DELF A1 Exam Guide: Format, Scoring and a Practical Preparation Plan

If you are starting French in Bangladesh, DELF A1 is usually the first official certificate you can aim for. It shows that you can handle simple, everyday situations in French: introducing yourself, understanding short announcements, filling in a form and asking basic questions. This guide walks through the exam format, how scoring works, what examiners actually look for, and an example preparation plan you can adapt to your own schedule.

01What DELF A1 is and who it is for

DELF (Diplôme d’études en langue française) is a set of official French diplomas awarded by France’s Ministry of Education and administered by France Éducation international. A1 is the first level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Unlike TEF or TCF results, a DELF diploma does not expire, which makes it a useful long-term credential.

• Complete beginners who want a clear first goal and a certificate to show for their effort.
• Students who plan to continue in French and want to build their foundation step by step.
• Learners heading towards A2, B1 or TEF/TCF Canada who want real exam practice early, in a lower-pressure setting.

If you are not sure whether you are a true beginner or already close to A1, take our free French level test before choosing a course.

02The DELF A1 exam format

The exam tests four skills, each worth 25 points. Listening, reading and writing are taken together in a group session of about 1 hour 20 minutes. Speaking is a short individual test, held on the same day or a different day depending on the centre. The timings below are approximate, so always check the current official information.

Listening (compréhension de l’oral): about 20 minutes

You hear short recordings about everyday life: announcements at a station, voicemail messages, short conversations. Each recording is played twice. You answer questions, often by ticking the right option or matching pictures. The key skill is catching specific information such as a time, a price, a place or a day of the week.

Reading (compréhension des écrits): about 30 minutes

You read short practical texts such as notices, emails, advertisements, timetables or simple instructions, and answer questions about them. The texts are short, but you need to read carefully: questions often check small details like dates, numbers or who is doing what.

Writing (production écrite): about 30 minutes

There are usually two tasks. First, you fill in a form with personal information (name, nationality, address, dates). Second, you write a short message of roughly 40–50 words, such as a postcard, an invitation or a reply to a friend. Examiners expect simple sentences used correctly, not complicated vocabulary.

Speaking (production orale): about 5–7 minutes, plus around 10 minutes of preparation

The speaking test has three parts:

1. Guided interview (entretien dirigé): the examiner asks simple questions about you, your family, your studies or work and what you like.
2. Information exchange (échange d’informations): you receive cards with words on them and use them to ask the examiner questions.
3. Simulated dialogue (dialogue simulé): a short role-play, for example buying something in a shop, where you ask about prices and quantities and then pay.

03How DELF A1 is scored

Each of the four skills is marked out of 25, giving a total out of 100. To pass, you need:

• At least 50 out of 100 overall, and
• At least 5 out of 25 in each of the four skills.

The second rule matters more than people think. A learner who does very well in reading and listening but very poorly in speaking can still fail. Balanced preparation is safer than trying to make up points in your favourite section.

What examiners look for

• Task completion: did you do what was asked? If a message must include a date, a place and a time, leaving one out costs points.
• Basic grammar control: the present tense, articles (le, la, un, une), agreement of common adjectives and negation (ne… pas).
• Everyday vocabulary: numbers, days, months, family, food, transport and hobbies.
• Pronunciation that can be understood: a Bangladeshi accent is perfectly fine. What matters is that the examiner understands you without effort.
• Politeness and interaction: greetings, s’il vous plaît, merci, and asking someone to repeat: “Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?”

04An example 10-week preparation plan

This plan assumes you already have some beginner knowledge, or are following an A1 course at the same time, and can study about 5–7 hours a week. Starting from zero usually takes longer, so adjust the pace to your own progress.

Weeks 1–3: foundations

• Alphabet, sounds and spelling, especially the nasal sounds (an, on, in) and the French “u”.
• Numbers up to 100, dates, telling the time and prices.
• Introducing yourself: name, age, nationality, city, job or studies, family.
• The present tense of être, avoir, aller, faire and regular -er verbs.

Weeks 4–6: everyday situations

• Shopping, food, transport, directions, weather and hobbies.
• Asking questions with est-ce que, qu’est-ce que, où, quand and combien.
• Reading short notices and emails every day, and listening to slow, short audio two or three times.
• Writing a 40–50 word message every two days: an invitation, a reply or a postcard.

Weeks 7–8: exam technique

• Work through official sample papers section by section, with a timer.
• Practise the three speaking tasks out loud, ideally with a teacher or partner who can correct you.
• Keep a mistake notebook: wrong genders, missing articles, wrong verb endings.

Weeks 9–10: full mock exams

• Do at least two complete mock exams under timed conditions.
• Review every wrong answer until you understand why it was wrong.
• Rehearse your self-introduction until it sounds fluent and natural, not memorised word for word.

05Registering for DELF A1 in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, DELF exam sessions are organised by Alliance Française. Session dates, registration deadlines and fees change from year to year, so check the Alliance Française website or contact them directly before you plan your preparation. Register early: popular sessions can fill up, and having a fixed exam date lets you plan your study backwards from it.

On the day, bring the identity document the centre asks for (usually the one you used to register) and check your convocation letter for the exact times of the group test and the speaking test.

06Exam-day tips

• Read every listening question before the audio starts, so you know what to listen for.
• In reading, underline the key question words: quand, où, combien, qui.
• In writing, roughly count your words and make sure you include every point the task asks for.
• In speaking, it is fine to say “Je ne comprends pas, vous pouvez répéter ?” Asking for repetition is part of real communication.
• Use your speaking preparation time to note key words, not full sentences.
• If you miss an answer in listening, stay calm and move on to the next question.