DELF B1 French Preparation Course

The DELF B1 is a French language diploma that proves independent communication. The written exam has three parts: Listening (compréhension orale), about 25 minutes; Reading (compréhension écrite), about 45 minutes; and Writing (production écrite), 45 minutes. The Speaking test (production orale) includes 15 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of conversation.

Listening tasks use everyday situations: announcements, messages, interviews and short discussions. Reading tasks use signs, letters, articles and advertisements. The writing task asks you to express an opinion or give advice, while the speaking test asks you to present a topic and react to questions.

DELF B1 requires a score of 50 out of 100 to pass, and every section is worth 25 points. A weak section can still be balanced by strong results elsewhere, but you need at least 5 points in each section. Manage time during the test: read instructions carefully, answer easy questions first, and keep five minutes to check your work.

• Use the pauses in listening to read the next question.
• In reading, underline key words before choosing an answer.
• In writing, plan your paragraphs and use connectors.
• In speaking, explain your opinion and give an example.

Section plan: balance listening, reading, writing, and oral expression. Take a diagnostic, then practice one section per day. Review errors by skill and complete a full mock each week.

At B1 level, vocabulary should cover real situations: work (le travail, le rendez-vous, le projet), travel (le billet, le quai, la réservation), health (le médecin, le remboursement, la pharmacie), and shopping (le prix, la réduction, l'article).

Learn words in groups rather than alone. For example, group prendre rendez-vous, annuler, confirmer and reporter because they appear in the same appointment situation. Also learn expressions with avoir: avoir faim, avoir soif, avoir sommeil and avoir peur.

Review words with example sentences in French. For each word, write one sentence from your own life: Je dois confirmer mon rendez-vous chez le dentiste. This makes the vocabulary easier to recall during listening and reading tasks.

• Study 15 to 20 words per day by theme.
• Use a notebook with the word, an example and a translation.
• Test yourself at the end of the week.

Theme drill: group words by work, travel, health, housing, and daily life. Learn each word with a verb: prendre rendez-vous, réserver un billet, consulter un médecin. Review with spaced repetition.

At B1 level you need to move between tenses. Use the passé composé for completed actions: Hier, j'ai fini mon rapport. Use the imparfait for habits or descriptions: Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au foot. Use the futur simple for plans: Demain, je partirai tôt.

The conditionnel is used for polite requests and hypotheses: Je voudrais un café and Si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais. The subjonctif appears after expressions like il faut que, j'aimerais que and il est important que.

Pronouns also matter: le/la/les replace direct objects, lui/leur replace indirect objects, and y replaces places. Articles and prepositions such as au, à la, en and de must agree with the noun.

• Learn each tense with a time expression.
• Transform one sentence into four tenses.
• Check agreement of past participles with être.

Tense drill: use passé composé for completed actions, imparfait for habits and descriptions, and futur simple for plans. Write one sentence for each and check the trigger words.

Reading tasks test main ideas and details. First read the questions, then scan the document for names, numbers and repeated words. For main idea questions, look at the title and the first sentence of each paragraph. For detail questions, find the exact sentence that supports the answer. For inference questions, connect two pieces of information instead of copying one sentence.

Listening tasks test everyday spoken French. Before the recording, read the questions and predict the topic. During the recording, listen for key words, numbers, times and names. A change of intonation often signals an important detail or a correction.

Practice with short announcements and messages. After listening, write a two-line summary in French, then compare it with the transcript. This trains both recognition and memory.

• Read the questions before listening.
• Underline numbers and names in reading.
• Listen twice: first for the topic, then for details.

Question map: identify main idea, detail, and inference questions. Read questions first, scan for names, numbers, and repeated words, and connect two pieces of information for inference answers.

Build a four-week plan around your weakest skills. Week 1: take a diagnostic test and note your scores by section. Week 2: study themed vocabulary and grammar daily, and do one short reading or listening exercise. Week 3: do timed reading and listening tasks, and write one paragraph in French every two days. Week 4: complete two full mock exams under real time limits and review your error notebook.

A simple daily routine: 20 minutes of vocabulary, 15 minutes of grammar, one listening exercise, and one short writing task. On weekends, do a complete timed section. Keep an error notebook with the question, your wrong answer, the correct answer and the reason.

Review the notebook after one day, three days and one week. Before the exam, do one more mock test and compare it with your Week 1 score. In the last two days, focus on sleeping well and reviewing your most frequent mistakes.

• Week 1: diagnostic test and section analysis.
• Week 2: vocabulary and grammar drills.
• Week 3: timed reading, listening and writing.
• Week 4: two mock exams and error review.

Four-week rhythm: week 1 diagnostic; week 2 vocabulary and grammar; week 3 timed tasks; week 4 full mocks. Review errors after one, three, and seven days.