The first French diploma

The DELF A1, explained without the jargon.

Four papers, one hundred marks, fifty to pass. Here is exactly what the examiner asks you to do—and what a pass actually sounds like.

See the speaking test Watch a full mock exam
LISTENING about 20 min · 25 marksREADING 30 min · 25 marksWRITING 30 min · 25 marksSPEAKING 5–7 min · 25 marks

What it actually is

An official diploma,
and it never expires.

The DELF is issued by France Éducation international on behalf of the French Ministry of Education. A1 is its first level. Unlike the TEF and TCF, whose results run out after two years, a DELF stays valid for the rest of your life.

  1. 50

    Fifty marks out of a hundred is a pass

    Each of the four papers is marked out of 25. Add them up; you need 50.

  2. 5

    But you must score at least 5 in every paper

    This is the rule people miss. A strong total will not save you if one paper falls below 5 out of 25—so the paper you dread is the one worth practising.

  3. A1

    A1 means beginner, genuinely

    You introduce yourself, ask simple questions, handle a shop or a café, and fill in a form. You are not asked to argue, speculate or use the subjunctive.

Production orale

The speaking test
has three parts.

Five to seven minutes in total, with about ten minutes to prepare beforehand. The order never changes, so you can rehearse the shape of it until it is automatic.

  1. 1

    Entretien dirigé — about 1 minute

    The examiner asks about you: your name, your age, where you are from, what you do, your family, what you like. Nothing is a trick. Prepare eight sentences about yourself and this part is finished before it starts.

  2. 2

    Échange d'informations — about 2 minutes

    You draw word cards and ask the examiner questions from them. This is where most marks are lost, and always the same way: the candidate answers instead of asking. A card saying Sport ? wants “Vous aimez le sport ?”, not “J'aime le sport.”

  3. 3

    Dialogue simulé — about 2 minutes

    A role play, usually in a shop or a café, and usually ending in a price. You ask for something, ask what it costs, and pay. Je voudrais…, ça fait combien ? and s'il vous plaît carry most of it.

How to practise

Hear it done
before you do it.

The single most useful thing at A1 is listening to complete mock exams until the shape stops being a surprise. Cocoon French mock exams are free on YouTube—ten full speaking tests, in French, start to finish, with nothing cut.

  1. 1

    Watch a full speaking mock, twice

    Once to hear the shape. Once saying the candidate's lines out loud, a beat before they do.

  2. 2

    Write your eight sentences

    Name, age, country, town, job or studies, family, what you like, what you do at the weekend. Part 1 is those eight sentences and nothing else.

  3. 3

    Drill turning words into questions

    Take any noun—famille, travail, musique, vacances—and make it a question aloud. Ten minutes a day fixes the mistake that costs part 2.

Practise between mocks

The Club is free to join.

Create a free account for guided lessons and picture practice built on exactly the everyday French the DELF A1 asks for—shops, cafés, family, times and prices.

Create a free account

Straight answers

Before you book a date…

The questions people actually ask us about this exam.

What is the pass mark?+
50 out of 100 overall, and a minimum of 5 out of 25 in each of the four papers. The minimum catches people out far more often than the total does.
Does the DELF expire?+
No. It is valid for life. The TEF and TCF expire after two years; the DELF does not.
Is the DELF A1 what Canada wants?+
No. Canadian immigration programmes accept the TEF and TCF, not the DELF, and they award points well above A1. If Canada is your goal, the DELF A1 is a reasonable early milestone but it is not the exam you will sit. See which French exam you need.
How much French do I need?+
Genuinely beginner French. Present tense, je voudrais, numbers, prices, times, family and simple questions. If you can order in a café and introduce yourself without preparing first, you are close.
Do you sell a DELF A1 course?+
Not yet. The mock exams are free on YouTube and the Club has a free tier. If enough people tell us a paid practice pack would help, we will build one—say so in the comments on any mock exam video.