If you are preparing for the DELF, there is one mistake you should avoid from the beginning: Do not prepare for “the DELF speaking test” as if there were one single speaking test.

 

DELF A1, A2, B1 and B2 all evaluate oral communication, but the tasks, expectations and level of performance are different.

An A1 candidate is not expected to argue a complex opinion.

An A2 candidate is not expected to produce a B2-style presentation.

A B1 candidate needs to go beyond simple answers and develop personal ideas.

And at B2, the examiner expects a candidate who can defend a point of view, organise an argument and respond to the examiner during a debate.

 

So if you want to prepare effectively, you need to understand what the examiner is actually looking for at your specific DELF level.

 

The current DELF evaluation system uses performance descriptors and evaluation grids designed specifically for each level. That means the examiner isn’t simply asking: “How many mistakes did this candidate make?”

The more useful question is: “Does this candidate demonstrate the oral abilities expected at this DELF level?”

 

FIRST: DELF SPEAKING CHANGES AS YOUR LEVEL CHANGES

The progression is important.

Level	What the speaking test increasingly asks you to do
A1	Give simple personal information, ask and answer basic questions, handle very familiar situations
A2	Describe familiar experiences, talk about activities/projects, give simple opinions and interact in everyday situations
B1	Talk about yourself with more detail, explain experiences/projects and handle an everyday problem through interaction
B2	Present and defend an argued point of view, structure a discourse, give relevant examples, nuance your position and debate with the examiner

 

This progression is not just about using “better vocabulary.” It is about what you can accomplish through French. That is what should guide your preparation.

 

DELF A1: THE EXAMINER IS LOOKING FOR BASIC COMMUNICATION

 

At A1, the goal is not sophistication.

The examiner wants to see whether you can communicate about very familiar and immediate topics using simple French.

The DELF A1 oral test has three parts:

1. Entretien dirigé
2. Échange d’informations 
3. Dialogue simulé 

It lasts approximately 5-7 minutes, with 10 minutes of preparation for tasks 2 and 3

The A1 evaluation grid assesses task completion separately for these three activities and also evaluates vocabulary, morphosyntax, pronunciation and fluency across the oral test. 

 

A1 PART 1: ENTRETIEN DIRIGÉ

 

The examiner may ask very predictable questions:

• Vous vous appelez comment ?

• Vous habitez où ?

• Parlez-moi de votre famille.

• Qu’est-ce que vous faites le week-end ?

These are not questions designed to test sophisticated argumentation. The examiner wants to know whether you can give simple information about yourself and your immediate environment.

 

A candidate who says:

Je m’appelle Riya. J’ai 23 ans. J’habite à Pune. Je travaille dans une entreprise. J’aime écouter de la musique et regarder des films.

is doing what the task requires.

 

You don’t need:

Depuis mon plus jeune âge, je nourris une passion particulière pour la musique.

That is unnecessary. At A1, simple and appropriate is better than complicated and unstable.

 

A1 PART 2: ÉCHANGE D’INFORMATIONS

 

Here, the candidate has to ask questions based on prompts or keywords. For example, the A1 materials include prompts such as:

• Adresse ?

• Téléphone ?

• Prénom ?

• Appartement ?

• Danser ?

The candidate needs to turn these ideas into questions. So if the keyword is:

Téléphone

you could ask: Quel est votre numéro de téléphone ?

If the keyword is:

Danser

you could ask: Vous aimez danser ?

 

The examiner is not expecting advanced sentence structures. But there is an important detail: variety matters even at this level.

The A1 evaluation guidance explains that candidates should ask varied questions rather than relying only on yes/no questions.

So don’t prepare only:

• Vous aimez… ?
• Vous avez… ?
• Vous habitez… ?

Learn different question forms:

• Où… ?

• Quand… ?

• Quel… ?

• Combien… ?

• Pourquoi… ?

within the limits of A1.

 

A1 PART 3: DIALOGUE SIMULÉ

 

This is where you use French in a simple everyday situation. You may need to buy something, ask for a service or interact in another familiar situation. The examiner is looking for basic communication:

• Bonjour, je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît.

• Combien ça coûte ?

• Je voudrais deux billets.

• Merci, au revoir.

Notice what is important here. You don’t need impressive French.

You need to:

• initiate the interaction
• ask for what you need
• give simple information
• use appropriate everyday expressions
• close the interaction

 

The A1 guidance specifically mentions expressions such as « excusez-moi », « je voudrais », « s’il vous plaît » and « merci », as well as greeting and saying goodbye. That’s what exam-specific preparation looks like.

