The Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF) (English: Diploma in French Studies) is a certification of French-language

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 abilities for non-native speakers of French, administered by the International Centre for French Studies (Centre international d'études pédagogiques, or CIEP) for France's Ministry of Education

Minister of National Education (France)

The Ministry of National Education, Youth, and Sport , or simply "Minister of National Education," as the title has changed no small number of times in the course of the Fifth Republic) is the French government cabinet member charged with running France's public educational system and with the...

. It is composed of four independent diplomas corresponding to the first four levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, abbreviated as CEFR, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe and, increasingly, in other countries...

. The "Proficient User" divisions are certified by the DALF.

Part One: Listening

In this section the candidate is presented with 3-4 short recordings, and asked to fill out some comprehension questions regarding the selection played. Each selection is played twice, and range from a maximum of 3 minutes in length at the A1 level to a maximum of 8 minutes in length at the B2 level.

Part Two: Reading

This section tests the candidates' reading comprehension by presenting several short pieces of writing, followed by comprehension questions with simple filling (ticking, multiple choice, true/false) or justified written answer.

Part Three: Writing

It is the written speech production and varies in subjects according to the level.

• A1-The first part is a document to fill in asked personal information. The second part is a simple text with a content of the daily life.
• A2-The first part is description of a brief event or an experience. The second part is a text of expression of invitation, congratulations, application, giving information, justification etc.
• B1-Expression of the personal viewpoint in a given situation through an essay, a letter or an article.
• B2-Personal viewpoint and argumentation in a justified application, reply to message etc.

The length of the texts is usually between 100 and 250 words but the exact limit varies with level.

Part Four: Speaking

At the A1, A2, this section consists of a guided conversation where the candidate is prompted by the examiner, a short exchange of information on a defined subject, and finally a role-play between the examiner and the candidate.

At the B1 level it consists of a guided conversation, an interactive exercise, and discussion of a document designed to elicit a reaction from the candidate.

At the B2 level, the candidate is expected to state and defend an opinion, based on a short document designed to elicit a reaction.

Scoring

Although the difficulty varies, the scoring of the DELF is identical at each level. Sections are scored out of 25, for a total of 100 marks per test. In order to pass, a minimum of 5/25 must be achieved in each section, and a minimum of 50/100 overall.

Duration of answering time

Exam	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking	Total
DELF A1	20 min	30 min	30 min	5-7 min + 10 min prep	80 min
DELF A2	25 min	30 min	45 min	6-8 min + 10 min prep	100 min
DELF B1	25 min	35 min	45 min	15 min + 10 min prep	105 min
DELF B2	30 min	60 min	60 min	20 min + 30 min prep	150 min