French exam prep

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DELF A1 and A2

The DELF is the French Ministry of Education's diploma in French as a foreign language, run by France Éducation international. A1 and A2 are the first two levels. Each tests four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Check the current format, dates and pass rules with an official exam centre, and on france-education-international.fr.

Common exam mistakes

• Practising reading only. Half the marks come from listening and speaking; practise them every week.
• Ignoring the task instructions in the writing paper. Answer exactly what is asked, at the length asked.

Ready-made revision plans

For a plan built around your own exam date and your weak spots, use the study planner. These fixed plans space your reviews out, which works better than cramming (see Space it out).

2-week plan

Day	What to do
1	Learn: Mission: introduce yourself to your new neighbour, Mission: say who you are and what you have, Mission: describe your family and your town, Mission: tell a new colleague where you live and work, Mission: say no politely to a street survey, Mission: show a colleague photos of your family, Mission: understand a price and a phone number, Mission: read the opening hours and plan your swim.
2	Learn: Mission: find out about a new club member, Mission: make weekend plans with your neighbour, Mission: find the tourist office, Mission: buy a baguette politely, Mission: buy lunch at the market, Mission: check in at a hotel, Mission: send a postcard from the seaside, Mission: find the right answer on a museum notice.
3	Learn: Mission: answer a friend's birthday invitation, Mission: catch the time on a phone message, Mission: tell a friend about your weekend, Mission: tell a colleague about your trip, Mission: share a childhood memory, Mission: tell your new neighbour how you got here, Mission: sort out the bathroom rota with your flatmate, Mission: get your lost suitcase back.
4	Learn: Mission: help a friend choose between two flats, Mission: plan Mum's birthday with your brother, Mission: shop at the Saturday market, Mission: change your plans without upsetting anyone, Mission: share your plans for next summer, Mission: get what you need at the hotel desk, Mission: teach a friend your crêpe recipe, Mission: plan a train trip across Europe. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
5	Learn: Mission: show a visitor your favourite places, Mission: write to a friend about your weekend away, Mission: answer a wedding invitation, Mission: hold a 7-minute conversation in French, Mission: deal with your post after a week away, Mission: get to your gate with the announcements, Mission: tell the story of a trip that went wrong. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
6	Learn: Mission: tell a long story that keeps people listening, Mission: pass on a message from someone else, Mission: give your opinion at a dinner party, Mission: tell your flatmates what needs doing, Mission: react to news from a friend, Mission: win an argument politely, Mission: give a friend advice, Mission: imagine winning the lottery. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
7	Learn: Mission: describe how you do things, Mission: talk about your ambitions at a job interview, Mission: lend, give and return things, Mission: describe the flat you're looking for, Mission: guide a visitor round a historic town, Mission: complain about a faulty purchase, Mission: post your opinion on a forum, Mission: write a formal email or letter. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
8	Learn: Mission: defend a point of view on a short text, Mission: understand a longer article, Mission: follow a radio interview, Mission: talk about a decision you regret, Mission: imagine how your life could have gone, Mission: thank and reassure a friend after an event, Mission: plan a project with deadlines, Mission: disagree without offending. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
9	Learn: Mission: explain the causes and effects of a problem, Mission: report news you're not sure about, Mission: make your main point stand out, Mission: switch between formal and casual French, Mission: understand friends who talk fast, Mission: use expressions people really say, Mission: decode verlan and slang in films and songs, Mission: read a novel's first page. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
10	Learn: Mission: understand news headlines, Mission: say exactly what you mean, Mission: read an opinion column critically, Mission: write an argued essay or formal letter, Mission: present and defend a view, then debate it, Mission: read long articles in an hour, Mission: follow a debate or documentary. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
11	Read the revision sheet, then cover it and write down what you remember.
12	Timed practice. Note every question you missed and reread that lesson.
13	Rest day. Sleep helps memory settle.
14	Timed practice. Note every question you missed and reread that lesson. Then an early night.

