exam guide · French

DELF A2, B1 and B2: the French exam explained

The DELF (Diplôme d'études en langue française) is the official French language diploma of the French Ministry of National Education, run worldwide by France Éducation international and valid for life. This page covers the three levels wspell prepares you for — A2, B1 and B2 — what each paper looks like, how it is scored, and how to prepare.

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The exam and its name belong to the French Ministry of National Education and France Éducation international (FEI). wspell is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam provider.

at a glance

Provider
The French Ministry of National Education issues the diploma; France Éducation international (FEI) writes the papers and runs the exam through accredited centres in France and abroad.
Levels on this page
A2, B1 and B2. The DELF also exists at A1; C1 and C2 are the DALF. Each level is an independent diploma, so you can sit B2 without holding B1.
Parts (épreuves)
Compréhension de l'oral (listening), Compréhension des écrits (reading), Production écrite (writing) and Production orale (speaking, individually before the examiners). Each is marked out of 25.
Duration
A2: listening about 25 min, reading 30, writing 45 (1 h 40 collective) plus 6–8 min speaking with 10 min preparation. B1: listening about 25, reading 45, writing 45, plus about 15 min speaking with 10 min preparation for its last part. B2: listening about 30, reading 1 h, writing 1 h (2 h 30 collective) plus about 20 min speaking with 30 min preparation.
Pass rule
At least 50 of 100 overall, and at least 5 of 25 in every paper — a mark below 5 in any one paper fails the diploma whatever the total.
Validity
For life. The diploma never expires.
Format
Two formats of the listening and reading papers are in use. In the current one, in sessions since 2020, every answer is chosen: three-option multiple choice, matching, true/false without a justification at A2 and B1, a yes/no grid at B1 and views to attribute to their authors at B2. The older one also asks for short written answers. The writing and speaking tasks are the same in both, and a wrong choice scores zero, not minus.
Who can register
Anyone who does not hold a French public secondary-school or university diploma (the decree allows some exceptions), at any level from A1 to B2, with no course and no lower diploma required.
Where to register
Only through an accredited exam centre — FEI itself does not run sittings. Dates and fees are set country by country, not by FEI: abroad, every centre in a country sits the written papers on the same days and, for a given session and level, charges the same fee; in France, a rectorat order fixes each centre's dates and fees, so fees can differ between centres. Ask a centre near you which sessions it runs, its deadline and its fee.

What the DELF is and who takes it

DELF stands for Diploma in French Language Studies. It is a state diploma of the French Ministry of National Education, awarded at four CEFR levels (A1 to B2; the DALF covers C1 and C2), each an independent diploma with no expiry date. France Éducation international, the ministry's public operator, writes the papers and accredits the exam centres that run sessions in France and abroad.

Who needs which level changed in 2026. Since 1 January 2026 a first multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) requires A2 and a first resident card (carte de résident) B1, for applicants under 65 — for the resident card only in the categories Service-Public lists — and both cards also require passing a civic exam. Naturalisation now requires B2, and a civic exam too. Service-Public lists the DELF among the diplomas accepted for the residence cards; for naturalisation it accepts any diploma attesting B2 or a TCF or TEF attestation less than two years old. Outside immigration, many French universities accept DELF B2 in place of a further French test — check the programme or Campus France — and A2 is where many learners sit their first one.

Structure per level

All four papers are taken at every level: three of them collectively in one room (listening, then reading, then writing, back to back) and the speaking test individually with the examiners. In listening and reading you answer questions on the documents — in the current format only by choosing; you produce text only in the writing paper and speech only in the oral.