 

Don’t spend your A1 preparation memorising C1 connectors. Practise the communication situations your exam actually asks you to handle.

 

WHAT ABOUT MISTAKES AT A1?

 

The examiner knows you’re an A1 candidate. The expectation is limited grammatical control. The descriptors look at basic structures such as subject + verb, present-tense forms and gender/number agreement, while considering the type and recurrence of errors. So don’t panic because you say: Je suis 23 ans.

Instead, work toward: J’ai 23 ans.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is to demonstrate the basic language expected at A1.

 

DELF A2: NOW YOU NEED TO DO MORE THAN GIVE BASIC INFORMATION

 

At A2, the speaking test becomes more demanding. The oral test has three parts:

1. Entretien dirigé
2. Monologue suivi
3. Exercice en interaction

It lasts approximately 6-8 minutes, with 10 minutes of preparation for tasks 2 and 3.

The examiner now expects you to move beyond isolated personal information. You need to be able to describe, explain simply, express basic opinions and manage familiar interactions.

 

A2 PART 1: ENTRETIEN DIRIGÉ

 

The examiner may ask about:

• your daily life
• family
• activities
• hobbies
• preferences
• projects

Instead of:

J’aime le sport.

Try to develop it:

J’aime beaucoup le sport. Je fais du badminton deux fois par semaine avec mes amis parce que c’est amusant et bon pour la santé.

That’s still simple. But now you’re doing more:

opinion → activity → frequency → reason

That’s appropriate A2 development.

 

A2 PART 2: MONOLOGUE SUIVI

 

This is an important difference from A1. You now need to speak for longer about a familiar subject, event, activity or project.

For example, you might talk about a trip:

L’année dernière, je suis allé à Goa avec ma famille. Nous sommes restés quatre jours. Nous avons visité plusieurs plages et nous avons mangé dans de petits restaurants. J’ai beaucoup aimé ce voyage parce que nous avons passé beaucoup de temps ensemble.

 

This isn’t B1-level argumentation. You don’t need a complex thesis. You need to be able to describe and present a familiar subject in connected simple language.

 

The A2 framework describes the candidate as being able to describe or present people, living conditions, daily activities and likes/dislikes using a short series of expressions or sentences.

 

A2 PART 3: INTERACTION

 

Now the examiner wants to see whether you can participate in a simple everyday interaction. You might need to:

• make a suggestion
• give an opinion
• agree
• disagree
• respond to someone
• solve a simple situation

For example:

Je préfère aller au restaurant vendredi.

The examiner disagrees:

Non, vendredi je travaille.

A suitable A2 response could be:

D’accord. Alors, samedi ? Tu es libre samedi soir ?

 

It’s simple. But you’re interacting. That’s the key. The A2 criteria include the ability to answer simple questions, give a very simple opinion and express agreement or disagreement. 

 

A2: DON’T TRY TO SOUND LIKE B2

 

This is a mistake I see frequently in exam preparation. A candidate learns:

Il convient de souligner que cette problématique revêt une importance considérable…

and tries to use it in every answer. But if the rest of the language is unstable, this doesn’t help.

At A2, you should be able to say:

Je pense que c’est une bonne idée parce que c’est moins cher.

That is perfectly useful. The examiner is evaluating whether you can perform at A2, not whether you can imitate a B2 speech.

 

DELF B1: THE EXAMINER EXPECTS MORE INDEPENDENT COMMUNICATION

 

At B1, the speaking test has three parts:

1. Entretien dirigé
2. Exercice en interaction
3. Expression d’un point de vue

It lasts approximately 15 minutes, with 10 minutes of preparation for 3rd task

The examiner now expects you to talk about experiences, explain ideas, express opinions, give reasons and manage everyday situations with greater independence.

 

B1 PART 1: ENTRETIEN DIRIGÉ

At B1, the examiner can ask about your:

• past
• present
• future
• studies
• work
• hobbies
• projects
• preferences
• experiences

The important word is development. If asked:

Quels sont vos projets pour l’avenir ?

Don’t stop at:

Je voudrais voyager.

Develop:

Dans quelques années, j’aimerais travailler à l’étranger. Je voudrais notamment améliorer mon anglais et découvrir une nouvelle culture. Pour le moment, je travaille dans le marketing, donc j’aimerais aussi chercher une opportunité dans ce domaine à l’étranger.

You don’t need a sophisticated argument. But you need to say more than the minimum.

