Cambridge IGCSE™

FRENCH 0520/22
Paper 2 Reading March 2025
MARK SCHEME FINAL
Maximum Mark: 45

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Generic Marking Principles
These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers. They should be applied alongside the specific
content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptors for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these marking
principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:
 the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
 the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
 the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:
Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions)
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:
Marks must be awarded positively:
 marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit is given for valid answers which go beyond the
scope of the syllabus and mark scheme, referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
 marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
 marks are not deducted for errors
 marks are not deducted for omissions
 answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these features are specifically assessed by the
question as indicated by the mark scheme. The meaning, however, should be unambiguous.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:
Rules must be applied consistently e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed instructions or in the application of generic level descriptors
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:
Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question (however; the use of the full mark range may be
limited according to the quality of the candidate responses seen).
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:
Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should not be awarded with grade thresholds or grade
descriptors in mind.

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Additional Guidance

The following guidance underpins the detailed instructions provided in the mark scheme. Where a decision is taken to deviate from this guidance for a
particular question, this will be specified in the mark scheme.

Often the additional guidance points will have to be weighed up against each other, e.g. the answer might look or sound like the intended word/phrase
in French, but if what the candidate has written means something different in French from what is expected, the mark cannot be awarded.

It is not possible to list all acceptable alternatives in the mark scheme. If you encounter an answer which is not covered by the mark scheme, you will
need to make a decision about whether it communicates the required elements (in consultation with your Team Leader if necessary, or with your
Product Manager if you are a single examiner), and award marks accordingly.

 Crossing out:

(a) If a candidate changes his/her mind about an answer and crosses out an attempt, award a mark if the final attempt is
correct.
(b) If a candidate crosses out an answer to a whole question but makes no second attempt at it, mark the crossed out work.

 More than the stipulated number of boxes ticked/crossed by the candidate:

(a) If more than one attempt is visible but the candidate has clearly indicated which attempt is his/her final answer (e.g. by crossing out other
attempts or by annotating the script in some way), mark in the usual way.
(b) If two attempts are visible (e.g. two boxes ticked instead of the one box stipulated), and neither has been crossed out/discounted by
the candidate, no mark can be awarded.

 For questions requiring more than one element for the answer, 1 and 2, where the answers are interchangeable:

(a) Both of the correct answers are on line 1 and line 2 blank (or vice versa) = 2 marks
(b) Both correct answers on line 1 and line 2 contains a wrong answer (or vice versa) = 1 mark

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 Mark for communication: Answers requiring the use of French (rather than a non-verbal response) should be marked for communication.
Tolerate inaccuracies provided that the message is clear. However, do not accept incorrect French if the word written by the candidate means
something else in French (unless the mark scheme specifies otherwise).

(a) If you read aloud what the candidate has written, does it sound like the correct answer? Would a native speaker of French understand
it?
(b) Does what the candidate has written look like the correct answer, e.g. one letter missing but no other word created? Would a native
speaker of French understand it?

 Annotations used in the mark scheme:

(a) INV = invalidation. This is used when the additional material included by the candidate is judged to invalidate an otherwise correct
answer and therefore prevents him/her from scoring the mark. (INV = 0)
(b) tc = ‘tout court’. This means that, on its own, the material is not sufficient to score the mark.
(c) HA = harmless addition. This means that the candidate has included additional material which, in conjunction with the correct answer,
does not prevent him/her from scoring the mark.

 No response and ‘0’ marks:

(a) Award NR (no response):

If there is nothing written at all in the answer space or
If there is only a comment which does not in any way relate to the question being asked (e.g. ‘can’t do’ or ‘don’t know’) or
If there is only a mark which isn’t an attempt at the question (e.g. a dash, a question mark).
(b) Award 0:
If there is any attempt that earns no credit, e.g. the candidate has copied out part or all of the question.

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 Extra material: Candidates need to answer the questions in such a way as to demonstrate that they have understood the text. The mark
scheme cannot cover all eventualities so where specific instructions are not provided, the examiner must check the text to ensure that the
correct elements which would attract the mark are not contradicted or distorted by any extra material. The following general rules should be
applied:

