DELF / DALF Speaking: Parts and Timing

The speaking paper ("production orale") is individual, in front of two examiners, and usually on a different slot from the written papers. It is marked out of 25 at A1-C1; at C2 it is combined with listening and marked out of 50. The parts follow each other without a break.

At a Glance

Level	Speaking time	Preparation	Parts
DELF A1	5-7 min	10 min, for parts 2 and 3	Guided interview; information exchange; role-play
DELF A2	6-8 min	10 min, for parts 2 and 3	Guided interview; short talk; role-play
DELF B1	10-15 min	10 min, for part 3 only	Guided interview; role-play; point of view
DELF B2	20 min	30 min	Argued presentation; debate
DALF C1	30 min	1 h	Presentation; discussion
DALF C2	Up to 30 min	1 h, after two hearings of a 15-min recording	Report; argued view; debate

DELF A1 Speaking

Before the test you draw 6 cards for part 2 and 2 subjects for part 3, choose one subject, and prepare parts 2 and 3 for 10 minutes. No dictionary.

Part	Task	Length
1. Guided interview	Slow, simple questions about you: name, family, nationality, town, job, weekend	About 1 min, no preparation
2. Information exchange	Use the keyword on each card ("Famille ?", "Travail ?") to ask the examiner questions	About 2 min
3. Role-play	Buy goods or a service: ask prices and quantities, then pay with play money; be polite	About 2 min

DELF A2 Speaking

You draw 2 subjects for part 2 and 2 for part 3, choose one of each, and prepare both for 10 minutes.

Part	Task	Length
1. Guided interview	Talk about yourself, your family, friends, studies and tastes	About 1 min 30, no preparation
2. Short talk	A theme with 2-3 questions (housing, sport, a working day...), then 2-3 follow-up questions	About 2 min
3. Role-play	An everyday situation with the examiner in a role (estate agent, shop assistant...)	3-4 min

DELF B1 Speaking

Part	Task	Length
1. Guided interview	Your activities, interests, past and plans; speak on your own for at least 1 min 30 to 2 min	2-3 min, no preparation
2. Role-play	Choose 1 of 2 subjects on the spot: an unusual everyday problem to solve or someone to persuade	3-4 min, no preparation
3. Point of view	From a short text, identify the theme and give a structured opinion of about 3 minutes, then answer questions	5-7 min, 10 min preparation

DELF B2 Speaking

You draw 2 short documents, each headed by a question such as "Peut-on vivre sans télé ?", choose one, and prepare for 30 minutes. Both examiners may speak.

Part	Task	Length
1. Argued presentation	Identify the problem raised by the document, announce a plan and defend your view with examples	5-7 min
2. Debate	The examiners challenge your view; confirm, nuance, concede or disagree	10-13 min

DALF C1 Speaking

You draw 2 subjects, each a theme with a short dossier of documents, choose one, and prepare for 1 hour with a monolingual French dictionary lent by the centre.

Part	Task	Length
1. Presentation	An ordered reflection with an introduction, a conclusion and 3-4 main points. The documents are a source: do not just summarise them	8-10 min
2. Discussion	The jury questions you on your presentation	15-20 min

DALF C2 Speaking

You hear a recording of about 15 minutes twice, with notes and a 3-minute pause, then prepare for 1 hour. A monolingual dictionary is allowed. Then, for up to 30 minutes:

Part	Task	Length
1. Report	Present all the information and points of view of the recording in a logical structure	5-10 min
2. Argued view	Choose 1 of 2 subjects drawn from the recording and argue in a set role; the jury does not interrupt	About 10 min
3. Debate	Defend, nuance and clarify your view with the jury	About 10 min

How to Approach It

Use every minute of preparation; scrap paper is destroyed and not marked.
At A1-A2, greet and use politeness formulas in the role-play: they are part of the task.
At B1, the role-play has no preparation: decide your goal in the first seconds.
At B2-C1, open with the problem and your plan; it shows structure from the first minute.
Pronunciation is a criterion at every level.

Subjects with model answers are on the speaking samples page; the grids are on the speaking scoring page.

Practise DELF / DALF online

The TestSucceed app has DELF practice for A1, A2 and B1, with more levels on the way. The tasks are timed like the real exam and marked instantly, and your writing and speaking are assessed by AI trained by our French exam experts. Start with DELF / DALF practice or sit a full DELF / DALF mock test.

Written by Kirill O'Nayd

French exam expert and educator at TestSucceed. He prepares candidates for the DELF and DALF from A1 to C2 and studies how each paper is marked against the official grids. See all TestSucceed preparation materials.