A good knowledge of French (level B1) is required for admission to the University of Lausanne.
Candidates to a Bachelor programme whose mother tongue is not French and who have no Swiss secondary school diploma, but who are exempted from the Complementary Examination of Swiss Higher Education Institutions (ECUS), must pass a French exam before final registration on a Bachelor programme.
Candidates admited to a preparatory programme taught in French leading to a Master programme must also pass a French exam before final registration on a preparatory programme unless they speak French as a mother tongue or they hold a Swiss secondary school diploma (maturité) or their previous university studies where fully followed in French.
You can find an example of the exam on the website of the French as a foreign language school.
Cases where this requirement does not appear to be necessary are decided by the Rectorate whose decision is final.
Candidates who fail the French exam are not admitted for registration.
| This exam takes place on 21 August 2025 (autumn semester) and on 29 January 2026 (spring semester). |
| Exemption Students holding one of the following diplomas can be exempted from the French exam providing that they have been obtained within the last three years before the start of studies at UNIL: |
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Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF Tout public) niveau B1 |
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Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF Tout public) niveau B2 |
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Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF Tout public) niveau C1 |
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Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF Tout public) niveau C2 |
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Test de connaissance du français (TCF Tout public) niveau B1, obtained with the 5 tests |
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Test d'évaluation du français (TEF) de la Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris niveau 3 minimum, accompagné des 2 épreuves facultatives niveau 3 minimum |
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European Language Certificate (TELC) niveau B1 |
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Passeport des langues fide de la Confédération suisse, niveau B1 |
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Certificat de qualification en français (CQF) from the FIL at EFLE (intensive French courses), level B1 in each of the four exams |
| Attestation d'une année d'études complète avec obtention d'au moins 60 crédits ECTS à:
. l'Ecole de langue et de civilisation française de l'Université de Genève; |
A copy of the diploma or certificate must be transmitted with the application.
Candidates required to pass the ECUS are exempt from the French exam.
