What each play is for
| Stage | Do | Do not |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Read every question; underline what each asks for | Start writing anything |
| First play | Follow the whole recording; note certainties | Stop to write a long answer |
| Between | Write what you have; mark the gaps clearly | Guess wildly at the gaps yet |
| Second play | Listen for the marked gaps only | Re-do what you already have |
Marking the gaps between plays is the step that makes the second play efficient. Without it you listen to everything again and catch nothing new.
When something is missed twice
- Answer anyway — there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
- Use the surrounding questions: they run in recording order, so the answer sits between the ones either side.
- Use plausibility — a question asking a price has a numerical answer in a sensible range.
Leaving blanks is the most common avoidable loss in this paper, and it matters doubly at DELF where a paper below 5 out of 25 fails the whole diploma.
Using the two plays — FAQs
2 questions
Only brief certainties. The first play is for understanding the whole.
Generally yes, which makes a missed answer locatable.
More compréhension de l'oral question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.