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Important dates   |   Marking Criteria | Permission form
Year 3-10 Poetry Recital   |  Year 11 & 12 Oral Exam   |   Year 9-12 Written Exam

Enrol in the 2026 Berthe Mouchette Competition

Enrolments are now open!



Independent Participants

If you are enrolling as an independent participant, enrol here.


Schools

If you are a teacher enrolling students from your school, enrol here.

See dates for 2026 below !

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Marking criteria

Year 3-10 Year 3-10     Year 11-12 Year 11-12



Permission form

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2026 Important Dates


Oral Assessment Periods
Year 3-10 5 May - 22 May 2026
Year 11-12 22 July - 14 August 2026


Enrolment deadline
Year 3-12 8 April 2026 


Written tests returned by 
Year 9-10 26 May 2026
Year 11-12 28 July 2026


Results announced
Year 3-8 Announced by email June 4th to teacher coordinating the competition within the school
Year 9-10 Announced by email June 23rd to teacher coordinating the competition within the school
Year 11-12 Announced by email September 2nd to teacher coordinating the competition within the school


FINALS dates 
Year 3-6 14 June 2026
Year 7-8 21 June 2026
Year 9-10 2 August 2026
Year 11-12 12-13 September 2026


WINNERS ANNOUNCED 7 October 2026


Awards Ceremony 16 November 2026 (TBC)



Independent participants

Click Here Click Here




Information for Schools & Teachers

Year 3-10 Poetry Recital

Assessment Period : Tuesday 5th to Friday 22nd May 

Participation Options

Option A - Online (ZOOM at school)


Option B - Examiner visit to school


Option C - In person at AFM (CBD campus)

Enrolment Process

Assessment & Results

Assessment Period : Tuesday 5th to Friday 22nd May 

The examiners assess all participants using the same assessment criteria and select finalists.

Results and individual time slots for finalists will be sent to the teacher/independent candidate.

Important note: All AFM employees have valid Working with Children Check Cards; have completed the State Government required Training - Protecting children - Mandatory reporting and other obligations and are bound to the AFM Child Safety Policy. Copies of these will be provided to the school upon request.

Finals

The Y3-8 finals will take place in Term 2, online via ZOOM meetings.

The dates and times of the finals cannot be changed.

Finalists will recite by heart their poem online before two judges.

Winners

Winners will be announced on the Alliance Française de Melbourne website and an Awards Ceremony will be held at the end of the year.



Year 11 & 12 Oral Exam

Assessment Period : Wednesday 22nd July to Friday 14th August


Participation Options

Option A - Online (ZOOM at school)


Option B - Examiner visit to school


Option C - In person at AFM (CBD campus)

Enrolment Process

Assessments & Results

Assessment Period : Wednesday 22nd July to Friday 14th August 

The examiners assess all participants using the same assessment criteria and select finalists.

Results and individual time slots for finalists will be sent to the teacher/independent candidate.

Important note: All AFM employees have valid Working with Children Check Cards; have completed the State Government required Training - Protecting children - Mandatory reporting and other obligations and are bound to the AFM Child Safety Policy. Copies of these will be provided to the school upon request.

Finals

The Y9-12 finals will take place in Term 3, online via ZOOM meetings.

The dates and times of the finals cannot be changed.

The final assessment consists of 2 examiners asking general conversation questions related to the student’s interactions with the French language and culture.

Winners 

Winners will be announced on the Alliance Française de Melbourne website and an Awards Ceremony will be held at the end of the year.


Year 9-12 Written Exams

Exam Conditions

The written exams must be conducted under exam conditions supervised by a teacher on school campus.

The teacher will receive by email the written exam paper (PDF) and audio track:

Years 9-10: Thursday 23 April

Years 11-12: Tuesday 2 June

Please print the number of exam papers required and have your students sit the exam in one session.

A French-English dictionary (hard copy) is permitted.

Send/deliver * completed written exams to:

Berthe Mouchette Competition Coordinator
Alliance française de Melbourne
Level 1, 140 Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC 3000

* electronic copies of exams are also accepted.

Please contact the coordinator for a link to upload electronic exams: competition@afmelbourne.com.au

Deadlines for receipt of written exams:  

Years 9-10: Tuesday 26 May 2026

Years 11-12: Tuesday 28 July 2026

Exam papers received after the deadline will be assessed & certificate issued, however these participants cannot proceed to the finals.

Hors-Catégorie (HC)


Candidates are considered Hors Catégorie if they meet any of the following:

Hors Catégorie students are marked according to the same standards as others but are competing against other Hors Catégorie candidates only.

Teachers/enrollers must identify Hors Catégorie candidates next to their names on the Student List at registration. Teachers must also explain this category to students.

Students enrolled in a bilingual program at Camberwell Primary School, Caulfield Junior College, Fitzroy Primary School, Auburn High School, and Glen Eira College are not considered Hors Catégorie. They compete in a separate entitled category.