  • A2 — Listening: about 25 min, four exercises on 14 short recordings — public announcements, radio extracts, a voicemail and short everyday dialogues — each played twice; every answer is chosen: multiple choice, some of it with pictures, and for each dialogue what its speakers are doing (inviting, thanking, asking a favour…). Reading: 30 min, four exercises on 11 short documents — everyday documents of one kind to match to the people they suit, a letter or email, simple instructions, a short article — with multiple-choice questions, some with pictures, and a true/false statement. Writing: two texts of at least 60 words each in 45 min — describe an event or a personal experience, then write to invite, thank, apologise, inform or congratulate. Speaking: 6–8 min after 10 min preparation — a guided interview, a short monologue on a drawn topic, a role-play.
  • B1 — Listening: about 25 min, three recordings — a conversation and two radio pieces, each up to about two minutes — each played twice, with 20 multiple-choice questions. Reading: 45 min, three exercises: four short documents (brochures, ads) to check against a reader's criteria in a yes/no grid, then two articles of about 300–350 words, each with multiple-choice questions and true/false statements that need no justification. Writing: one text of at least 160 words in 45 min expressing a personal position (essay, letter, article or forum post). Speaking: about 15 min — a guided interview, an interaction exercise, and a point of view on a short document prepared in 10 min.
  • B2 — Listening: about 30 min, three exercises: two long radio documents of 2½ to 3 minutes (an interview, a news report, a talk), each played twice, then three short recordings played only once; 20 multiple-choice questions in all. Reading: 1 h, three exercises: two articles of about 425–450 words with multiple-choice questions, then three short opinion texts on one theme, with statements to attribute to the person who holds each view. Writing: 1 h for an argued position of at least 250 words in a formal shape — a letter of protest, a contribution to a debate, a critical article. Speaking: about 20 min after 30 min preparation — present and defend a point of view from a short document, then debate it with the examiners.
  • The bullets describe the current format of the listening and reading papers, in official sessions since 2020. FEI still distributes the older one alongside it, which also asks for short written answers and, for a true/false statement, a quotation from the text that justifies it. FEI's B1 and B2 sample pages publish one example of each, and FEI says neither format favours or penalises a candidate — practise both.

How the DELF is scored

Each paper is marked out of 25 and the four add up to 100. You need 50 to obtain the diploma and at least 5 in every paper; the second condition is the eliminating mark (note éliminatoire) — 55 overall with 4 in speaking is a fail. In listening and reading each question is worth the points its marking key gives it, earned by the right answer; a wrong one scores zero, and there is no negative marking.

Writing and speaking are marked by examiners against grids that separate task fulfilment, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, which is why a shorter text that answers the question outscores a longer one that drifts. The oral is marked by two examiners. Results are released by the centre once the jury has validated them, followed by a provisional certificate and then the diploma.

How to register

You register with an accredited DELF centre — an Alliance Française, a university language centre, an Institut français or a school — not with FEI. Abroad, every centre in a country sits the written papers on the same days and charges the same fee for a given session and level; in France, the rectorat fixes dates and fees centre by centre, so two centres in one region can charge different fees — compare if you have more than one nearby. You pick the level yourself and need neither a course nor the diploma below.

You sit all four papers in the same session; the three collective papers run together and the oral is scheduled separately, sometimes on another day. Bring photo ID. Keep the candidate number you are given — it is permanent and you must quote it at every future registration.

How to prepare for the DELF

Download the sample papers (exemples de sujets) for your level from FEI's site and sit one timed, at the start. The DELF is not long — A2's collective papers fit in 1 h 40 — but the writing paper has a hard word minimum, and the first sample tells you whether 160 or 250 words in 45 or 60 minutes is comfortable for you yet. Then work the two rules that decide results: 50 overall, and never below 5 anywhere.

  • Listening: two listenings at A2 and B1. Read the questions before the first playing and mark what each wants (a time, a place, a reason); locate on the first pass, decide on the second. At B2 some recordings are played only once — in the current format, the three short ones at the end — so treat every first listening as the only one.
  • Reading: most questions have three options, but expect true/false statements at A2 and B1, a yes/no grid at B1 and views to match to their authors at B2. Wrong options usually restate something from the text with one detail changed; find the sentence that answers the question before you look at the options.
  • Writing: learn the shapes the exam asks for — an informal letter or message at A2, an argued personal text at B1, a formal letter or article at B2 — and their conventions (salutation, paragraphs, a closing line). Write to the minimum, count, and leave three minutes to reread for agreement and accents.
  • Speaking: the B1 and B2 oral rewards taking a position and defending it under questions. Prepare a stock of connectors for agreeing, conceding and contrasting (certes, en revanche, néanmoins), and rehearse aloud from the sample documents until the two-minute opening comes without notes.

