NAATI CCL French mistakes: what French candidates miss most
In 444 real French–English practice segments marked on naaticcl.com between 15 August 2026 and 21 October 2026, French candidates most often lost conditions such as if and unless: 73.2% of these information points were left out or changed, against 51.3% across all French information points.
- French learners lost 53.6% of information points when interpreting English into French, against 48.8% French into English.
- Next most often lost: names of organisations and services (65.2%) and words that set the order of events, such as before, after and until (54.1%).
- Across all languages on the site, 50.3% of information points were lost.
Last updated 21 October 2026 · 444 French segments · 12 learners · How we counted
Which information French learners lose
The 5 types lost most, with examples
Each example is an original segment from our own French dialogues, the detail to keep and the model interpretation. No learner's answer is shown.
Conditions
73.2% of these information points were left out or changed (106 points in French practice).
Example from our dialogue Managing New Angina Symptoms · segment 4
Oui, si je m'arrête et que je m'assois, la douleur diminue en quelques minutes, mais si je continue à marcher, elle revient assez vite.
Detail to keep: condition: if I stop and sit down
Model interpretation: Yes, if I stop and sit down, the pain eases within a few minutes, but if I keep walking, it comes back fairly quickly.
Note from the model answer: Two conditional halves with opposite outcomes; don't merge them or drop 'within a few minutes' / 'fairly quickly'.
How not to miss it: Keep the if or unless part attached to the action it controls. Do not turn a condition into a plain statement.
Organisations and services
65.2% of these information points were left out or changed (73 points in French practice).
Example from our dialogue Cellphone Refund Dispute · segment 9
You could then apply to NCAT, the tribunal that handles consumer disputes, if Fair Trading isn't able to get the store to resolve this for you.
Detail to keep: NCAT = tribunal handling consumer disputes
Model interpretation: Vous pourriez alors vous adresser au NCAT, le tribunal qui traite les litiges de consommation, si Fair Trading n'arrive pas à faire en sorte que le magasin règle le problème pour vous.
Note from the model answer: Keep the acronym NCAT and its explanation; don't invent a French tribunal name.
How not to miss it: Say the organisation's name as it is (Centrelink, Fair Work Ombudsman, myGov) instead of a vague word like the office or the government.
Order of events
54.1% of these information points were left out or changed (165 points in French practice).
Example from our dialogue Managing New Angina Symptoms · segment 2
Ça a commencé lundi, docteur. J'ai senti une pression dans la poitrine en montant les escaliers, et ça a duré environ cinq minutes avant de disparaître.
Detail to keep: then it disappeared / went away
Model interpretation: It started on Monday, doctor. I felt a pressure in my chest while climbing the stairs, and it lasted about five minutes before it went away.
Note from the model answer: Keep 'about five minutes' and 'Monday' exact; don't turn 'en montant les escaliers' into 'walking' or 'exercising'.
How not to miss it: Keep before, after, until and then, and give the steps in the order the speaker gave them.
Negatives
53.6% of these information points were left out or changed (149 points in French practice).
Example from our dialogue Divorce Filing: Separation Period and Property Settlement · segment 4
Non, il n'y a eu aucune tentative de réconciliation. Nous avons simplement organisé nos finances séparément et dormi dans des chambres différentes.
Detail to keep: negation: no reconciliation attempt whatsoever
Model interpretation: No, there was no attempt at reconciliation at all. We simply organised our finances separately and slept in different bedrooms.
Note from the model answer: 'Aucune' is an emphatic 'none at all'; render the firm negation, not a soft 'not really'.
How not to miss it: Check the polarity before you speak. One missed not or no reverses the message.
Dates and times
50.6% of these information points were left out or changed (213 points in French practice).
Example from our dialogue Managing New Angina Symptoms · segment 7
Spray it under your tongue as soon as the pain starts. It can cause a mild headache, but that usually passes within a few minutes.
Detail to keep: duration: within a few minutes
Model interpretation: Vaporisez-le sous la langue dès que la douleur commence. Il peut provoquer un léger mal de tête, mais ça passe généralement en quelques minutes.
Note from the model answer: 'Under your tongue' (sublingual) is a safety-critical instruction; 'mild' headache and 'usually' passes must both survive.
How not to miss it: Note day, date and time as one block and keep them as said: next Monday stays next Monday, in two weeks is not soon.
More
All languages: what NAATI CCL candidates miss most · NAATI CCL French practice · All French dialogues · Common mistakes guide
Practice on naaticcl.com, marked by our AI marker. Not NAATI results.