DELF exam pattern: four papers, one diploma
Every DELF and DALF level is built from the same four papers — compréhension de l'oral, compréhension des écrits, production écrite and production orale. The skills do not change between levels; the difficulty and the length do.
The four papers
| Paper | What it is | What it rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Compréhension de l'oral | Recordings with questions, usually heard twice | Reading the questions first, then listening for a target |
| Compréhension des écrits | Real documents — notices, articles, administrative prose | Answering from the text, in the text's own words |
| Production écrite | A letter or message at lower levels; an argued text at B2 and above | Doing every task the prompt lists, in the right register |
| Production orale | A guided interview, an interaction, and a monologue from a document | Fluency and repair, over perfect accuracy |
Unlike the German Goethe exams, the DELF papers are not modular. They are sat together and the result is one diploma, so you cannot bank three papers and re-sit the fourth.
Production orale: three parts, and only one is a conversation
- Guided interview. You talk about yourself — studies, work, family, plans. The easiest part, and the one to have ready. Prepare content, not a script.
- Interaction or role-play. A situation to resolve: exchange a purchase, arrange something, persuade someone. What carries it is functional language — asking politely, disagreeing without rudeness, proposing.
- Monologue from a document. You are given a short text, get preparation time, then speak about it and discuss it. This is the part that separates levels.
For the monologue, use the preparation time for a plan rather than a script: *Ce document traite de…*, *L'auteur montre que…*, *À mon avis…*, *Pour conclure…*. A monologue read from notes is audibly read.
What changes as the level rises
- A1–A2 — short, practical documents. The written paper is a message or a short letter.
- B1 — longer texts and a real conversation. The writing asks you to describe, recount and justify.
- B2 — argued texts both ways. You read a position and you take one, with a conceded counter-argument expected.
- C1–C2 (DALF) — extended academic and professional material, a synthesis of several documents, and a defended position.
The TCF is a different shape
The TCF is a test, so it does not certify a chosen level — it places you. It has compulsory multiple-choice sections and optional written and spoken papers, and which ones you sit depends on what the receiving body requires. For the TCF-DAP used in undergraduate admission, the required combination is specified by the procedure, not by you.
Read exactly which TCF modules your application requires before booking. Sitting the compulsory sections alone when the procedure wanted written production means paying twice.
French exam pattern — FAQs
4 questions
Four papers at every level — compréhension de l'oral, compréhension des écrits, production écrite and production orale. They are sat together and produce one diploma.
No. Unlike the modular German exams, the DELF papers are sat together and the diploma is awarded on the whole.
Three parts: a guided interview about yourself, an interaction or role-play, and a monologue based on a short document followed by a discussion with the examiner.
No. The TCF is a test that places you on a level, with compulsory multiple-choice sections and optional written and spoken papers. Which you need depends on what the receiving body requires.
Sources
Checked on 25 September 2026 against the official pages below. Fees and formats change — the official page is always the final word.
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