How wspell's course maps to the paper

Each DELF level on wspell is a free practice bank of four sets, around 150 to 170 items each: Reading (short notices, messages, articles and argumentative texts, each with one three-option question), Listening (announcements, dialogues and radio pieces as transcripts, so you can drill the question logic before adding audio), Grammar (the structures examiners mark in writing — tenses, agreement, pronouns, connectors) and Vocabulary for the level, with four options a question. Every item is a single question on one short text or sentence, and every item explains why the answer is right. That trains what the papers test, not the papers' own shape: the real reading and listening papers set several questions on each document and mix in matching, true/false and, at B1, a yes/no grid; those documents and answer types are not in the bank yet, so practise them on FEI's sample papers.

What the course does not do: it does not grade your writing or speaking. Those are marked by examiners in the real exam and wspell does not score them. Use the bank for the two comprehension papers and the language behind them, and pair it with FEI's sample papers, a tutor or partner for the oral, and someone who corrects your writing.

Grammar charts and cheat sheets

The grammar as tables you can take in at a glance — verb tenses, case endings, declensions, prepositions — each on one page to read, print and share.

French grammar tables →

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frequently asked questions

Which DELF level do I need for French nationality or a carte de résident?

France now requires B2 for naturalisation. Since 1 January 2026 a first multi-year residence permit needs A2 and a first resident card B1 (in the categories Service-Public lists), for applicants under 65. Naturalisation and both cards also require a civic exam, per Service-Public. Service-Public names the DELF among the diplomas accepted for the residence cards, and for naturalisation accepts any diploma attesting B2 or a TCF or TEF attestation under two years old. The rules changed in 2026 and may change again, so check the current requirement with your prefecture before choosing a level.

How long is the DELF valid?

For life. A DELF or DALF diploma never expires, which is the main difference from the TCF, whose certificate is valid for two years.

What is the DELF pass mark?

50 out of 100, with at least 5 out of 25 in each of the four papers. Each paper is worth 25.

Can I take only one épreuve, or retake just the one I failed?

No. The four papers are sat together in one session and marked as one diploma. What you can do is choose the level freely: the levels are independent, so you can sit B2 without a B1, or drop to A2 if a timed sample paper says B1 is early.

DELF or TCF?

Both come from France Éducation international. The DELF is a pass-or-fail diploma at a level you choose, valid for life. The TCF is a placement test that reports the level you reached and is valid for two years; some TCF versions are built specifically for residence and nationality files. If you can pass the level you need, the DELF is the one that never needs redoing.

What is the difference between DELF B1 and B2?

B1 asks you to cope: practical documents, a personal opinion of 160 words, a point of view on a short text. B2 asks you to argue: an argumentative text to analyse, 250 words in a formal shape, a 20-minute oral in which you defend a position against the examiners after 30 minutes of preparation. The collective papers grow from about 1 h 55 to 2 h 30.

Has the DELF format changed?

Yes, for the comprehension papers. From 2020 FEI began replacing the short written answers in listening and reading with answers you choose: three-option multiple choice, matching, true/false with no quotation to justify it at A2 and B1 (at B2 true/false is gone), a yes/no grid at B1 and views to attribute to their authors at B2. Writing and speaking kept their tasks. FEI says both formats are still distributed in official sessions and that neither favours a candidate, and its B1 and B2 sample pages carry one example of each — practise both.

How long does it take to prepare from A1?

FEI does not publish a number of hours. Use a timed sample paper as the yardstick: when you clear 50 with no paper under 5 and time to spare, book; when one paper is short, spend your weeks there.

sources

about this guide

The diploma is issued by the French Ministry of National Education; wspell holds no licence from the ministry or from FEI. The questions and passages in wspell's practice bank are original — written for wspell, not taken from any real or sample paper. The authoritative exam pages and sample papers are at france-education-international.fr; the residence and nationality rules are at service-public.gouv.fr.

The information here summarises official sources at the date shown and can change — confirm dates, fees and rules on the provider's official pages before you register.

facts verified on October 13, 2026 against the sources above