Preparing for the DELF B1: a method for the four papers

What the DELF B1 measures

The DELF B1 has four papers, each marked out of 25: listening, reading, writing and speaking. You need 50 points out of 100 to pass, with a minimum of 5 points in each paper. One very weak paper can therefore cancel a good total.

Listening

The recordings are announcements, interviews and radio extracts, played twice. Read the questions during the time given, spot the question words and write your answers during the first listening. The second listening is for checking, not for discovering.

Reading

• The first task asks you to pick the text that matches a situation: read the criteria first, then scan the texts.
• The second task is based on a press article: find the thesis, the examples and the author’s opinion.
• Always underline the sentence that justifies your answer. The examiner expects an exact justification.

Writing

You must produce about 160 words: a letter, a forum message or an article. The expected structure is simple: an introduction stating your position, two paragraphs with one argument and one example each, and a short conclusion.

Keep five minutes for proofreading. Check in this order: subject-verb agreement, past participle agreement, past tenses, linking words.

Speaking

The paper has three parts: a guided interview, a role play and a point of view based on a short trigger document. Use the ten minutes of preparation to write key words, never full sentences: reading a written text is immediately obvious to the examiner.

An eight-week preparation plan

• Weeks 1 to 4: one paper per week under exam conditions, then a detailed error analysis.
• Weeks 5 and 6: focused work on your two weakest papers.
• Weeks 7 and 8: two full mock exams, timed, in the official order.

This pace is enough for most candidates who already hold a solid A2.