DELF/DALF (French) Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the DELF/DALF (French), eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
$100-$350
Provider
French Ministry of Education
Validity
Lifetime
Available
Global
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
Varies, check official requirements
Specific Requirements
- There are no formal prerequisites and no requirement to hold a lower-level diploma. Each DELF and DALF level is an independent diploma and can be entered directly.
- You must register through an approved exam centre within that centre's registration window, which typically closes six to eight weeks before the written date.
- You must present the identity document you registered with on the day, and centres verify it at check-in.
- The tout public versions of DELF and DALF are intended for candidates aged 18 and over. Exam centres describe the DALF as a postgraduate-level exam not suited to under-18s.
- Separate versions exist for younger candidates: DELF Prim for ages 8 to 12 at A1.1, A1 and A2, and DELF junior or scolaire for ages 13 to 17 at A1 to B2. The diploma awarded is identical to the standard DELF.
- There is no requirement to be a non-French national. Exam centres describe the tout public version as open to French and foreign candidates alike.
- For Quebec immigration purposes, the additional condition is recency: the result must date from two years or less at the moment you file, and you may be asked for the original diploma or a certified copy issued by France Education international.
Number of Questions
France Education international publishes exercise counts rather than item counts. At DELF B2 the collective session holds 2 listening exercises, 2 reading exercises and 1 written production task, followed by 1 oral task set, so 6 scored elements in total. DALF C1 adds a two-part written production: a synthesis of 220 to 240 words maximum, plus an argued essay of 250 words minimum on the same theme. DALF C2 collapses the exam into 1 integrated written epreuve and 1 integrated oral epreuve.
Duration
Collective written session: 1 hour 20 minutes at A1, 1 hour 40 at A2, 1 hour 55 at B1, 2 hours 30 at B2, 4 hours at DALF C1, 3 hours 30 at DALF C2. Individual oral: 15 minutes at A1, 20 at A2, 25 at B1, 50 at B2 (30 minutes of supervised preparation plus about 20 minutes with the examiner), and 1 hour 30 at DALF C1 and C2 (an hour of preparation plus about 30 minutes with the jury). At B2 that is 170 minutes of assessed time across the two sessions.
Question Format
Listening comprehension on recorded documents, with questions answered on paper, Reading comprehension on documents that lengthen with level, reaching a 1,500 to 2,000 word text of ideas at DALF C1, Written production: at DELF a letter, article or argued contribution, 250 words minimum at B2; at DALF C1 a synthesis of several documents plus an argued essay, Written synthesis at DALF C1, condensing several sources into 220 to 240 words maximum with no personal opinion allowed, Oral production: a defended point of view followed by a debate with the examiner at B2, an expose and discussion at DALF C1, DALF C2 integrates comprehension and production in both the written and oral epreuves
Passing Requirement
50 out of 100 for admission, with an eliminatory floor of 5 out of 25 per epreuve at A1 to C1 and 10 out of 50 per epreuve at DALF C2. Missing any epreuve is also eliminatory.
How It Is Delivered
Paper-based collective written session at an approved exam centre, plus a separate face-to-face oral with a jury. Centres schedule the oral on a different day from the written session, and it is common for orals to spread across a week after the written date.
Languages Offered
French only
Visit the official French Ministry of Education certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
Score Scale
100 points total. At A1 through C1 that is four epreuves of 25 points each: compréhension de l'oral, compréhension des écrits, production écrite and production orale. At DALF C2 it is two integrated epreuves of 50 points each, one written and one oral.
Score You Need
50 out of 100 for admission, with an eliminatory floor of 5 out of 25 per epreuve at A1 to C1 and 10 out of 50 per epreuve at DALF C2. Missing any epreuve is also eliminatory.
How It Is Calculated
Comprehension epreuves are marked against a key; production epreuves are rated by examiners trained and accredited through France Education international programmes. The structure is partly compensatory and partly conjunctive: points move freely between epreuves toward the 50-point total, but each epreuve carries its own hard floor. That means the marginal value of a fourth skill is not zero even when the total is already safe.
When You Get Results
Roughly four to six weeks after the exam, sent by email by the exam centre. Physical diplomas take far longer: the Institut francais du Royaume-Uni tells candidates three to four months before the diploma arrives for collection, and the Alliance Francaise de Seattle says five to six months. Results show admitted (50 points or more), not admitted (below 50) or eliminated (any epreuve below the floor, or an absence).
In raw terms: Quebec publishes usable sub-score anchors for the oral epreuves under its Programme de l'experience quebecoise spouse requirement: DELF A2 at 16 of 25 in both oral epreuves, DELF B1 and B2 at 12.5 of 25, DALF C1 at 12.5 of 25, and DALF C2 at 25 of 50. France Education international does not publish item-level raw conversion tables.
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the DELF/DALF (French)?
There are no formal prerequisites and no requirement to hold a lower-level diploma. Each DELF and DALF level is an independent diploma and can be entered directly.. You must register through an approved exam centre within that centre's registration window, which typically closes six to eight weeks before the written date.. You must present the identity document you registered with on the day, and centres verify it at check-in.. The tout public versions of DELF and DALF are intended for candidates aged 18 and over. Exam centres describe the DALF as a postgraduate-level exam not suited to under-18s.. Separate versions exist for younger candidates: DELF Prim for ages 8 to 12 at A1.1, A1 and A2, and DELF junior or scolaire for ages 13 to 17 at A1 to B2. The diploma awarded is identical to the standard DELF.. There is no requirement to be a non-French national. Exam centres describe the tout public version as open to French and foreign candidates alike.. For Quebec immigration purposes, the additional condition is recency: the result must date from two years or less at the moment you file, and you may be asked for the original diploma or a certified copy issued by France Education international..
How much does the DELF/DALF (French) cost?
The DELF/DALF (French) exam costs $100-$350. This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the DELF/DALF (French)?
Visit the official French Ministry of Education certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the DELF/DALF (French)?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
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