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Let us talk about the DELF / DALF!

What is DELF?

The DELF or "Diplôme d'Etudes en Langue Française" is a diploma issued by the French Ministry of National Education to determine the ability of mastering French language. This diploma is intended for people from countries, which do not use French as an official language. It is an internationally recognized diploma and does not need to be renewed but is valid forever. This is one of the most common requirements to access in a field where fluency in French language is required.

The DELF is one of the most widely used French language proficiency test in the world as it is administered by nearly 164 countries around the Globe. It is currently offered by more than 1,000 examination centers. It is important to have a DELF diploma especially for people who plan to study in France, Canada or other French speaking countries.
A DELF level B2 diploma is often one of the documents required for foreigners planning to study in French-speaking countries.

What are the types of DELF diplomas?

There are several types of DELF diplomas suitable for all types of ages and levels. These are:

DELF Prim:

Dedicated to children aged 7 to 12
There are two levels available (A1, A2)

DELF Junior / scolaire:

Dedicated to young people from 12 to 17 years old
There are 4 types of levels available (A1, A2, B1, B2)

DELF tout public:

Dedicated to anyone over 18 who wishes to obtain the DELF diploma
There are 4 types of levels available (A1, A2, B1, B2)

DELF Pro (professional option):

Dedicated to people who plan to enter in a professional area in France or in the French-speaking world.
There are 4 types of levels available (A1, A2, B1, B2)

DALF (advanced French language diploma):

DALF (diplôme approfondi de langue française)

Dedicated to all university students or people already entering the field of work
There are 2 levels available (C1, C2)

How is the DELF exam conducted in general?

The types of DELF diplomas (DELF tout public, DELF pro, DALF…) will all measure the ability and level of candidates to use the French language. Any kind of test is divided into 4 parts, namely: « expression écrite et orale, compréhension écrite et orale ». The duration of the test and its content vary according to the type of diploma and its difficulty depends on the level (A1, B1 ...).

The general aspect of the DELF exam:

Compréhension orale : (Listening comprehension)

This takes about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the complexity.
Candidates will be asked to answer questions posed after listening to an audio recording.
For levels A1 and A2, a daily situation is often used as a topic.
For levels from B1, audio recordings of speeches or presentations are the most common subjects.

Compréhension écrite: (Reading comprehension)

This takes around 30 minutes to an hour depending on the difficulty
Candidates will answer the questions in the form of two or three articles.
For levels A1 and A2, the subject is always centered on daily life.
For levels B1 and above, the text is made up of “argumentative texts” and “informative texts” relating to France and the French-speaking world.

Expression écrite: (Written expression)

It takes about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the difficulty
The test is divided into two or three sections depending on the level
For A levels, candidates will be asked to create a simple sentence and describe an event.
For levels B and C, students will be invited to discuss a subject.

Expression orale: (Oral expression)

Oral expressions are done in front of the jury and the test is divided into three parts, namely:

Guided interview: it takes about 1 to 2 minutes, candidates will be invited to discuss their profile, their family, their hobbies, and everything related to that.
Exercise on a subject: it takes about 2 minutes. There are several topics available and candidates will be asked to choose one by sorting, and then they will discuss and answer questions posed by moderators related to the topic they arrived at.
Interaction exercise: it takes about three to 4 minutes and candidates are given a situation (“at the baker's”, “on the phone”…) and they must show and manage by talking about what they are going to do in that situation.

Most of the DELF exams proceed as just mentioned above. Likewise, for the DELF pro, only the subject’s topics are almost more relevant in the professional area. DALF, on the other hand, is slightly different from these.

The general aspect of the DALF exam:

Level C1 provides distinct exercises, while C2 improves comprehension and expression (both oral and written).

Compréhension orale (et expression orale pour C2) (Listening comprehension (and oral expression for C2))

It takes about 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the complexity
For level C1, there are questions from an 8-minute audio document (interview, conference, etc.) and a series of audio or video recordings (advertisements, information flash, etc.); the candidates have two opportunities to listen before answering questions.
For level C2, there is a recording on a topic that candidates are invited to listen to, and then there will be a discussion or debate with the moderator during which the candidate will be interviewed.

Compréhension écrite (et expression pour C2) (Reading comprehension (and expression for C2))

It lasts 50 minutes for level C1 and three and a half hours for level C2
For level C1, candidates will be asked to answer a question from a literary or journalistic essay.
For level C2, candidates will be asked to create a well-organized article from a document.

Expression écrite C1 (Written expression C1)

It takes about two and a half hours to be completed
The candidate will be asked to make a synthesis of a body of documents (theme on literature or science) then essay based on the content of these documents.

Expression orale C1 (Oral expression C1)

It takes about an hour to finish this part
Candidates will be invited to make a presentation based on a number of documents followed by a discussion with the examiner.

To conclude, the difficulty of the DELF exam and the topic of the subject during the questions depend on the choice of candidate level. It is therefore important to know your own level first before taking the exam.