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Candidate Guide - DELF B1

Candidate Guide - DELF B1

This guide aims to help candidates prepare effectively for the different parts of the DELF B1 exam and understand the rules to follow on the day of the exam.

This guide provides a summary of information on the following topics:

  1. Important information for exam day
  2. Structure and duration of the exam
  3. Listening comprehension test
  4. Reading comprehension test
  5. Written production test
  6. Oral production test
  7. Registration for DELF exams
  8. Example topics

Important information for exam day

At the beginning of the test, candidates must correctly complete their personal information on their answer sheet and respect the writing instructions:

  • Write the candidate number, last name, and first name in the designated spaces.
  • Use a blue or black ink pen only.
  • Write clearly and legibly.
  • Respect the required number of words in the written production exercises.
  • Count the number of words.

Use of draft sheets

  • Candidates must not bring their own draft sheets.
  • Supervisors provide draft sheets at the beginning of the test so that candidates can write keywords and their ideas.
  • If necessary, candidates can request additional sheets from the supervisors.
  • Draft sheets must remain in the exam room.
  • All draft sheets must be returned to the supervisors at the end of the test.

Structure and duration of the exam

The DELF B1 includes 4 parts.

Each part is scored out of 25 points, for a total of 100 points.

To pass the exam, the candidate must:

  • obtain at least 50 points out of 100.
  • obtain at least 5 points out of 25 in each part.

The parts

  1. Listening comprehension — about 25 minutes

  2. Reading comprehension — 45 minutes
  3. Written production — 45 minutes
  4. Oral production — about 15 minutes + 10 minutes of preparation

The first three parts are conducted as group sessions.
The oral part is individual.

The total duration of the group sessions is 1 hour 55 minutes.

Listening comprehension test

This test evaluates the candidate’s ability to understand audio documents on everyday life topics.

The candidate usually listens to three audio documents, each listened to twice.

Tips to succeed in the test

  • Read carefully the instruction and all questions before the first listening. 

  • Questions follow the order of the audio documents.
  • The first question is often a general comprehension question.

During the first listening

  • Identify the general situation:

    • Who is speaking?
    • What are they talking about?
    • In what context?
  • Answer the simplest questions.
  • If a word is not understood, try to understand the general meaning of the document.

During the second listening

  • Verify the answers.

  • Complete missing information.

At the end of the test

  • Reread all answers.

  • Correct if necessary.

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs)

  • Candidates must check or circle the chosen answer.

  • If a candidate wants to modify an answer, they must clearly circle the new answer to indicate the final choice.

Reading comprehension test

This test evaluates the ability to understand texts of everyday life.

Documents can be:

  • articles
  • announcements
  • messages
  • web pages
  • informational texts

The exact number of exercises can vary according to the topics, but the questions generally follow the order of the text.

Tips to succeed in the test

  • Read carefully the instructions and questions before starting.

  • It is possible to start with the exercise of your choice.

First reading

  • Read quickly the text to understand the general topic.

  • Identify and underline important information.

Identify essential elements

  • type of document

  • title
  • illustrations
  • author
  • purpose of the text

Additional tips

  • Answer all questions, even if the answer is not certain.

  • There is no negative point for mistakes.
  • Use about 5 minutes to reread the answers.

Written production test

This test evaluates the candidate’s ability to write a simple, clear, and organized text on a general topic.

The text can be:

  • an email
  • a letter
  • an article
  • a message

The text must contain a minimum of 160 words.

Suggested time organization

  • 10 minutes: think and write down ideas

  • 30 minutes: write the text
  • 5 minutes: reread, correct, and count words

Tips for writing

  • Read carefully the instruction.

  • Identify:
    • the situation
    • the events to describe
    • feelings or opinions to express
  • Organize the text with connectors: first, next, because, but, therefore, finally …
  • Give your personal opinion.
  • Justify your opinion with examples.

How to count words

A word is a group of characters separated by a space.

Examples:

  • “Je mange une pomme” = 4 words
  • “J’ai fait des travaux chez moi” = 6 words (“j’ai” = 1 word)
  • “Rendez-vous” = 1 word

Oral production test

Exam procedure

1. Arrival at the exam center

  • The candidate arrives at the exam center at the time indicated on the notice.
  • At reception:
    • present the notice
    • show ID
    • staff verify identity and candidate number
  • The candidate then waits until their name or number is called.

2. Candidate call

  • A supervisor or examiner calls the candidate.
  • The candidate is accompanied to the preparation room.

3. Topic selection and preparation

Before the oral test:

  • The candidate draws two topics for Part 3 (expression of a point of view)
  • The candidate chooses the topic they prefer

Then:

  • The candidate has 10 minutes for preparation

During preparation:

  • Supervisors provide a draft sheet
  • The candidate can write keywords or ideas
  • It is advised not to write complete sentences
  • Writing on the topic sheet is not allowed

4. Exam in front of examiners

After preparation, the candidate enters the exam room.

The oral test lasts 10–15 minutes in front of two examiners.

The test includes three parts. Examiners clearly indicate the passage from one part to another.

During the test, the three parts follow one another.

Part 1: Guided interview (no preparation)

Duration: 2–3 minutes

Objective: introduce yourself and talk about your experiences.

  • This part helps put the candidate at ease by talking about themselves.
  • Examiners may ask about:
    • identity
    • family
    • activities
    • interests
    • past
    • current situation
    • future projects

Example questions:

  • “Hello! Can you introduce yourself?”
  • “Where did you spend your last vacation?”
  • “What do you want to do later?”
  • “Tell me about your favorite hobbies.”

Part 2: Interaction exercise (no preparation)

Duration: 3–4 minutes

Objective: face an unusual situation of everyday life and find a solution to a problem.

  • The candidate draws two topics and chooses the one they prefer.
  • Participates in a role-play with the examiner

The candidate must:

  • explain the situation
  • propose solutions
  • respond to the examiner’s proposals
  • discuss to solve the problem

Part 3: Expression of a point of view (with preparation)

Duration: 5–7 minutes

Objective: identify a discussion topic from a document and give your opinion.

Instructions for the candidate:

  1. Identify the theme of the document
  2. Present their personal opinion in a speech of about 3 minutes
  3. Answer the examiner’s questions

After the presentation, the examiner may ask a few questions to deepen the discussion

Tips for oral success

  • Greet the examiners at the beginning and end of the test
  • Look at the examiners when speaking
  • Speak clearly and articulate
  • Use connectors to organize ideas

If the candidate does not understand a question, they can say:

  • “Excuse me, I don’t understand.”
  • “Could you repeat, please?”
  • “Could you speak more slowly?”

DELF exam registration

For information on exam sessions and registration procedures, visit:
👉 https://godelf.com

Example topics

Click the link below to see example topics:
👉 https://www.france-education-international.fr/diplome/delf-tout-public/niveau-b1/exemples-sujets

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