If you are applying for admission to the Faculty of Education's Formation à l'enseignement program, passing the language proficiency test is one of the essential admission requirements. Consequently, everyone (without exception) must take it. No other language proficiency test (TECFÉE, DALF, SEL, or others) will be considered interchangeable. If you fail the test, your application will be automatically rejected.
It is in your best interest to register as soon as possible to increase your chances of admission to the program.
Registration is online, and the test takes place online, regardless of the campus where you apply (Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor).
How to register for the test
Once you have submitted your application, the University will send you an e-mail acknowledging receipt, which will contain your uoAccess login and password for access to the uoZone student portal. You'll need to click on the “Applications” tab, then “Demande d'admission”, and pay the non-refundable test registration fee online. To view the fees, go to the University Fees website .
If you have already taken the test in October 2023 through 2024 and obtained a Total Pass or Pass with additional courses (except for the French as a first language option), you can use these results for September 2025. You must confirm this option in the online registration form. Results obtained before this period will not be considered. You will need to register again.
If you do not register for the test, your file will be considered incomplete and will not be evaluated.
(If you are applying for admission to the Teacher Education program with the “French as a Second Language” option, you must take the Teacher Education-FSL language proficiency test).
This test may be taken only once per year.
Prepare for the test
The test has three parts:
- identifying errors in sentences (recommended time: 30 minutes);
- reading comprehension (recommended time: 30 minutes);
- writing an argumentative text of around 400 words
The total duration of the test is 3 hours, and the use of a dictionary, grammar book or any other reference tool is forbidden during the test.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare for the test:
- Review the features of an argumentative text. Practice writing argumentative texts in two hours.
- Refer to Jacques Garneau's manual Pour réussir un texte argumentatif, or any other resource dealing with argumentative texts.
- Review basic grammar rules
- Consult reference books containing corrections of anglicisms, barbarisms, improprieties, etc.
- Consult useful websites, such as
What are the criteria for evaluating argumentative texts?
- Common spelling, grammatical spelling, choice of words and expressions
- Punctuation
- Lexical cohesion mechanisms
- Structural cohesion (sentence structure, correct verb tenses, links between sentences, links between paragraphs)
- Elements of text organization (clear, logical text structure, no contradictions, no unnecessary information)
- Adaptation to the addressee and respect for the writing intention
- Adaptation to the required language register
Adaptation to the required length (around 400 words)
The use of a dictionary, grammar book or any other reference tool is forbidden during the test.
There are three possible results
- Complete pass: the candidate does not have to take any additional courses or retake the language proficiency test at the end of the year. A candidate who chooses the French school option in the intermediate or senior cycle MUST obtain a complete pass.
- Partial pass: the candidate must take the PED1599 remedial course during the teacher training program and pass the language proficiency test at the end of the course.
- Failure without the right to retake.
The use of a dictionary, grammar book or any other reference tool is forbidden during the test.