French B Past Papers 2026
Browse all available French B sessions from 2010-2025. This archive currently includes 393 official papers and 0 donated papers.
31
Sessions
393
Papers
393
Official
2010-2025
Years
November 2025
Latest Session
31
Sessions
2010–2025
35
Question Papers
77
Markschemes
100% coverage
Components: 2 papers, up to 3 variants each.
November 2025
Latest Session
31
Sessions
2010–2025
37
Question Papers
80
Markschemes
100% coverage
Components: 2 papers, up to 3 variants each.
Yearly Exam Sessions
About IB French B
IB French B is a Group 2 language acquisition subject for students with prior experience learning French. It develops language skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking across a range of themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organisation, and sharing the planet. French B is available at SL and HL.
IB French B past papers include listening comprehension exercises, reading comprehension, and written production tasks. Practising past papers is one of the best ways to familiarise yourself with the question formats and improve vocabulary and grammar in context.
Exam Format
Paper 1 (SL: 1 hr 30 min / HL: 2 hr)
Reading comprehension: questions on several authentic texts in French. Mix of multiple-choice, gap-fill, short-answer.
Paper 2 (SL: 45 min / HL: 1 hr)
Written production: choose one task from several options and write a text in an appropriate format and register (letter, article, blog, speech, etc.)
SL vs HL
HL French B uses more complex and longer texts in Paper 1, requires a higher word count in Paper 2, and includes an additional listening comprehension component. HL students are expected to engage with abstract and nuanced language.
Study Tips for IB French B
- ✓Read authentic French texts regularly — news articles (Le Monde, TV5 Monde) build vocabulary faster than textbooks.
- ✓Learn the different text formats for Paper 2: letters, emails, blogs, articles, and speeches have different conventions.
- ✓For Paper 1, read the questions before reading the text so you know what information to look for.
- ✓Practise listening to French podcasts or radio to prepare for the listening component.
- ✓Review verb tenses thoroughly: subjunctive, conditional, and future tenses distinguish SL from HL performance.
- ✓Annotate reading texts for cognates — French and English share thousands of similar words.
Questions, answered.
HL uses more complex texts and requires more sophisticated written responses. HL Paper 1 texts are longer with more nuanced language. HL Paper 2 requires a higher word count and demonstrates more idiomatic French.
The listening assessment is part of the externally assessed components in some versions of the syllabus, and also forms part of the oral (Individual Oral). Specific listening tasks vary by exam year.
French B is designed for learners of French as an additional language; French A is for near-native speakers. French B SL is generally less demanding than French A.