SLE Oral Test Questions and How to Move From B to C
Table of Contents11 sections
SLE oral test questions follow a ladder: simple questions about your job, then questions asking you to describe and explain, then opinions and hypothetical situations. Here are original sample questions per level, the tools that separate B from C, and a rehearsal plan.
In short: 20 to 40 minutes on Microsoft Teams with a live PSC assessor, camera on. No formal parts: questions climb from level A to B to C.
Level B stays concrete and factual. Level C adds opinions, hypotheticals and abstract or sensitive topics.
What the SLE oral test is today
The Oral Language Assessment (Évaluation linguistique à l'oral, ÉLO) is one of the three tests of the PSC's Second Language Evaluation. It takes 20 to 40 minutes including instructions, live with a PSC assessor on Microsoft Teams, camera on throughout. You sit alone in a quiet private room (not a cubicle or open space) with two pieces of original photo ID, one government-issued.
There are no formal parts. The assessor opens with familiar questions about your work (or studies or volunteering) to check level A, then targets level B, then level C. The assessor chooses the questions and may redirect you before you feel finished.
Descriptions mentioning listening clips, role-plays or a fixed sequence of parts refer to the Test of Oral Proficiency, replaced in April 2021.
What is not held against you
- Losing your train of thought: say so ("Pardon, j'ai perdu le fil") and carry on.
- Not knowing an answer or finding a topic sensitive: the assessor changes topic.
- Brief pauses and mistakes. Self-correction is allowed, but constant correction hurts fluency.
Notes and banned aids
You may jot down ideas or key words during the test and destroy them afterwards. Prepared notes, dictionaries, translation tools, AI tools and live captions are not allowed. Details are on the PSC's About the test page.
How the A, B, C ladder works
You get one global rating based on sustained performance across the whole conversation, not on your best minute.
Level | What the questions ask | Typical openers | What the assessor listens for |
|---|---|---|---|
A | Simple facts about you and your job | Où..., Comment..., Avec qui... | Short, clear answers to simple questions |
B | Describe a process, recount a past event, compare concrete options | Décrivez..., Expliquez-moi..., Racontez-moi... | Simple elements linked into a connected sequence |
C | Opinions, hypotheticals, abstract or sensitive issues | Que feriez-vous si..., Selon vous..., Dans quelle mesure... | Sustained, justified opinions; complex structures with relatively high control |
The Qualification Standards state that level B is not expected to discuss hypothetical situations or sensitive issues. Those questions decide a C.
Sample SLE oral test questions by level
These questions are original practice items set in a generic federal workplace. Your assessor will word things differently and follow up on what you say.
Level A: simple, familiar questions
Question (French) | English gloss |
|---|---|
Où travaillez-vous et quel est votre poste? | Where do you work and what is your position? |
Comment vous rendez-vous au travail? | How do you get to work? |
Quelles sont vos heures de travail? | What are your working hours? |
Quelles tâches faites-vous chaque jour? | What tasks do you do every day? |
Avec qui travaillez-vous le plus souvent? | Who do you work with most often? |
Level B: describe, explain, compare
Question (French) | English gloss |
|---|---|
Expliquez-moi les étapes pour traiter une demande de remboursement. | Explain the steps for processing a reimbursement request. |
Parlez-moi d'un projet récent. Qu'avez-vous fait exactement? | Tell me about a recent project. What exactly did you do? |
Quelles sont vos priorités pour les prochaines semaines? | What are your priorities for the coming weeks? |
Racontez-moi une journée où un imprévu a changé vos plans. | Tell me about a day when something unexpected changed your plans. |
Votre logiciel tombe en panne la veille d'une échéance. Comparez les solutions possibles. | Your software fails the day before a deadline. Compare the possible solutions. |
Décrivez comment votre équipe accueille un nouvel employé. | Describe how your team welcomes a new employee. |
Level C: opinion, hypothesis, nuance
Question (French) | English gloss |
|---|---|
Que feriez-vous si un collègue vous confiait qu'il était en conflit avec votre gestionnaire? | What would you do if a colleague told you they were in conflict with your manager? |
Qu'est-ce qui se serait passé si votre équipe n'avait pas obtenu les ressources demandées? | What would have happened if your team had not obtained the resources requested? |
Dans quelle mesure le télétravail devrait-il devenir la norme dans la fonction publique? | To what extent should telework become the norm in the public service? |
Selon vous, pourquoi la reconnaissance influence-t-elle autant la motivation? | In your view, why does recognition influence motivation so much? |
Êtes-vous d'accord pour dire que les évaluations de rendement annuelles sont inutiles? | Do you agree that annual performance reviews are useless? |
Certains pensent au contraire que le télétravail nuit à la collaboration. Que leur répondriez-vous? | Some think, on the contrary, that telework hurts collaboration. What would you tell them? |
The last one is a challenge follow-up. Acknowledge the other view, then explain why you keep or adjust your position.