 

B1 PART 2: EXERCISE IN INTERACTION

 

This is where B1 becomes particularly practical. You receive a situation and need to play a role and resolve a problem or situation through interaction. The preparation guidance describes this as playing a role in an unusual everyday situation without preparation.

 

For example, imagine you’re unhappy with a service. You shouldn’t simply complain:

Ce n’est pas bien.

You need to explain the problem and find a solution:

Bonjour, je voudrais vous parler d’un problème. J’ai réservé une chambre pour deux nuits, mais la chambre que vous m’avez donnée est très bruyante. Je n’arrive pas à dormir. Est-ce que vous pourriez me proposer une autre chambre ?

 

Now you’re:

explaining → describing the problem → expressing a need → requesting a solution

That’s what the task is testing.

 

B1 PART 3: EXPRESSION D’UN POINT DE VUE

 

This is the most structured part of the B1 speaking test. You choose one of two subjects and have 10 minutes to prepare. You receive a short document that introduces a general topic. Your task is to identify the topic, present the main ideas and then give and justify your own point of view. The presentation is delivered without the examiner interrupting you.

 

For example, imagine the document discusses whether people should spend less time on social media.

You shouldn’t simply say:

Je pense que les réseaux sociaux sont mauvais parce qu’on passe trop de temps dessus.

At B1, you should develop the idea:

Le document parle de l’utilisation des réseaux sociaux et de leur influence sur notre vie quotidienne. À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux peuvent être utiles, mais il faut limiter leur utilisation. Tout d’abord, ils permettent de rester en contact avec nos amis et notre famille. Par exemple, une personne qui habite à l’étranger peut facilement communiquer avec ses proches. Cependant, passer trop de temps sur les réseaux sociaux peut avoir des effets négatifs, notamment sur notre concentration. Je pense donc qu’il est important de trouver un équilibre.

 

Here, the examiner can see that you can:

• present the topic
• express your opinion
• give arguments
• provide examples
• introduce a contrasting idea
• connect your ideas
• reach a simple conclusion

The B1 evaluation criteria specifically look at whether you can present the subject, explain the important points of your reflection, give relevant arguments and precise examples, structure your discourse, and connect your ideas with appropriate connectors.

 

DON’T TURN IT INTO A B2 SPEECH

 

At B1, you don’t need a highly sophisticated debate. You don’t need to analyse every possible side of the issue. Your goal is to make your position clear, organised and sufficiently developed.

 

A simple structure works well:

Introduction → Opinion → Argument 1 → Example → Argument 2 → Example/contrast → Conclusion

The important thing is that your ideas are connected and supported, rather than simply listed.

 

B1: THE EXAMINER WANTS TO HEAR CONNECTED IDEAS

 

At B1, connectors become useful because they help you organise your ideas:

Tout d’abord

Ensuite

En plus

Cependant

Par exemple

C’est pourquoi

But don’t use connectors just to tick a box. The examiner wants a discourse that is actually understandable and organised. Your answer should feel like one connected message rather than a collection of unrelated sentences.

 

DELF B2: NOW THE EXPECTATION CHANGES AGAIN

 

B2 is not simply “B1 with harder vocabulary.” The task itself is different. The DELF B2 oral test has two parts:

1. Monologue suivi: défense d’un point de vue argumenté – 5 to 7 minutes
2. Exercice en interaction: débat

You choose one of two documents and have 30 minutes to prepare. You must identify the problem raised by the document, present your position clearly and argue it; the second part is a debate with the examiner.  This means the examiner is now evaluating something much more demanding: Can you construct and defend an argument?

 

B2 PART 1: MONOLOGUE SUIVI

 

This is not simply:

“What do you think about this topic?”

You receive a document. Your job is to:

 

1. Identify the theme

What is the document about?

2. Identify the problem

What question or issue does the document raise?

3. Formulate a clear position

What do you think?

4. Develop arguments

Why do you think that?

5. Support your ideas with examples

Can you make your argument concrete?

6. Organise your speech

Can the examiner follow your reasoning?

 

The B2 criteria specifically expect the candidate to identify the problem raised by the document, present a clear point of view, support it with developed arguments and relevant examples, and organise the discourse logically. 

 

A B2 EXAMPLE

 

Imagine the document raises the question of whether companies should allow employees to work remotely. A weak B2 response might be:

Le télétravail est une bonne chose. Il permet de gagner du temps et c’est pratique. Mais il y a aussi des problèmes.

