Why am I so not nervous when I know C1 is on Saturday ?

Okay. For starters... the French exams are divided into six levels. A1 and A2 are for beginners, B1 and B2 are for intermediate speakers, and C1 and C2 are for advanced speakers.

I'm now preparing for the C1. And chances are that I might be the only candidate for this session. Yes, hardly anyone takes C1 and C2. Already they find B2 a burden. I barely passed the B2 when I took it two years ago - I had 50-something (when the passing mark was 50) - that too, due to lack of preparation. Now, there's the C1.

I wonder how this one's gonna go. Honestly, I was put to shame during the previous French class because I forgot how to write a formal letter, and when I remembered the format, my letter sounded so informal. When DK corrected the language for me, the first thing I told him was "Ohmagawd. It sounds so.... formal !"

There're four sections - spoken (23rd November), comprehension, listening and essay (all on the 30th of November). The C1 requires candidates (or potential candidates) to be well-read, to be able to speak on just about any subject, even if it doesn't fall into the candidate's domain of interest. Which means that I could potentially speak about engineering and Home Ect (which I hate the most !), or if I'm lucky enough, I get to speak on the environs or my favourite domains - law and music.

Now, Narin's gonna train me for the essay questions. One of them requires me to read two texts (by two different authors, loosely pertaining to one subject - say, the problem of global warming), and without adding any opinions, I have to synthesise them into one essay of about 250 words. That's one of the hardest exercises I know. Narin's essay is over 2000 words ; mine is limited to a measly 250 words. And at the rate I'm going, with my informal language, let's just keep our fingers crossed.

One thing is for sure - when I go to the Alliance Française for my exam on the 23rd, I'll be examined by one of the key personnel from the French Embassy. I'm in deep s* now. And, I know the Alliance Française ain't gonna take me lightly anymore. I'm 17, and this exam's supposed to be reserved for complete adults (29+). Pray for me as I train - I've only got a few days more to train before my oral exam.