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DELF B1 guide

DELF B1 reading (Compréhension des écrits): exercises, question types and tips

The DELF B1 reading section lasts 45 minutes and is marked out of 25. In both official formats, it starts with an exercise where you compare several short documents against a person’s needs, followed by one or two longer articles on general topics. Two official formats exist, with either two or three exercises in total.

Updated October 2026

The two official formats

Both formats are used in official sessions, and you do not choose which one you get. France Éducation International states that neither format makes the exam easier or harder.

What differs
Exercises
Format of sample paper 1
3
Format of sample paper 2
2
What differs
Points in the sample paper
Format of sample paper 1
8 + 8 + 9
Format of sample paper 2
10 + 15
What differs
Long texts
Format of sample paper 1
Two articles
Format of sample paper 2
One longer article
What differs
Questions on the texts
Format of sample paper 1
Multiple choice, including true/false
Format of sample paper 2
Multiple choice, short answers and true/false with a quote from the text

Exercise 1: choosing the right option

You are given a situation, a list of criteria and several short documents — ads, offers or descriptions (four in both sample papers). For each document and each criterion, you tick « oui » if the document meets it and « non » if it does not. In the sample papers, each correct box is worth half a point, and ticking both boxes scores nothing.

Example situation
Vous cherchez une activité sportive pour votre fils de 10 ans. Elle doit avoir lieu le mercredi après-midi, coûter moins de 20 € par mois, se pratiquer en intérieur et être encadrée par un professeur diplômé. Vous lisez quatre annonces de clubs et vous cochez « oui » ou « non » pour chaque critère de chaque annonce.

In the second format you also write which option you choose, and a point is deducted if your choice does not match the boxes you ticked. The task tests careful reading of details: « cours le mercredi à 15 h » meets the day criterion, but « horaires à définir avec le club » does not.

The long texts

The articles deal with general topics such as education, housing, work or the media — in the sample papers, children who grow up bilingual, the impact of vacation rentals on housing, and journalists who speak with a regional accent. Questions check that you understand the main information, the details and the author’s point of view.

In the second format, some true/false questions ask you to copy the sentence from the text that proves your answer. You only get the points if both the choice and the quote are correct.

A true/false question with justification
Vrai ou faux ? Cochez la bonne réponse et recopiez la phrase du texte qui justifie votre choix. « Dès le début, des habitants se sont opposés au projet. » ☐ Vrai ☑ Faux Justification : « Au départ, personne ne s’est opposé au projet. »

For written answers, spelling and grammar are not marked unless they seriously impair understanding.

Managing the 45 minutes

  • Exercise 1: about 10–12 minutes. Read the criteria first, then look for each one in every document.
  • Long texts: read the questions before the article so you know what to look for, then read the whole article once before answering.
  • Keep the last 3–4 minutes to check that no question is left blank.

Common mistakes

  • Ticking « oui » because a document mentions the topic, when it does not actually meet the criterion.
  • Choosing an option because it repeats words from the text, without checking that it means the same thing.
  • For a justification, copying a long paragraph or paraphrasing instead of quoting the exact sentence.
  • Answering from your own opinion instead of the author’s.

How to practice

Practice with the official sample papers in each format under the 45-minute limit, then check your answers against the answer key. France Éducation International publishes both.