That’s an opinion. But not much of an argument. A stronger approach would be:

Le développement du télétravail soulève une question importante : faut-il encourager les entreprises à permettre à leurs salariés de travailler davantage à distance ? À mon avis, cette organisation présente de réels avantages, notamment en matière de temps de transport et d’équilibre entre vie professionnelle et vie personnelle. Cependant, il serait excessif de considérer le télétravail comme une solution idéale dans tous les secteurs, car il peut également réduire les échanges entre collègues. Il me semble donc préférable de privilégier un modèle hybride…

 

Notice what is happening. The candidate is not simply using “advanced vocabulary.”

They are:

• identifying the issue
• taking a position
• giving arguments
• introducing a limitation
• nuancing the position
• proposing a balanced conclusion

That is much closer to what B2 demands.

 

B2: NUANCE MATTERS

This is one of the clearest differences between B1 and B2. At B1, you might say:

Je suis d’accord parce que c’est pratique.

At B2, the examiner expects you to handle complexity more effectively:

Je suis globalement favorable à cette solution, même si elle présente certaines limites.

Or:

Bien que cette mesure puisse être efficace à court terme, elle risque de créer d’autres difficultés à long terme.

 

The B2 evaluation guidance specifically mentions nuancing the argument, including the use of concession. This doesn’t mean you need to fill your presentation with bien que, néanmoins, dans la mesure où and en revanche. It means your thinking should be nuanced.

 

B2 PART 2: THE DEBATE

 

This is where your preparation needs to change again. After your presentation, the examiner can challenge your position. You may have to:

• clarify your argument
• provide more detail
• defend your position
• agree or disagree
• introduce a concession
• respond to an objection
• develop another argument

 

The B2 criteria specifically mention confirming one’s opinion, varying arguments, providing clarification, expressing concession, agreeing/disagreeing and reacting to the examiner. 

 

For example:

Examiner:

Mais le télétravail ne risque-t-il pas de réduire la productivité ?

A weak response:

Non, je ne pense pas.

A stronger B2 response:

C’est effectivement un risque dans certaines situations. Cependant, je ne pense pas que le problème soit nécessairement lié au télétravail lui-même. Si les objectifs sont clairement définis et que les échanges avec l’équipe sont réguliers, les salariés peuvent rester productifs.

That’s a debate. You’re not just answering. You’re responding to an argument.

 

WHAT DOES THE EXAMINER EVALUATE ACROSS THE DELF LEVELS?

 

The exact expectations increase with the level, but the evaluation broadly looks at two dimensions.

 

1. Can you accomplish the task?

This is the pragmatic and sociolinguistic side.

Can you:

• answer the questions?
• describe what you need to describe?
• interact appropriately?
• perform the role?
• develop your presentation?
• defend your opinion?

 

2. How well can you use French?

This includes:

• lexicon
• morphosyntax
• pronunciation / phonological control
• fluency

 

The DELF grids explicitly separate task performance from linguistic competence. For example, the B2 grid evaluates task realisation for the monologue and interaction, then assesses vocabulary, morphosyntax and phonological control across the two parts. 

 

This distinction is important. You can know a lot of French but fail to accomplish the task. And you can accomplish the task but demonstrate language that is too limited for the target level. You need both.

 

DOES THE EXAMINER EXPECT PERFECT GRAMMAR?

 

No. The expectation changes according to the level.

 

At A1, basic grammatical structures are being assessed.

At A2, the meaning should remain clear despite elementary errors. 

At B2, the examiner expects a wider range of simple and complex structures, the ability to nuance meaning, and errors that are not systematic. The candidate should also be capable of self-correction, particularly for structures expected to have been mastered at earlier levels. 

 

So the goal isn’t:

“Never make a mistake.”

The goal is:

“Demonstrate the level of grammatical control expected at my exam.”

 

PRONUNCIATION: ACCENT IS NOT THE SAME AS POOR PRONUNCIATION

 

You don’t need to sound like a native speaker. What matters is whether your pronunciation allows your message to be understood.

 

At A2, occasional repetition may still be necessary.

At B2, the guidance expects pronunciation to be clear enough that the examiner does not have to make an effort to understand the candidate, including during longer and more complex speech. 

 

So pronunciation preparation should also be level-specific.

 

An A1 learner might focus on making basic words understandable.

A B2 candidate should be able to maintain clear pronunciation while producing longer and more complex discourse.

 

FLUENCY ALSO CHANGES WITH THE LEVEL

A1 fluency can include:

short phrases
memorised expressions
frequent pauses

That’s normal for the level.

At A2, the candidate should become relatively spontaneous in short exchanges, even though hesitation and false starts may still be obvious. 

