Whether you're a student facing exams or just trying to 'test out' your new French skills, you'll definitely need the word for 'test'. The most direct translation is un test, but the French language offers a variety of more specific terms.

Are you talking about a school exam, a medical test, or a trial run? Each situation might call for a different word.

Let’s dive into nine different ways to talk about 'tests' in French, so you're always prepared for the right situation!

1. The standard 'exam' – un examen

Un examen is the most common and standard French word for a formal "exam," "test," or "examination." It's a versatile term you'll encounter in academic, medical, and professional contexts.

Crucially, examen is a masculine noun. You will always see it as un examen (an exam) or l'examen (the exam). The plural form is des examens.

A common point of confusion for English speakers is the verb used to mean "to take an exam." In French, you don't prendre (take) an exam; you passer un examen. To say you passed (succeeded), you would use the verb réussir (e.g., J'ai réussi mon examen).

The word examen is broad and applies to many situations:

• Academic: un examen de fin d'année (an end-of-year exam)
• Medical: un examen médical (a medical exam/check-up)
• Official Tests: l'examen du permis de conduire (the driving test)

In a school setting, you'll also hear the word un contrôle. While they can sometimes be used interchangeably, un examen usually refers to a major, cumulative test like a final or midterm. Un contrôle is more often used for a smaller quiz or a test on a single chapter.

Beyond a test, examen can also mean a close "examination," "scrutiny," or "review" of something. For example, un examen approfondi du dossier means "a thorough review of the file."

💡 * Les étudiants doivent passer plusieurs examens à la fin du semestre.

• J'ai rendez-vous pour un examen médical la semaine prochaine.
• Elle a réussi son examen de conduite du premier coup !
• Après un examen attentif de la situation, nous avons pris une décision.
• Mon professeur nous a donné un petit contrôle de vocabulaire aujourd'hui.

The 'quiz' or 'short test' – un contrôle

The French term for a quiz, a short test, or a chapter test is un contrôle.

Primarily used in a school setting (collège and lycée), un contrôle refers to a common, graded assessment that covers a specific lesson or chapter. It's the standard way teachers evaluate students' understanding of material on a regular basis.

It's crucial to distinguish un contrôle from un examen. While a contrôle is a frequent, smaller-scale test, un examen refers to a major, formal examination, like a final, a midterm, or a state-administered exam like the baccalauréat. Think of a contrôle as a quiz and an examen as a final exam.

The word contrôle is also part of the term contrôle continu, meaning 'continuous assessment'. This educational philosophy, prevalent in France, emphasizes regular testing throughout the term to determine a final grade, rather than relying on a single major exam.

You will often hear students talking about their upcoming tests using this word. Common phrases include avoir un contrôle (to have a test), passer un contrôle (to take a test), and réviser pour le contrôle (to study for the test).

💡 * J'ai un gros contrôle de physique demain matin.

• Le prof nous a rendu les contrôles d'histoire et j'ai eu une bonne note.
• Tu as bien révisé pour le contrôle de biologie ?
• Ce contrôle était plus difficile que je ne le pensais.

The 'competitive exam' – un concours

In France, the word un concours translates to a competitive examination. This is not just any test; it's a fundamental concept in the French educational and professional landscape, distinct from a standard exam.

The key feature of a concours is competition. Unlike a regular exam (un examen) where success means achieving a passing score, a concours ranks candidates against one another for a fixed, limited number of spots. Success means ranking high enough to be selected.

Concours are most commonly used for entry into prestigious higher education institutions (grandes écoles), for securing civil service positions (la fonction publique), and for qualifying for certain professions like teaching or medicine.

To put it simply: you pass un examen by meeting a standard (e.g., scoring above 10/20). You win un concours by being better than the other candidates. You can perform well in a concours but still not secure a spot if others performed better.

Concours is a masculine noun: un concours, le concours. The verb used to say you are taking one is passer un concours. To say you succeeded, you use réussir le concours or être reçu(e) au concours.

