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DELF B1 guide

DELF B1 speaking (Production orale): the three parts, grading and tips

The DELF B1 speaking test is taken individually in front of two examiners and is marked out of 25. It lasts 10 to 15 minutes, plus 10 minutes of preparation for the last part. It has three parts: a guided interview, a role play and a short presentation of your opinion on a text.

Updated October 2026

The three parts at a glance

Part
1. Guided interview (Entretien dirigé)
Time
2–3 min
Preparation
None
What you do
Talk about yourself, your activities, your past and your plans
Part
2. Interaction (Exercice en interaction)
Time
3–4 min
Preparation
None
What you do
Act out an everyday situation with the examiner and solve a problem
Part
3. Point of view (Expression d’un point de vue)
Time
5–7 min
Preparation
10 min, before the test begins
What you do
Present your opinion on the topic of a short text, then answer questions

Before the test starts, you prepare part 3. The three parts then follow each other in a single session with the examiners.

Part 1: guided interview

The examiner puts you at ease by asking about yourself: your family, your work or studies, your hobbies, your last vacation, your plans. Answer in full sentences and add a detail or an example to each answer — a one-word reply gives the examiner nothing to assess.

Use different tenses naturally: the present for your daily life, the passé composé and the imparfait for past experiences, the futur proche or the futur simple for your plans.

Part 2: interaction

You draw two subjects and choose one. Each describes an unexpected everyday situation — a problem with a purchase, a booking, a neighbor or a colleague — and the examiner plays the other person. The goal is to explain the problem, react to what the examiner says and reach a solution or convince them.

Example subject
Vous avez réservé une chambre d’hôtel pour deux nuits. À votre arrivée, la réceptionniste vous annonce que l’hôtel est complet et vous propose une chambre dans un autre hôtel, loin du centre. Vous refusez cette proposition et vous cherchez ensemble une autre solution. L’examinateur joue le rôle de la réceptionniste.
  • Start with a greeting and explain the situation in one or two sentences.
  • Use vous with a stranger or a professional, and keep it throughout.
  • Do not accept the first answer: give reasons, make a counter-proposal, ask questions.
  • Use the conditional to stay polite: « Est-ce que vous pourriez… ? », « J’aimerais… ».

Part 3: expressing a point of view

You draw two short texts and choose one. During the 10 minutes of preparation, you identify the issue the text raises and plan your opinion. In the test, you present it for about 3 minutes, then the examiner asks you a few questions about it.

Example text
MOINS D’ÉCRANS POUR LES ENFANTS ? Dans plusieurs villes, des écoles demandent aux parents de limiter le temps que leurs enfants passent devant les écrans à la maison. Certains parents trouvent l’idée utile pour le sommeil et la concentration ; d’autres estiment que l’école n’a pas à intervenir dans la vie de famille.

Do not summarize the text: state the question it raises — here, whether schools should tell families how to manage screen time — and give your own answer with arguments and examples.

A plan for your notes
Introduction : le thème du document, en une ou deux phrases. Mon opinion : je pense que… / à mon avis… Argument 1 + un exemple personnel : par exemple, chez moi… Argument 2 + un exemple : d’ailleurs… / de plus… Nuance : cependant… / il faut aussi reconnaître que… Conclusion : pour conclure, je dirais que…

Write key words, not full sentences: the examiners assess how you speak, and reading out a text sounds unnatural and leaves less room for discussion.

How the speaking test is graded

Each part is marked out of 4 for task completion, which gives 12 points. The remaining 13 points assess your language across the whole test.

Criterion
Task completion, part 1
Points
4
What the examiners listen for
You talk about yourself, your experiences, activities and plans, giving details
Criterion
Task completion, part 2
Points
4
What the examiners listen for
You handle the situation, react to the examiner and use suitable polite forms
Criterion
Task completion, part 3
Points
4
What the examiners listen for
You identify the topic, give a clear opinion and support it with arguments
Criterion
Vocabulary (Lexique)
Points
5
What the examiners listen for
Range and accuracy of words for everyday topics
Criterion
Grammar (Morphosyntaxe)
Points
4
What the examiners listen for
Sentence structure, tenses and agreement at B1 level
Criterion
Pronunciation (Maîtrise du système phonologique)
Points
4
What the examiners listen for
Clear pronunciation, intonation and word stress that make you easy to understand

Common mistakes

  • Very short answers in part 1 that leave the examiner nothing to assess.
  • Giving in too quickly in part 2, so there is no real exchange.
  • Summarizing the text in part 3 instead of giving an opinion on the issue it raises.
  • Reading full sentences from your notes.
  • Staying silent when you do not know a word: explain it another way (« c’est une chose qui sert à… »).

How to practice

Record yourself answering part 1 questions and presenting a text for 3 minutes after 10 minutes of preparation, then listen back. France Éducation International publishes an official sample of the speaking test, with subjects for each part.