 

By B2, the expectation is much higher. You need enough fluency to sustain:

a 5–7 minute argument
followed by a debate.

So if your B2 strategy is:

“I’ll memorise 20 expressions to give myself thinking time,”

that’s not enough.

You need to develop the ability to think, organise and reformulate in French.

 

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE: PREPARING THE SAME WAY AT EVERY LEVEL

 

This is perhaps the most important lesson.

A1 preparation should sound like:

Question → simple answer → basic interaction

A2 preparation should become:

Description → simple explanation → familiar interaction

B1 preparation:

Experience/idea → explanation → details → everyday problem-solving

B2 preparation:

Document → problem → position → arguments → examples → nuance → debate

That’s a progression. And your practice should reflect it.

 

DON’T MEMORISE COMPLETE ANSWERS

 

This advice applies at every level, but for different reasons.

At A1, memorised expressions can actually be useful:

Je m’appelle…

J’habite à…

Je voudrais…

At A2, memorised structures can help you organise simple answers.

At B1, you need to become more flexible.

At B2, memorising a complete speech can become actively dangerous because the examiner may challenge your argument.

 

Instead, PREPARE language tools and ideas.

 

For B2, for example, prepare ways to:

introduce a problem

express a position

give an argument

give an example

make a concession

respond to an objection

conclude

That’s much more transferable.

 

WHAT SHOULD YOU LISTEN FOR WHEN YOU PRACTISE?

 

Don’t just ask:

“Was my French good?”

Ask questions appropriate to your level.

 

A1

Did I answer the question?

Could I ask a basic question?

Could I complete the everyday interaction?

 

A2

Could I describe the topic?

Could I explain why?

Could I give a simple opinion?

Could I manage the interaction?

 

B1

Did I develop my ideas?

Could I explain an experience or project?

Could I solve the problem in the role-play?

Did I give enough detail?

 

B2

Did I identify the problem in the document?

Did I clearly defend a position?

Were my arguments developed and supported by relevant examples?

Could I respond when the examiner challenged me?

Could I nuance my position?

That is how you should analyse your practice recordings.

 

ONE MORE IMPORTANT POINT: THE EXAMINER IS NOT LOOKING FOR “FANCY FRENCH”

 

A candidate sometimes thinks:

“If I use néanmoins, en outre, dans la mesure où and par conséquent, I will automatically sound B2.”

No. The examiner evaluates the performance, not your ability to insert advanced connectors.

 

At B2, vocabulary needs to be sufficiently precise and varied, but the guidance also makes clear that repetition of topic-specific keywords is not automatically penalised. 

So don’t force vocabulary.

 

If “problème” is the right word, use problème.

If “difficulté” is more precise, use difficulté.

 

The goal is precision and control, not decoration.

 

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE DELF SPEAKING TEST

 

The best practice is always task-specific.

If you’re preparing for A1:

Practise:

• introducing yourself
• talking about your family
• answering basic personal questions
• asking simple questions
• buying/requesting something
• greeting and closing an interaction

 

If you’re preparing for A2:

Practise:

• describing familiar experiences
• talking about activities and projects
• expressing likes and dislikes
• giving simple reasons
• agreeing/disagreeing
• handling everyday interactions

 

If you’re preparing for B1:

Practise:

• talking about past experiences
• describing present situations
• discussing future plans
• explaining your opinions
• giving details and examples
• resolving everyday problems through role-play

 

If you’re preparing for B2:

Practise:

• analysing a document
• identifying the central issue
• formulating a problem/question
• building an argument
• giving relevant examples
• making concessions
• anticipating objections
• defending your position
• responding spontaneously during a debate

 

Don’t just practice speaking French. Practise performing the task.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

 

The biggest mistake you can make in DELF speaking preparation is to think that better French simply means more difficult French.

It doesn’t. Better performance means being able to do more with the language appropriate to your level.

 

At A1, that means basic communication.

At A2, it means handling familiar situations with more independence.

At B1, it means developing ideas, explaining experiences and solving everyday problems.

At B2, it means constructing and defending an argument, responding to another person’s position and demonstrating nuance.

 

The examiner isn’t asking:

“Does this person sound like a native French speaker?”

They’re asking, in effect:

“Does this performance demonstrate the communicative and linguistic abilities expected at this DELF level?”

So prepare accordingly.

 

Don’t prepare for “the DELF oral.” Prepare for your DELF level, your specific tasks and the performance those tasks require. That is what turns speaking practice into exam preparation.

 

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