💡 * Pour entrer dans cette école d'ingénieur, il faut réussir un concours très difficile.

• Ma sœur prépare le concours pour devenir professeure des écoles.
• Il a passé le concours de la fonction publique mais n'a pas été reçu.
• Les résultats du concours seront affichés la semaine prochaine.

The 'trial' or 'part of an exam' – une épreuve

The 'trial' or 'part of an exam' – une épreuve

In an academic or formal testing context, une épreuve refers to a specific test, paper, or component of a larger examination. For instance, a language exam might have a written épreuve and an oral épreuve.

Metaphorically, une épreuve also translates to a 'trial,' 'ordeal,' or 'hardship.' It describes a difficult challenge or a trying period in life that tests a person's character and endurance.

It's important to note that épreuve is a feminine noun. Therefore, you must use feminine articles and adjectives with it, such as une épreuve difficile (a difficult trial).

💡 * L'épreuve de philosophie était la plus compliquée de tout l'examen. (The philosophy test was the most complicated of the whole exam.)

• Il a surmonté cette épreuve avec beaucoup de courage. (He overcame this ordeal with a lot of courage.)
• Pour le permis de conduire, il y a une épreuve théorique et une épreuve pratique. (For the driver's license, there is a written test and a practical test.)
• La perte de son ami a été une dure épreuve pour lui. (The loss of his friend was a tough ordeal for him.)

The 'test' (scientific or medical) – un test

The French word for a scientific or medical 'test' is straightforward: un test. It's a direct borrowing from English and is a masculine noun, so you'll always use masculine articles like un or le.

You'll encounter un test primarily in medical, scientific, and technical settings. This includes everything from un test sanguin (a blood test) and un test de grossesse (a pregnancy test) to un test de produit (a product test).

The most common verbs used with this noun are faire un test (to do/take a test) and passer un test (to take a test). To talk about the outcome, you might use réussir un test (to pass a test) or rater un test (to fail a test).

It's important not to confuse un test with un examen. While both can be translated as 'test,' un examen often refers to a more comprehensive academic exam (like a final exam) or a broader medical check-up (un examen médical). Un test is typically a more specific, single-procedure assessment.

💡 * Je dois faire un test sanguin demain matin. (I have to do a blood test tomorrow morning.)

• Le résultat du test ADN sera disponible la semaine prochaine. (The result of the DNA test will be available next week.)
• Les ingénieurs ont effectué plusieurs tests de résistance sur le nouveau pont. (The engineers performed several stress tests on the new bridge.)
• As-tu passé le test de dépistage ? (Did you take the screening test?)

The 'assessment' or 'evaluation' – une évaluation

When you need to talk about an 'assessment' or 'evaluation' in French, the go-to term is une évaluation. This versatile noun is used across various contexts, from the classroom to the boardroom.

At its core, une évaluation refers to the act of judging, appraising, or calculating the quality, importance, or value of something. It carries a formal and objective tone, making it suitable for official and professional situations.

In an academic setting, une évaluation is a common word for a test, exam, or any form of student assessment. In the professional world, it's frequently used for performance reviews, often called une évaluation annuelle (an annual review) or une évaluation de performance (a performance evaluation).

Beyond school and work, une évaluation is used for any systematic appraisal. For example, you might conduct une évaluation des risques (a risk assessment) for a project or get une évaluation immobilière (a property valuation) when buying a house.

💡 * Les étudiants doivent préparer leur évaluation de fin de semestre.

• Mon manager m'a donné une évaluation très positive cette année.
• L'entreprise a demandé une évaluation indépendante de ses actifs.
• Une bonne évaluation de la situation est cruciale avant de prendre une décision.

The 'oral exam' – un oral

In French, the common term for a spoken or oral examination is simply un oral. This noun is widely used in academic settings like high school (lycée) and university (université).