(a) Extra material, mentioned in the This is acceptable and is not penalised.
mark scheme, which reinforces
the correct answer or in itself
constitutes an alternative correct
answer:
(b) Extra material which constitutes The examiner needs to decide, by consulting the transcript/text and the Team Leader if necessary,
an alternative answer, but which whether the alternative answer constitutes:
is not explicitly mentioned in (i) an alternative correct answer, in which case this falls into category (a) and the answer should be
the mark scheme: rewarded, or
(ii) an answer which on its own would be rejected, in which case this falls into category (c) and the
answer should be rejected.
(c) Extra material which constitutes This puts the examiner in the position of having to ‘choose’ which the intended answer is. The
an alternative answer examiner cannot therefore be sure what the candidate has understood and the mark cannot be
specifically rejected in the mark awarded.
scheme:
(d) Extra material which distorts or This affects communication. The examiner cannot be sure what the candidate has understood and
contradicts the correct answer: therefore the mark cannot be awarded.
(e) Extra material introduced by the This affects communication. The examiner cannot be sure what the candidate has understood and
candidate and which does not therefore the mark cannot be awarded. It can sometimes be difficult to draw the line between what is
feature in the original text: a deduction made by an able candidate on the basis of what they have read and pure guesswork.
Therefore, where a particular answer is not covered by the mark scheme, the examiner should
consult the Team Leader.

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Detailed Mark Scheme

Question Answer Marks Guidance

1(a) F 1
1(b) A 1
1(c) C 1
1(d) D 1
1(e) B 1

Question Answer Marks Guidance

2(a) H 1
2(b) D 1
2(c) A 1
2(d) F 1
2(e) B 1

Question Answer Marks Guidance

3(a) B 1
3(b) B 1
3(c) C 1
3(d) A 1
3(e) C 1
3(f) B 1
3(g) A 1

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

Before marking Question 4, read the section Additional Guidance.
4(a) (à) Paris 1 Reject: un appartement à Paris
Verb not required but if supplied must be present tense
Accept reasonable alternative prepositions eg en /dans le etc
4(b) Son père avait trouvé un nouvel emploi. 1 Accept Son père a trouvé un emploi à Lyon.

4(c) Elles étaient/Elle était au même collège. 1 Tolerate: ils

Past tense required
Elles passaient toutes leurs journées ensemble HA

4(d) avec beaucoup de joie 1 Accept: elle avait beaucoup de joie

Accept: c’est / c’était avec beaucoup de joie
Reject: contente / heureuse
4(e) (au) début des vacances de Pâques 1 Accept: reasonable alternative prepositions eg en /dans le etc
Le jour du départ est enfin arrivé HA
4(f) son père 1 Accept: Le père d’Émilie
Tolerate: Le père de Émilie
4(g) (à) sa/une place réservée 1 Reject: son place / un place
4(h) (environ) deux heures 1 après INV
Tolerate: deux heure
Reject: pour
Verb not required but if supplied must be past tense
4(i) Justine et sa mère 1 Qui arrivaient en courant HA
4(j) Alain faisait un voyage scolaire. 1 Son frère INV
Reject: elle referring to Alain
Accept: Sa chambre était libre
Watch out for donc which may INV
Past tense required

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

Before marking Question 4, read the section Additional Guidance.
4(k)1 la visite d’un (beau) château 1 Accept: elle se rappelle (surtout) la visite,,,
Otherwise, if verb used it needs to be past tense
4(k)2 un pique-nique (dans un grand parc) 1 Addition of aussi is likely to be acceptable as long as this is the
second answer written

Question Answer Marks Guidance

5 a4, b6, c8, d1, e3 5

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

Before marking Question 6, read the section Additional Guidance.
6(a) des dizaines de milliers 1 comme INV
de jeunes Français HA
Reject: de jeune Français
6(b) Il n’avait jamais été séparé de sa famille. 1 Reject: pas unless there is also avant or similar
qui INV
6(c) Ils ne travaillaient pas assez (à l’école). 1 Accept (l’internat était souvent vu) comme une punition pour ceux
qui ne travaillaient pas assez (à l’école)
en effet INV
Past tense required
6(d) un de ses profs / un prof 1
6(e)1 son village se trouve / est (si) loin du lycée. 1 Accept se trouvait / était
6(e)2 Il voulait (donc) éviter un long trajet (deux fois par jour). 1 Donc does not INV if this answer follows up an attempt at correct
part 1 response
Accept: pour éviter…
Otherwise past tense required
6(f) soulagé 1 Must have acute accent
Accept: lift of whole sentence / part sentence that answers the
question
6(g) Il a affiché des posters et des photos. 1 Allow: il a pu décorer son coin (en) affichant des posters et des
photos
Past tense required
Reject: les
6(h) moins d’une semaine 1 en INV unless as part of il s’y est adapté en…
6(i)1 Il a été reçu au bac. 1 Tolerate: il a reçu le bac
C’est grâce à l’internat qu’ HA
6(i)2 Il est (aussi) devenu plus tolérant. 1 Aussi acceptable if this is the second answer as long as first has
been attempted.

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