level 2, skip a year, or take level 1 Hors Concours (unranked).
Level 5 and FLES students (excluding MS1/level 01) may retake the same level.
Students can take Concours at the same level two years in a row if they provide proof, through their teacher, that they are repeating the same French course due to failing it previously.

4. Awards

There are two award categories: Chapter and National.

Chapter awards: Given to top-performing students at the Chapter level for each level and division.
National awards: Funded by entrant fees and include Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals with Lauréat National certificates, as well as Honorable Mention and Mérite certificates.