Use the 2028–2030 multiple-choice Reading paper
Practise six selected-response groups: pictures, notices, short messages, contextual gaps, matching descriptions and a longer article.
Exam scope and assessment notes
All passages, prompts, listening scripts, model answers and practice tasks are original StudyForA materials, not Cambridge assessment content. Written answers are self-reviewed and not Cambridge-marked. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee a particular accent, pace or pronunciation. Speaking rehearsal is not the supervised centre assessment, examiner interaction, moderation or an official mark. This is not a complete timed specimen paper or a 130-hour course. Both five-area topic maps and grouped grammar pathways are linked, but the 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet has not been mapped word by word, and grammar still needs item-by-item specialist review. A French-language specialist should review the original French examples before we describe this as publication-ready. Confirm the right syllabus version, entry option and exam series with your centre. Cambridge states that 7156 has the same subject content as 0520, with grades 9–1. Limited-entry route: June is available in zone 3 and for centres in Oman and UAE; November is available in zone 3 only. Confirm your series and centre entry with Cambridge. The official 2028 vocabulary list is linked from the subject page and has not been reconciled word by word.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
A text says «Paul préfère le train parce qu’il peut lire pendant le voyage». Why does he prefer it?
What you will learn
- Recognise the six question groups in the 40-mark, one-hour paper.
- Match statements to pictures and notices using precise vocabulary.
- Use grammar and context together to complete gaps.
- Read longer articles for fact, viewpoint and inference while checking distractors.
Understand the six group types
For exams in 2028–2030, Paper 2 is one hour and 40 marks: short statements to pictures (5); public notices (5); short emails/messages/letters (7); a contextual gap fill (8); match eight statements to four descriptions (8); and a longer article with four-option questions (7). All questions are multiple-choice or matching.
For a gap, read the entire sentence, decide what meaning and grammar are needed, then check the options. For a longer article, locate the supporting sentence and test the complete claim in each option.
Check distractors carefully
A distractor can repeat a noun while changing who did the action, the time, negation or cause. Compare the full statement with the passage rather than searching for one matching word.
The updated format reduces the need to write answers during Reading, but understanding language remains essential.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge IGCSE French (9–1) 7156 subject page, entry notice and vocabulary-list link
- Cambridge IGCSE French (9–1) 7156 syllabus for exams in 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE French (9–1) 7156 syllabus update for 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE French (9–1) 7156 syllabus for exams in 2028–2030
- Cambridge IGCSE French (9–1) 7156 2028–2030 vocabulary list
Pause and explain
Which strategy is useful for a longer-text question?
Worked example
A message says: «Lina ne va pas au cinéma ce soir; elle doit finir son projet. Elle ira samedi avec sa cousine.» Which day will Lina go?
Show the worked solution
- Find the negated plan for tonight.
- Notice the reason she cannot go now.
- Identify the later plan after «elle ira».
Answer Lina will go on Saturday with her cousin. Tonight’s plan is cancelled because she must finish her project.
From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Choose a phrase for the gap: «Quand il fait beau, nous ____ au parc; hier, nous sommes restés à la maison.» Options: «allons», «sommes allés», «irons». Explain your choice.
Give me a hint
Compare the general situation with the explicit word «hier» in the second clause.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify the general/habitual clause.
- Check the subject «nous».
- Choose the present form that fits the first clause.
«Allons» fits «Quand il fait beau» as a general or usual situation. «Sommes allés» would describe a completed past event; «irons» would make it a future plan.
Look for these in your work
- Uses the context
- Matches the subject
- Explains why alternatives are weaker
Match each clue to its original notice: A) closes at 18:00; B) borrow a bicycle; C) free for under-12s. Notice 1: «Prêt de vélos sur présentation d’une carte.» Notice 2: «Entrée gratuite pour les enfants de moins de douze ans.» Notice 3: «Ouvert jusqu’à dix-huit heures.»
Give me a hint
Match the distinctive phrase in each clue.
Compare my reasoning
- Find the closing-time phrase.
- Find the bicycle-loan service.
- Find the age and free-entry notice.
A→3, B→1, C→2. «Jusqu’à dix-huit heures» gives the closing time; «prêt de vélos» is bicycle lending; «entrée gratuite» is free entry.
Look for these in your work
- Matches each clue
- Uses the distinctive phrase
- Does not add unstated conditions
A learner always chooses the option with the same noun as the passage. What four context checks should they add?
Give me a hint
Check actor, time, negation and connector before finalising the choice.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify who performs the action.
- Check when it happens.
- Look for negation or a connector that changes the relationship.
Check who acts, the time frame, whether the action is negated, and whether a connector signals cause or contrast. Then test the complete option against the sentence instead of matching only its noun.
Look for these in your work
- Tracks the actor
- Checks time and negation
- Uses the sentence relationship
Common mistakes
- Choosing an option because it repeats a word but contradicts the time
- Ignoring the subject of a pronoun
- Selecting a gap answer by topic vocabulary without checking grammar
What can you explain now?
What must a gap-fill choice do?
Compare with the explanation
Fit the sentence's meaning and grammar
Both context and structure help distinguish a plausible option.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
Before moving on, explain: recognise the six question groups in the 40-mark, one-hour paper.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.