DELF preparation: the complete guide

The Diplôme d’études en langue française is a diploma, not a placement test: you sit one CEFR level (A1, A2, B1 or B2) and either obtain that diploma or not. It is issued by the French Ministry of National Education and managed by France Éducation international, and it is valid for life.

It is the reference for French universities (B2 is the common entry requirement), for many residency and nationality procedures in France, and for employers who want a recognised level. For Canadian immigration it is not accepted in place of TCF Canada or TEF Canada, though the level converts to an NCLC equivalent.

Practice for the DELF is not open on French in Pocket yet; this guide and the score page are online while the material is being built.

Every level has the same four sections: listening, reading, writing and speaking, each marked out of 25. Listening and reading are collective, on paper or computer; writing is a collective written paper; speaking is an individual interview with a jury, with preparation time for the higher levels. The length of each section and the tasks grow with the level: B2 writing is an argued text of about 250 words, and B2 speaking a ten-minute defence of a position followed by a debate.

The four marks add up to 100. You obtain the diploma with 50 or more, provided no section is below 5 out of 25. There is no grade beyond pass; the diploma states the level.

Sessions are held several times a year by approved centres worldwide: Alliance Française branches, Instituts français, universities. Fees are set per country and per level. Register directly with the centre; results and the diploma come from the centre a few weeks after the session, the diploma itself later.

Choose the level you can pass now, not the one you want in a year: a B1 diploma in hand is worth more than a failed B2. Work each section separately against the official sample papers, then under timing. For B2, argued writing and the speaking debate decide most results; practise both with feedback rather than alone.

Where candidates lose the diploma:

You can sit the same level again at any later session; there is no limit on attempts. Because the diploma is per level, you can also sit a lower level for a sure result while preparing the higher one.

Bring the identity document used at registration and your convocation. The collective sections run in one sitting; the speaking interview is scheduled separately, sometimes on another day. Ask the centre for the schedule when you register.