The word oral is a masculine noun, derived from the adjective oral (meaning 'spoken'). Therefore, you must always use masculine articles with it, such as un oral (an oral exam) or l'oral (the oral exam).

It's important to know the irregular plural form. The plural of un oral is des oraux. This follows the common grammatical rule for French nouns ending in -al.

💡 * J'ai un oral d'histoire demain, je suis un peu stressé. (I have a history oral exam tomorrow, I'm a bit stressed.)

• Elle a eu la meilleure note à l'oral de français. (She got the best grade on the French oral exam.)
• Les oraux du baccalauréat commencent la semaine prochaine. (The baccalaureate oral exams start next week.)

The 'written exam' – un écrit

The “written exam” – un écrit

The noun un écrit directly translates to 'a written thing' and is the standard term for a 'written exam' or 'paper'. It is the noun form of the past participle of the verb écrire (to write).

This term is frequently used in academic and professional settings to distinguish the written portion of an examination from the oral part (un oral). You will often hear students talking about les écrits (the written papers) when referring to a series of tests, like final exams.

While un examen is the general word for an exam, un écrit specifically emphasizes the format. A student might say, L'écrit était difficile, mais l'oral sera plus simple (The written part was difficult, but the oral part will be easier).

💡 * J'ai un écrit d'histoire demain.

• Les résultats des écrits seront publiés la semaine prochaine.
• Pour ce concours, il y a un écrit et un oral.
• Elle a très bien réussi son écrit de mathématiques.

1. The 'mock exam' or 'practice test' – un examen blanc

In French, a mock exam or practice test is called un examen blanc. The literal translation is 'a white exam.' This term is the standard way to refer to a practice test administered under conditions that simulate the real, official exam.

Why 'white'? In this context, blanc (white) signifies a 'blank,' 'trial,' or 'dummy' run. It’s a dress rehearsal for the main event. This concept is used in other French expressions, such as une balle à blanc (a blank bullet) or un mariage blanc (a sham marriage).

This term is extremely common in the French education system. Students will often take a bac blanc (a mock baccalauréat exam) or a brevet blanc (a mock brevet exam for middle schoolers). These tests are organized by schools to help students assess their knowledge, practice time management, and get used to the formal exam environment before the official date.

The term is masculine, so it's un examen blanc. The plural form follows the standard rule for adjectives ending in -c, becoming des examens blancs. Note that the 'c' in blanc is silent, but it is pronounced in the feminine form, blanche.

💡 * Les élèves de terminale passent leur examen blanc la semaine prochaine.

• J'ai complètement raté mon bac blanc de philosophie.
• Faire un examen blanc est le meilleur moyen de se préparer pour le vrai test.
• Les résultats de l'examen blanc sont un bon indicateur de notre niveau.

Are there other ways to say 'test' in French?

Are there other ways to say “test” in French?

This article has covered the most common and essential French words for “test,” from the academic examen to the technical essai. But French is a precise language, and you'll find many other specific terms in fields like medicine, engineering, and software development.

To find the perfect term, try searching online for “traduction de ‘test’ en français pour ___” and add the specific field you’re interested in, like la psychologie (psychology) or l'ingénierie (engineering).

You might discover many interesting synonyms for test. However, context is crucial. Always check a word’s definition and see how it’s used in a sentence before using it yourself. A bilan de santé (health check-up) is very different from a test de résistance (stress test).

As you engage with French content—whether it's reading technical documentation, following a university course online, or even watching a product review—pay close attention to the vocabulary used. You'll naturally pick up the right word for the right situation.

If you want to explore more nuances and related terms for different kinds of tests and examinations, the WordReference entries for test and examen are excellent starting points.

I hope this guide has helped you navigate the many ways to say “test” in French. To end, here’s a classic French proverb that perfectly captures the spirit of testing one's abilities: C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron. (Literally: It is by forging that one becomes a blacksmith.) In other words, practice—and testing yourself—makes perfect!