Level B vs level C on the oral
Aspect | Level B | Level C |
|---|---|---|
Topics | Concrete and factual | Abstract, complex or sensitive |
Task | Describe, explain, compare alternatives | Sustain a justified opinion, handle hypotheticals, add nuance |
Answer shape | A connected sequence of facts | Position, reasons, example, concession |
Delivery | Planning pauses in longer stretches | Fairly natural; hesitations for ideas rather than words |
A B speaker answers "Selon vous..." by describing what happens at work. A C speaker takes a position and defends it.
What moves you from B to C
Conditional and past conditional
- Si + imparfait, conditionnel: Si j'étais gestionnaire, je proposerais un horaire plus souple. (If I were a manager, I would propose a more flexible schedule.)
- Si + plus-que-parfait, conditionnel passé: Si nous avions consulté les employés plus tôt, nous aurions évité ce conflit. (If we had consulted employees earlier, we would have avoided that conflict.)
Subjunctive after il faut que, bien que, à moins que
- Il faut que la direction prenne une décision avant vendredi. (Management must decide before Friday.)
- Bien que le télétravail soit pratique, il complique parfois la collaboration. (Although telework is convenient, it sometimes complicates collaboration.)
- Le projet avancera, à moins que le budget ne soit réduit. (The project will go ahead unless the budget is cut.)
A structure for a justified opinion
Position in your first sentence, two reasons (d'une part, d'autre part), one example from your work, a concession, then a conclusion that restates your view with nuance.
Question: Dans quelle mesure le télétravail devrait-il devenir la norme dans la fonction publique? Model answer:
À mon avis, le télétravail devrait occuper une place importante, mais il ne devrait pas devenir la norme pour toutes les équipes. D'une part, il permet aux employés de se concentrer sur les tâches qui exigent de la réflexion, puisqu'ils sont moins souvent interrompus. D'autre part, il réduit le temps de transport, ce qui améliore l'équilibre entre le travail et la vie personnelle. Par exemple, dans mon unité, nous rédigeons les notes d'information à la maison et nous nous réunissons au bureau deux jours par semaine pour les discussions plus délicates. Cela dit, le télétravail peut isoler les nouveaux employés, qui apprennent beaucoup en observant leurs collègues. Il faut donc que chaque équipe prévoie des moments d'échange en personne. En somme, un modèle hybride adapté à la nature du travail serait la solution la plus équilibrée, à condition qu'on en évalue régulièrement les effets.
It has a clear position, linked reasons, an example, a concession (cela dit), a subjunctive (prévoie), a conditional (serait) and a nuanced conclusion.
Ten C-level connectors
Connector | English meaning |
|---|---|
cependant | however |
en revanche | on the other hand, by contrast |
d'une part / d'autre part | on the one hand / on the other hand |
par conséquent | consequently |
néanmoins | nevertheless |
compte tenu de | given, considering |
dans la mesure où | insofar as |
quoi qu'il en soit | be that as it may |
en somme | in short |
à condition que (+ subjonctif) | provided that |
Common mistakes that keep you at B
- Memorized speeches. Assessors recognize them and change direction.
- Answering a C question with a B answer. Describing your team's telework routine is not an opinion on whether it should be the norm.
- Constant self-correction. It breaks your fluency more than the slip itself.
- Anglicisms. Say postuler à un poste (not appliquer sur), fixer une réunion (not céduler), avoir du sens (not faire du sens).
Results and rescore rules
Results go to you and your department contact within 5 business days. The PSC keeps the recording for 2 years.
For a rescore, send a written request within 10 business days of the results reaching your department, through the HR officer who requested the test. A second assessor rates the recording without knowing the first result, and the new result stands even if lower.
How to rehearse on the ladder
- Record yourself in sequence: two A, two B, then two C questions, without stopping.
- Time your answers: about 30 to 45 seconds for A, 1 to 1.5 minutes for B, about 2 minutes for C. These are practice targets, not an official rule.
- Listen back: a C answer with no position, concession or conditional is a B answer.
- Rotate topics: telework, AI tools at work, recognition, training, staffing, performance reviews.
Practise the SLE French oral on Mocko
Mocko's SLE French oral is a recorded oral of 11 questions that climbs from level A to level C. It is rated on five areas (fluency, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and whether you answered the question asked) with one overall level.
The oral is part of the free full mock exam, and a free account needs no credit card. Premium adds the 4-question oral quick test and feedback on each answer with corrected sentences. Start on the SLE French test page or create your free account.
FAQ
The assessor starts with simple questions about your job, then moves to level B (describe a process, recount a project, compare options) and level C (opinions, hypotheticals, advice on sensitive issues). The assessor chooses the questions and follows up on your answers.
