French Exam - BEPC Session 2024

This official French examination for the Brevet d'Etudes du Premier Cycle (BEPC), 2024 session, is a complete and well-structured paper assessing the linguistic skills of students at the end of the observation cycle. It comprises three distinct sections: dictation, written expression, and text analysis.

Part 1: Dictation (Spelling)

The dictation text, entitled The Fall of a Tree, is an excerpt from L'Arbre fetiche by Jean Pliya (1971). This dramatic passage describes with great intensity the scene where Doussou, a character with a lame leg, is crushed by a falling tree. The text is rich in formal vocabulary and elaborate syntactic constructions: imminence, claudicante (limping), ramure (branches), tourbillon desordonne (disordered whirlwind). It tests candidates' spelling proficiency on difficult words and complex grammatical agreements.

Part 2: Written Expression

Two topics are offered for choice:

• Topic 1 (Narrative text): Based on an article from Cameroon Tribune about Mobile Money scams, the candidate recounts the misadventure of a person whose account was emptied by scammers. They must describe the feelings experienced by the victim and propose preventive measures against this type of fraud. A subject rooted in current events and the daily life of young Cameroonians.
• Topic 2 (Explanatory text): The candidate tells the story of a schoolmate who concealed a foot injury, explains the health risks (infection, septicemia), and proposes preventive measures. This topic combines narration, explanation, and health awareness.

Part 3: Text Analysis

The supporting text is an excerpt from Sous l'orage (Under the Storm) by Seydou Badian, in which an African merchant bitterly expresses the difficulties of doing business in the face of economic domination by Europeans and Syrian intermediaries. The text addresses themes of administrative corruption, solidarity among colonizers, economic exploitation, and regret for not having pursued education. Questions assess:

• Comprehension (10 points): identify the strength of Europeans, explain forced corruption, analyze power dynamics, identify the narrator's feelings, personal reflection on barriers to African development.
• Language knowledge and usage (10 points): commercial lexical field, synonyms, word nature and function, clause analysis, verb tenses and moods with transformation to the simple past tense.

The complete answer key is included for the text analysis and written expression sections, with detailed grading scales and writing guidelines. This paper is a valuable revision tool for BEPC candidates, featuring current themes: digital scams, health, and postcolonial economic issues.

Target audience: ninth-grade students, BEPC candidates in Cameroon and French-speaking Africa.