ES EN FR DE IT
← Back to blog

DELF A1 Speaking Structure & Evaluation Criteria | OralPrep Guide

The DELF A1 Production Orale is the first step in French certification. It is a very guided exam designed for beginners. The atmosphere is usually friendly and the examiners are there to help you speak, not to trap you.

The total duration of the test is only 5 to 7 minutes, with 10 minutes for preparation (only for parts 2 and 3). Here we explain exactly what to expect.

Nervous about your first exam?

Practice with our A1 exam simulator. It helps you answer basic questions and prepares you for the role-play scenario.

Start A1 Practice Free

Structure of the Production Orale DELF A1

The test is divided into three parts:

1. Guided Interview (Entretien dirigé) - approx. 1 minute

This takes place without preparation. You enter the room, greet the examiner, and give your convocation. Then the examiner asks simple questions about you.

  • Topics: Name, age, nationality, family, profession, hobbies.

  • Example Question: “Comment vous appelez-vous ?”, “Quelle est votre nationalité ?”, “Qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire le week-end ?”

  • Tip: Prepare full sentences. Do not just answer “Yes” or “No”.

    • 2. Exchange of Information (Échange d’informations) - approx. 2 minutes

    You will have prepared this part for 10 minutes. You will draw 5 or 6 cards with words on them (and sometimes an image). Your task is to ask questions to the examiner based on these words.

  • Expected Question: “À quelle heure vous dînez ?” (At what time do you have dinner?) or “Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger pour le dîner ?”

  • Objective: Show you can form basic questions using “Où”, “Quand”, “Comment”, “Combien”.

    • 3. Role-play / Simulation (Dialogue simulé) - approx. 2 minutes

    Also prepared beforehand. You have to act out a simple daily life situation with the examiner. Usually a transaction involving goods or services.

  • Scenarios: Buying bread at a bakery, buying a train ticket, booking a hotel room, asking for a price in a shop.

  • Key phases: Greeting, asking for the product/service, asking the price, paying (simulation), saying goodbye.

    • Official Evaluation Criteria

    For level A1, the expectations are adapted to beginners:

    1. Phonetics: You do not need a perfect accent. You just need to be understood.

    2. Vocabulary: Basic lexical repertoire (numbers, colors, family, simple objects).

    3. Grammar (Morphosyntax): Ability to make simple sentences (Subject + Verb) and ask simple questions. Errors are expected and accepted.

    4. Interaction: Politeness is crucial (“Bonjour”, “S’il vous plaît”, “Merci”, “Au revoir”).

    Example Role-play (Part 3)

    Scenario: At the bakery.

    Candidate: “Bonjour Monsieur.”

    Examiner: “Bonjour.”

    Candidate: “Je voudrais une baguette et deux croissants, s’il vous plaît.”

    Examiner: “Voilà. Ce sera tout ?”

    Candidate: “Oui, c’est combien ?”

    Examiner: “3 euros 50.”

    Candidate: “Voilà. Merci, au revoir !”

    Get ready for DELF A1

    Use OralPrep to simulate these exact scenarios and get instant feedback on your pronunciation and sentence structure.

    Try the Simulator