Frequently asked questions
Do you have questions about classes, exams, cultural activities or anything else?
Check the tabs below for an answer. Please feel free to email info@af.ca if you need more in-depth answers.
The Alliance Française Ottawa is a francophone cultural centre that has the status of a Canadian non-profit association.
Several services are offered:
We only offer French courses at the moment but private English courses can be arranged on request.
Standard/International French.
Standard French, or International French in Quebec, refers to French without any regional accent or regionalism and whose syntax, morphology and spelling are described in dictionaries, grammar books and writing manuals such as the Bescherelle and Le Bon Usage.
Source: Wikipedia
No, but employees are welcome!
No, no, neither the registration fee nor the shipping cost.
Have you ever taken a course at AFO?
Yes :
No :
Do you have any knowledge of French
The placement test allows us to evaluate the level of a student. It costs $20 and is in 2 parts:
At the end of the online test, the student will be offered a calendar with appointment times with the teacher.
It depends. Complete beginners do not take the test. For those who have some knowledge of French (learned at school, work, duolingo…,) The placement test is compulsory.
If the student has taken courses or a test at another AF
Less than a year ago: he/she must provide proof of his/her current level and create an account on our site. A free interview with a teacher will confirm the level.
More than one year old: full Ev@lang at the usual price.
If the student has taken courses or a test in another institution than the AF
The placement test is compulsory for non-beginners as we do not have references from other schools.
To receive a code:
Pay online with a credit card:
At the top right corner of af.ca /ottawa, click on the red WHAT IS MY LEVEL button.
You’ll receive the test link on your customer receipt as soon as you make your purchase.
I don’t have a credit card:
Create an account and an invoice will be sent with Interac information
The code will be sent after payment is received.
My employer will pay the placement test :
We will send you a placement test quote and an Employer Information form to complete. The link will be sent upon receipt of the signed document.
The invoice will be sent to the contact person in charge of invoices.
This is normal, the assessment is not yet complete. The second step is the interview with the teacher to confirm your level. For this we need to make an appointment. Are you available on …..?
Once the interview is over, we will send the results by email and registration will be possible in the classes adapted to your level.
We will contact you as soon as we have received your test results.
You can also contact us by email or telephone to make an appointment.
The teacher will contact you on the telephone number you gave us when you made the appointment.
Please contact us by phone or email to arrange a new appointment
We can schedule another interview with another teacher if you want a second opinion.
We have 6 sessions during the year.
A session lasts between 8 and 10 weeks.
Registrations are still possible if 4 hours of lessons have not been completed and if there is still space available.
Because we have operating costs and annual access to Apolearn is included in the $45.
Who will be in charge of the invoice?
I am responsible for the invoice
Online with a credit card
Log on to the AFO website and click on e- group courses: https://www.af.ca/ottawa/en/cours/french-group-courses/#/
Choose the right course for your level
Without credit card
Which course have you chosen?
We will register you and send you the information for payment by Interac
The invoice will be due within 48 hours or we will have to cancel your registration.
My employer pays for my training
We will send you a quote and an Employer Information form to complete. We will register you on receipt of the signed document.
The invoice will be sent to the invoice contact.
The invoice must be paid in full before the start of the course for individuals.
At the end of the course, a level test is compulsory in order to move on to the next level. For this, the student must have an account to register.
We will check with the course director to see if it is possible.
If the course is already at nine, unfortunately it will not be possible.
The lessons are not recorded, but the teacher can be contacted to help you catch up.
Apolearn also allows you to communicate directly with your teacher and find the exercises seen in class and the assignments for the next session.
This is not possible. Depending on the number and level of students, the pace will be different.
It is not possible to cancel a course that has already started unless there is medical evidence
(NB: employer’s agreement is required if paid by employer)
First we need to know your level. Have you done the placement test?
If so, we will send you an email with a preference form to fill in with your availability and your objectives. Our colleague Laila will then contact you with a proposal.
If no: we need to know your level first. For this, I invite you to start the placement test which is on the top right of our website.
We will send you the documents to complete after the interview with the teacher.
We recommend that beginners start with group lessons before taking private lessons.
This is because you will make faster progress, especially in oral skills (listening and speaking) with other people than with a teacher alone.
The invoice must be paid in full before the start of the course for individuals
It depends on the availability of teachers
The choice of teacher depends on the availability of the teacher and the objectives of the student.
Important: any discrimination by a teacher will not be tolerated at AFO. The student in question will be banned for life.
Ev@lang: assessment tool specific to certain Alliances Françaises. IS NOT RECOGNISED FOR IMMIGRATION AND/OR UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION
| Diplômes | Résidence Permanente | Citoyenneté | Raisons professionnelles, académiques ou personnelles | Québec | Validité | |
| CCIP/Français des Affaires | TEF 5 épreuves | X | 2 ans | |||
| TEF Canada 4 épreuves | x | 2 ans | ||||
| TEF Canada 2 épreuves | x | 2 ans | ||||
| TEFAQ | x | 2 ans | ||||
| France Éducation internationale | TCF Canada 4 épreuves | x | 2 ans | |||
| TCF TP | x | 2 ans | ||||
| DELF | x | À vie | ||||
| DALF | x | A vie |
Both exams are recognized by the Canadian Immigration Service
The TEF is offered by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and costs $390. The results are sent directly by email.
The TCF is offered by France éducation internationale and costs $400. The results are sent directly by email.
If there are no dates available on our website, the next dates will be available next month
The exam must be taken at an official test centre to ensure the validity of the results.
To find the nearest examination centre, please consult the Business French or France Éducation Internationale websites.
The results are sent 4 to 8 weeks after the examination.
This information is confidential. Only the person who took the exam or a person with a proxy can access the results by mail, by picking them up in person or by email.
We invite you to consult the CLB correspondence table on the immigration website: https://www.canada.ca/fr/immigration-refugies-citoyennete/services/immigrer-canada/entree-express/documents/exigences-linguistiques/evaluation-competences-linguistiques.html
Yes, these are the delocalised exams. We must be contacted at least 4 weeks before.
It is not compulsory but you must have an account with us.
We invite you to contact our colleague at culture@af.ca
We are a Canadian association that works in partnership with the French Embassy.
To contact them: 613-789-1795
They are our partners. Please contact them directly if you need information.
