Format, the 50/100 pass mark, the 5/25 floor, and each test are on the DELF B2 page.
Quick Answer
DELF A2 has four papers worth 25 points each: Listening (25 min), Reading (30 min), Writing (45 min) and a 6–8 minute oral with 10 minutes of preparation. You need 50/100 overall and at least 5/25 in every paper. A2 is the level for a first multi-year residence permit in France; for French citizenship you need B2 since 1 January 2026, so Part 2 covers the DELF B2 format too.
What is open, and what Pro opens
Guests and free accounts get the first five DELF B2 exercises in each skill. A free account then opens the drill decks, including DELF B2 verbs. It does not open exercise six, and it does not open the word list past 25. Pro is $27 once: 97 more reading, 97 more listening, 97 more writing, 97 more speaking, the rest of the word list, and 1 timed mock. The open writing tasks are short practice notes, often 60–100 words. DELF B2 writing on the day is one text of at least 250 words in 60 minutes, for 25 points. Under 5/25 the diploma is not awarded. Further reports are the mock pack, $15 for 3. Get Pro · $27 once
| Skill | In the bank | Open now | Locked | First locked task |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 102 | 5 | 97 | The welcome evening is at the town hall, not the school |
| Listening | 102 | 5 | 97 | Au café |
| Writing | 102 | 5 | 97 | Write About Food You Like |
| Speaking | 102 | 5 | 97 | Free time and hobbies |
The first locked reading is The welcome evening is at the town hall, not the school. The first open reading is Premier rendez-vous à la préfecture. The first locked listening is Au café. The first open listening is À l’hôtel. The first locked writing is Write About Food You Like. The first open writing is Introduce Yourself. The first locked speaking is Free time and hobbies. The first open speaking is Personal information.
Reading modules behind the free five
| Module | Texts | Open now | Locked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greetings & Introductions | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Personal Information | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Daily Activities | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Places & Directions | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Shopping | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Food & Restaurants | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Home & Accommodation | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Work & Professions | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Health & Medical | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Transportation | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Official Documents | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Exam Preparation | 8 | 0 | 8 |
Three locked shelves, so you can see what the free five do not cover. Greetings & Introductions starts with The welcome evening is at the town hall, not the school: Madame Costa, La soirée d'accueil des nouveaux habitants a lieu jeudi 23 avril à 19 heures, salle B de la mairie, place de la République. Ce n'est pas la salle de l'école Jules Fer… Personal Information starts with Le formulaire d'état civil: Depuis quelques années, les démarches liées à l'état civil se sont largement dématérialisées en France, ce qui a considérablement simplifié la vie des usagers, bien que certaines d… Daily Activities starts with Télétravail : liberté ou isolement ?: Depuis la généralisation du télétravail, de nombreux salariés vantent la liberté qu'il procure : plus de trajets fatigants, davantage de temps pour la famille, une meilleure gestio…
Most people searching for the DELF A2 structure fall into one of two groups: they need A2 for a residence permit, or they started preparing for A2 and then learned that naturalisation now asks for B2. This guide covers both. Part 1 walks through every DELF A2 paper; Part 2 shows what changes at B2 and links to the full section-by-section B2 guide.
Which DELF level do you need?
| Your goal in France | Level | Exam to book |
|---|---|---|
| First multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) | A2 | DELF A2 |
| First 10-year resident card (carte de résident) | B1 | DELF B1 |
| Naturalisation (since 1 January 2026) | B2 | DELF B2 |
These levels apply to first applications since 1 January 2026. DELF is one accepted proof; TCF and TEF results at the same level also count, but they expire, while DELF diplomas are valid for life. Check the exact list with your préfecture before you book. The full citizenship route is in our France citizenship guide.
Part 1 — DELF A2 exam structure
DELF A2 tests everyday French: notices, messages, short conversations and simple descriptions of your own life. The three written papers run back to back in one sitting (1 hour 40 minutes). The oral is individual and scheduled separately, often the same day.
| Paper | Duration | Points | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening (Compréhension de l'oral) | 25 min | 25 | 4 exercises on short everyday recordings, each played twice |
| Reading (Compréhension des écrits) | 30 min | 25 | 4 exercises: notices, a personal email, instructions, a short article |
| Writing (Production écrite) | 45 min | 25 | 2 short texts, at least 60 words each |
| Speaking (Production orale) | 6–8 min + 10 min prep | 25 | 3 parts: guided interview, short monologue, role play |
| Total | 1 h 40 written + oral | 100 | 50/100 to pass, at least 5/25 in each paper |
Listening — 25 minutes, 25 points
You hear several short recordings from daily life: station or shop announcements, voicemail messages, short radio items and conversations between friends or colleagues. All audio together lasts about five minutes, and each document is played twice. Questions are mostly multiple choice, with a few short written answers.
What costs points: numbers, times, prices and dates. Read the questions before the first play so you know exactly which detail you are listening for, then use the second play to check.
Reading — 30 minutes, 25 points
Four exercises, each built on real-life documents: a poster, menu or advert where you look for one piece of information; a personal email or letter; instructions such as house rules or a recipe; and a short article from a newspaper, magazine or travel guide. Answers are multiple choice, true/false or short answers.
