The DELF is not a test of how good your French is. It is a test of whether you can do four specific tasks in a specific format, under time. That is good news, because a format can be learned in a way that "better French" cannot. One-to-one preparation for A1, A2, B1 and B2 — DALF is not offered. A first lesson is thirty minutes for €20.
Every DELF level tests the same four skills in the same order: listening, reading, writing, speaking — 25 marks each, 100 total. You need 50 to pass, and at least 5 out of 25 in every section. That second rule is the one people fall foul of: a strong speaker with no listening practice can score well overall and still fail.
Those rules are not mine. The DELF is set and awarded by France Éducation International for the French Ministry of Education, and it is FEI that fixes the 50-mark pass, the four sections of 25, and the rule that under 5 out of 25 in any single section fails you outright, whatever your total. Worth reading once from the source — a surprising number of preparation courses get that last part wrong.
| Section | Marks | Where people actually lose them |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 25 | Not hearing where words join — the recording is at native speed |
| Reading | 25 | Usually the safest section for English speakers |
| Writing | 25 | Ignoring the register the task asks for — formal letter written casually |
| Speaking | 25 | Freezing in the monologue, or preparing a speech instead of arguing |
The pass mark of 50 out of 100 means you can be genuinely weak somewhere and still pass — but only if you clear 5 in that section. Knowing your own worst section, early, is worth more than a month of general study.
At B2 the speaking test is not a conversation — it is a short structured argument, and it is marked on structure as much as on French. You are given a document, you take preparation time, and you present a position and defend it. Candidates who treat it as a chat lose marks they had the French for.
What examiners reward is visible: a stated position, two or three supported points, an acknowledged counter-argument, a conclusion. That skeleton can be rehearsed in a way that vocabulary cannot, and it is the single highest-return thing to practise.
B2 is the one most people need and the one most people sit too early. It is the level usually required for French universities and for naturalisation, which makes it a deadline rather than a choice. A2 and B1 are milestones; A1 is a first certificate. Sitting one level too high costs you the fee and several months.
An honest assessment of where you are takes about ten minutes of talking, and it is the most useful thing a first lesson can do if you have an exam in mind. I would rather tell you to sit B1 this year and B2 next than agree with you and be wrong.
Backwards from the date. With three months there is time to fix underlying French and then drill the format. With three weeks there is not, and the honest plan is to spend all of it on format and exam technique — which is often enough to move someone from just-failing to comfortably passing.
€60 an hour, VAT included, with no platform commission. A first lesson is thirty minutes for €20, credited against a package if you carry on. Exam preparation is usually a full hour, once or twice a week, because the tasks are timed.
Ten hours is €51 each — the usual shape for an exam with a date on it. Prices are final: VAT included, nothing added at checkout.
“Prepared tutor who tailors the lesson to your level and to your goals. Pleasant to talk to… That's why I booked further lessons after the first.”
“Very patient, and takes time to explain minor grammar details, which I truly appreciate.”
“His teaching style makes learning so effective and enjoyable. Looking forward to continuing and improving my French level.”
See also: conversation practice, which is most of the speaking exam · the mistakes English speakers make · why the listening section sounds so fast · lessons for teenagers sitting school exams.