One common type of role-play in the TEF speaking exam is asking about childcare or school registration. This is a very practical situation because many candidates who take the TEF are planning to live, study, or work in a French-speaking country, where registering children in a school or nursery is part of everyday life.
This question can appear in different versions of the TEF exam:
TEF Canada (for immigration)
TEF Québec (TEFAQ) (for immigration to Québec)
TEF Naturalisation (for French citizenship)
TEF Études (for studying in France)
In all of these, the examiner will play the role of the school secretary, receptionist, or administrator, while you will play the parent looking for information. Let’s go through what to say, how to say it, and how to stay calm and polite.
Why This Task Matters
This type of role-play is testing if you can:
Greet someone politely and explain your situation.
Ask clear questions about registration, documents, and conditions.
Give information about your child.
React naturally by thanking the person or asking for clarification.
The goal is not perfection. The examiner wants to see if you can communicate effectively in a real-life scenario. So think of it as going into a school office or calling the school on the phone.
Useful Vocabulary and Phrases
Here’s a wide range of phrases you can use. Notice that many of these are fixed expressions you can reuse in other role-plays.
1. Polite greetings and introductions
Bonjour madame / monsieur. Je voudrais inscrire mon enfant à l’école.
(Hello sir / madam. I would like to register my child at school.)Je viens pour avoir des renseignements sur l’inscription scolaire.
(I’ve come to get information about school registration.)Excusez-moi, pourriez-vous me dire quelles sont les démarches ?
(Excuse me, could you tell me what the steps are?)
2. Asking about registration
Quelles sont les conditions d’inscription ?
(What are the registration requirements?)Quels documents faut-il fournir ?
(What documents must be provided?)À quel âge peut-on inscrire un enfant ?
(At what age can a child be registered?)Est-ce qu’il y a une école maternelle / primaire dans ce quartier ?
(Is there a kindergarten / primary school in this neighborhood?)Combien de temps dure la procédure ?
(How long does the process take?)
3. Talking about your child
Mon fils / ma fille a six ans.
(My son / daughter is six years old.)Il / elle doit entrer à l’école primaire.
(He / she needs to start primary school.)Je cherche une crèche pour mon bébé.
(I am looking for a nursery for my baby.)J’aimerais savoir si vous acceptez les enfants étrangers.
(I’d like to know if you accept foreign children.)Est-ce qu’il y a des activités après l’école ?
(Are there after-school activities?)
4. Documents and procedures
un certificat de naissance – birth certificate
le livret de famille – family record book
un justificatif de domicile – proof of address
les vaccins obligatoires – mandatory vaccinations
remplir un formulaire – fill in a form
fournir des papiers – provide documents
5. Useful polite phrases
Excusez-moi, j’ai une question.
(Excuse me, I have a question.)Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
(Could you repeat, please?)Merci beaucoup pour vos explications.
(Thank you very much for your explanations.)J’aimerais savoir si…
(I would like to know if…)Pourriez-vous m’expliquer comment…
(Could you explain to me how…)
🏛️ Cultural Notes
Some documents and customs in school registration may be unfamiliar if you haven’t lived in France or Canada. Here are the most common ones:
Le livret de famille (France): This is a small booklet given by the mairie (town hall) when a couple marries or when children are born. It lists the family members officially. In school registration, French schools often ask for it. If your country doesn’t use this, you can present a birth certificate instead.
Justificatif de domicile (France and Canada): Both countries ask for proof of address. This could be a utility bill (electricity, water), a lease contract, or an official government letter. The school uses this to check that your child belongs to the right school district.
Vaccination records: In France, parents often show the carnet de santé (health booklet) with proof of vaccinations. In Canada, you must provide the vaccination form from your province or medical records. The vaccines required may be slightly different depending on the province.
If you understand these cultural elements, you won’t be surprised in the exam. And if you don’t have the exact document, you can explain:
« Dans mon pays, nous n’avons pas de livret de famille, mais j’ai l’acte de naissance de mon enfant. »
(In my country, we don’t have a family record book, but I have my child’s birth certificate.)
🗣️ Sample Dialogue – In Person
Vous (Parent): Bonjour madame, je voudrais inscrire ma fille à l’école primaire.
Examinateur (Secretary): Bonjour. Quel âge a votre fille ?
Vous: Elle a six ans. Quelles sont les conditions d’inscription ?
Examinateur: Il faut fournir un certificat de naissance, un justificatif de domicile et les carnets de vaccination.
Vous: Très bien. Est-ce que je dois remplir un formulaire aussi ?
Examinateur: Oui, je vais vous donner le document.
Vous: Merci beaucoup pour vos explications. Bonne journée !
Examinateur: Bonne journée à vous aussi.
🗣️ Sample Dialogue – By Phone
Vous (Parent): Bonjour, je vous appelle pour avoir des informations sur l’inscription scolaire.
Examinateur (School): Bien sûr, quel âge a votre enfant ?
Vous: Il a quatre ans. Je voudrais savoir s’il peut entrer à l’école maternelle.
Examinateur: Oui, il faut fournir un certificat de naissance et un justificatif de domicile.
Vous: D’accord, merci. Est-ce que je dois prendre rendez-vous ?
Examinateur: Oui, il faut appeler le secrétariat pour fixer une date.
Vous: Très bien, merci beaucoup pour vos explications. Au revoir !
Examinateur: Au revoir, bonne journée !
Practice Prompts
Prompt 1: Vous arrivez à la mairie pour demander des informations sur l’école maternelle pour votre fils de 4 ans.
Prompt 2: Vous téléphonez à une école pour demander quels documents sont nécessaires pour inscrire votre fille.
Prompt 3: Vous discutez avec un responsable et vous voulez savoir s’il y a des activités après l’école.
Prompt 4: Vous venez d’emménager et vous voulez demander quelle école est la plus proche de votre domicile.
Advice
Many students feel nervous with this task because they don’t know the exact words for documents or procedures. My advice: don’t try to be perfect. Use the polite expressions you know, and if you forget the exact word, describe it. For example, if you forget certificat de naissance, say “le papier de naissance.” The examiner will understand you, and you will still get credit for communication.
Also, always stay polite: start with bonjour, add s’il vous plaît, and finish with merci beaucoup. This makes your French sound much more natural and appropriate. Finally, remember that the examiner is not trying to trap you — they are helping you play the role. Think of it as a practice for real life.
✅ Checklist: What You Can and Cannot Do
I can…
✅ Greet politely and explain my situation.
✅ Ask about conditions, documents, and procedures.
✅ Give basic information about my child (age, school level).
✅ Thank the staff politely at the end.
I can’t (yet)…
❌ Ask follow-up questions if I get unexpected information.
❌ Use enough polite phrases to sound completely natural.
❌ React quickly when I don’t understand something.
Practice until you can move everything into the “I can” column.
Quick Recap Formula
Start with a greeting: Bonjour, je voudrais inscrire mon enfant…
Ask key questions: Quels documents faut-il fournir ?
React politely: Très bien, merci beaucoup.
Close the conversation: Bonne journée / Au revoir !
With these expressions, vocabulary, and practice dialogues, you’ll feel ready for the school registration role-play in the TEF speaking exam — whether in person or by phone.
