There's no single agreed-upon answer here, but two different sequencing strategies came up worth weighing against your own timeline:
- French-first, IELTS-last: Focus on French for 1.5–2 years to reach a solid level, then take IELTS afterward with about a month of light prep — the reasoning being IELTS is comparatively quick to prepare for once your English is already strong, so it makes sense to save it for last.
- IELTS-first, French-last: Get IELTS out of the way early, then dedicate your remaining time fully to French — the reasoning here is that French requires sustained, undivided focus over a longer runway, so it's better not to split attention between two language exams at once.
Both respondents agreed on one point: splitting focus evenly across two language exams at the same time isn't the recommended approach — pick one sequence and commit to it based on which language you're starting further behind on.