Study plans & methods
Stuck halfway through A2? Switch to practice-driven learning
You've watched half the course. The grammar made sense at the time, but a week later it's gone, and new words don't stick. That's not a talent problem. It's what happens when learning has no retrieval loop.
Updated November 2026 · 3 min read
The short answer
- The problem at A2 is usually no memory loop: you take in material but rarely have to retrieve and use it.
- Don't switch to pure test drills either. Use practice-driven learning: about 70% practice, 30% targeted study of what the practice exposed.
- Classify every error: didn't know it, knew it but couldn't retrieve it, or fell for a trap. Each needs a different fix.
- Prioritise words you meet repeatedly in questions, not long themed lists.
1The real problem: no retrieval loop
Memory consolidates when you pull information out, not when you put it in. A course that only explains gives you recognition ("yes, I've seen that") without recall ("I can produce it"). Practice questions force recall, at the exact moment you need it, with immediate feedback. That's why they work as a learning tool, not just as a test.
2From course mode to practice-driven mode
Course mode
- Watch lesson → take notes → next lesson
- Vocabulary from themed lists
- Grammar in the order the book presents it
- Rarely test yourself
Practice-driven mode
- Do 20–30 questions at your level
- Study only what you got wrong or guessed
- Vocabulary from the questions themselves
- Grammar when a question exposes a gap
3Classify every error
| Error type | What it looks like | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Didn't know | A word or structure you've never learned | Learn it; add it to flashcards with the sentence |
| Couldn't retrieve | You recognise it in the answer key | Spaced review; write your own sentence with it |
| Fell for a trap | You understood but chose a distractor | Name the trap (paraphrase, negation, plan changed) and look for it next time |
4Which words to keep
- High-frequency words that appear across many questions: keep all of them.
- Words in the question or the correct answer: keep them; they're the ones tests reuse.
- Rare words in a distractor: skip them unless you meet them again.
5A 7-day plan (about 2–3 hours a day)
- 1
Days 1–2
30 listening + 30 reading questions at A2 each day. Classify every error. Study the gaps (45 min).
- 2
Day 3
Review all flashcards from days 1–2. Write ten sentences with the structures you missed.
- 3
Days 4–5
Same as days 1–2, slightly harder questions (A2–B1).
- 4
Day 6
One Task 1 writing, one recorded Task 1 speaking, using the new words.
- 5
Day 7
Redo the questions you got wrong this week. Count how many you now get right.
Keep going with the 12-week A2 to B2 plan.
6Frequently asked questions
Should I stop my French course and only do practice questions?+
Not entirely. Use practice questions as the main activity and the course as a reference for the gaps they reveal. About 70% practice and 30% study works well from A2.
Keep reading
Turn the method into points
Practise with levelled TCF Canada questions and full mock exams built for NCLC 7, with an explanation for every answer.