A French listening comprehension test administered to all grade 8 students taking core French in Ottawa schools is described. The test consists of 55 multiple choice questions which are heard along with preliminary descriptive material on a cassette recording. Part one requires students to hear a sentence and then decide which of four drawings best illustrates its meaning. The second part requires students to listen to a sentence and identify the time of action. Part three tests recognition of French sounds. Part four requires students to listen to a recorded passage and then answer a question with four possible answers. The French comprehension test was administered to 1,209 students in May 1982. Results indicate that most students seem to understand basic French vocabulary and to receive ideas presented in simple and direct sentences. They have difficulty when information is indirect or presented using structures which do not have direct English equivalents. In listening to longer passages, simple sentences were well understood but detailed information or complex sentences were not well understood. Individual scores tended to improve with increased number of years spent in the core program. It is concluded that the test functions well in providing an assessment of listening skills of grade 8 students. (RW)