What costs points: spending too long on the article and rushing the easy notice questions. Answer from the text, not from common sense, and keep about seven minutes per exercise.
Writing — 45 minutes, 25 points
Two short texts, at least 60 words each:
- Exercise 1: describe an event or a personal experience — a weekend, a trip, a celebration — usually in the past tense (passé composé and imparfait).
- Exercise 2: reply to a situation to invite, thank, apologise, ask for something, inform or congratulate, in the form of a friendly message or letter.
What costs points: going under 60 words, skipping one of the points the prompt asks for, and forgetting a greeting and sign-off on the message. Simple, correct sentences that answer every part of the task score better than ambitious ones full of errors.
Speaking — 6–8 minutes, 10 minutes of preparation, 25 points
Before the oral you draw two topics for Part 2 and two for Part 3, keep one of each, and get 10 minutes to prepare both. Then the three parts run straight through, usually with two examiners in the room: one talks to you, the other takes notes.
- Part 1 — guided interview (about 1.5 minutes, no preparation): you introduce yourself and answer questions about your family, work, studies and hobbies.
- Part 2 — short monologue (about 2 minutes): you talk about a familiar topic, such as your neighbourhood or your last holiday, and answer a few follow-up questions.
- Part 3 — role play (about 3–4 minutes): you act out an everyday situation with the examiner, such as buying a ticket, booking a table or agreeing on plans with a friend.
What costs points: switching between tu and vous, answering in single words in Part 1, and only replying in Part 3 instead of asking your own questions. The role play is scored on interaction, so ask for prices, times and alternatives.
A2 scoring: the 5/25 floor
DELF A2 uses the same rule as every DELF level: 50/100 overall and at least 5/25 in each paper (the note éliminatoire). A good total does not rescue one very weak paper:
| Paper | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 18/25 | OK |
| Reading | 20/25 | OK |
| Writing | 16/25 | OK |
| Speaking | 4/25 | Below the floor |
| Total | 58/100 | FAIL |
Part 2 — DELF B2 exam structure (French citizenship)
DELF B2 keeps the same four papers and the same scoring rule, but the documents are written for native speakers and the productions are argued, not descriptive. The written papers take 2 hours 30 minutes.
| Paper | Duration | Points | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | about 30 min | 25 | A long interview or debate and shorter news items; follow arguments and the speaker's position |
| Reading | 1 h | 25 | Two long press texts: an informative article and an argued opinion piece |
| Writing | 1 h | 25 | One argued text of about 250 words (opinion letter, article or essay) |
| Speaking | 20 min + 30 min prep | 25 | Present a viewpoint from a short document, then defend it in a discussion with the examiner |
| Total | 2 h 30 written + oral | 100 | 50/100 to pass, at least 5/25 in each paper |
For what each B2 paper looks like, the question types and the mistakes that sink candidates, read the full DELF B2 exam structure guide.
DELF A2 vs DELF B2 at a glance
| DELF A2 | DELF B2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Written papers | 1 h 40 | 2 h 30 |
| Oral | 6–8 min, 10 min prep | 20 min, 30 min prep |
| Writing task | 2 short texts, 60+ words each | 1 argued text, about 250 words |
| Reading material | Notices, emails, instructions, short articles | Long press articles and opinion pieces |
| Speaking task | Introduce yourself, short monologue, role play | Defend a position on a document, then debate |
| Pass rule | 50/100, at least 5/25 per paper | 50/100, at least 5/25 per paper |
| Used in France for | First multi-year residence permit | Naturalisation (since 2026) |
If you already hold DELF A2 and now need citizenship, the A2 diploma does not carry over: you need a separate B2 result. A2 to B2 is two CEFR steps, so plan in months, not weeks, and test yourself under exam timing before you pay for a session.
Frequently asked questions
Is DELF A2 enough for French citizenship?
No. Since 1 January 2026, naturalisation requires B2 French. DELF A2 is the level for a first multi-year residence permit; a first 10-year resident card requires B1.
Does DELF A2 expire?
No. DELF diplomas are valid for life. TCF and TEF results, by contrast, are only accepted for a limited time.
Can I retake only the paper I failed?
No. DELF has no carry-over between sessions: if you fail, you sit all four papers again.
Is the DELF A2 oral done in a group?
No. The oral is individual: you face one or two examiners, and other candidates are not in the room.
How long do DELF A2 results take?
It depends on the centre. Results usually come a few weeks after the session, and the paper diploma follows later; your centre gives the dates when you register.
Prepare with Prep2Go
For A2, start with vocabulary: it carries all four papers. For B2, find your weakest paper early, because one score under 5/25 ends the exam.
- DELF Anki deck — exam vocabulary with audio and sample cards: prep2go.study/shop/delf-a2-anki-deck
- DELF A2 printable flashcards — 1,000 cards, PDF with QR audio: prep2go.study/shop/deck/delf-a2-printable-flashcards
- DELF B2 exam preview — every screen and a sample AI report: prep2go.study/delf-b2-mock-test
- Full DELF B2 structure, paper by paper: DELF B2 exam structure 2026
Last updated: October 2026. Structure and scoring follow France Éducation International's DELF A2 and B2 candidate specifications; confirm session dates and fees with your exam centre.