4-week plan

Day	What to do
1	Learn: Mission: introduce yourself to your new neighbour, Mission: say who you are and what you have, Mission: describe your family and your town, Mission: tell a new colleague where you live and work.
2	Learn: Mission: say no politely to a street survey, Mission: show a colleague photos of your family, Mission: understand a price and a phone number, Mission: read the opening hours and plan your swim.
3	Learn: Mission: find out about a new club member, Mission: make weekend plans with your neighbour, Mission: find the tourist office, Mission: buy a baguette politely.
4	Learn: Mission: buy lunch at the market, Mission: check in at a hotel, Mission: send a postcard from the seaside, Mission: find the right answer on a museum notice. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
5	Learn: Mission: answer a friend's birthday invitation, Mission: catch the time on a phone message, Mission: tell a friend about your weekend, Mission: tell a colleague about your trip. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
6	Learn: Mission: share a childhood memory, Mission: tell your new neighbour how you got here, Mission: sort out the bathroom rota with your flatmate, Mission: get your lost suitcase back. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
7	Learn: Mission: help a friend choose between two flats, Mission: plan Mum's birthday with your brother, Mission: shop at the Saturday market, Mission: change your plans without upsetting anyone. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
8	Learn: Mission: share your plans for next summer, Mission: get what you need at the hotel desk, Mission: teach a friend your crêpe recipe, Mission: plan a train trip across Europe. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
9	Learn: Mission: show a visitor your favourite places, Mission: write to a friend about your weekend away, Mission: answer a wedding invitation, Mission: hold a 7-minute conversation in French. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
10	Learn: Mission: deal with your post after a week away, Mission: get to your gate with the announcements, Mission: tell the story of a trip that went wrong. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
11	Learn: Mission: tell a long story that keeps people listening, Mission: pass on a message from someone else, Mission: give your opinion at a dinner party, Mission: tell your flatmates what needs doing. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
12	Learn: Mission: react to news from a friend, Mission: win an argument politely, Mission: give a friend advice, Mission: imagine winning the lottery. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
13	Learn: Mission: describe how you do things, Mission: talk about your ambitions at a job interview, Mission: lend, give and return things, Mission: describe the flat you're looking for. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
14	Learn: Mission: guide a visitor round a historic town, Mission: complain about a faulty purchase, Mission: post your opinion on a forum, Mission: write a formal email or letter. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
15	Learn: Mission: defend a point of view on a short text, Mission: understand a longer article, Mission: follow a radio interview, Mission: talk about a decision you regret. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
16	Learn: Mission: imagine how your life could have gone, Mission: thank and reassure a friend after an event, Mission: plan a project with deadlines, Mission: disagree without offending. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
17	Learn: Mission: explain the causes and effects of a problem, Mission: report news you're not sure about, Mission: make your main point stand out, Mission: switch between formal and casual French. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
18	Learn: Mission: understand friends who talk fast, Mission: use expressions people really say, Mission: decode verlan and slang in films and songs, Mission: read a novel's first page. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
19	Learn: Mission: understand news headlines, Mission: say exactly what you mean, Mission: read an opinion column critically, Mission: write an argued essay or formal letter. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
20	Learn: Mission: present and defend a view, then debate it, Mission: read long articles in an hour, Mission: follow a debate or documentary. Then redo the quiz from 3 days ago.
21	Read the revision sheet, then cover it and write down what you remember.
22	Timed practice. Note every question you missed and reread that lesson.
23	Go over your list of misses only: reread, then redo those quizzes.
24	Rest day. Sleep helps memory settle.
25	Read the revision sheet, then cover it and write down what you remember.
26	Timed practice. Note every question you missed and reread that lesson.
27	Go over your list of misses only: reread, then redo those quizzes.
28	Timed practice. Note every question you missed and reread that lesson. Then an early night.

These plans and lessons help you prepare. No study guide can promise a pass, this one included.