DELF B1 Speaking Part 1: Interview Example & Model Answers | OralPrep Guide
Part 1 of the DELF B1 speaking test — known as the entretien dirigé (directed interview) — lasts 2 to 3 minutes and starts the moment you sit down, with no preparation whatsoever. The examiner opens with something like: « Bonjour ! Pouvez-vous vous présenter, me parler de vous, de votre famille ? » and then steers the conversation towards your everyday life: hobbies, studies or work, recent travel, and plans for the future. The goal is not to deliver a flawless monologue, but to show you can talk about yourself naturally, develop your answers, vary verb tenses, and link ideas with connectors.
Quick summary (June 2026): Part 1 = 2–3 min, no preparation. The examiner asks about you (introduction, family, studies/work, hobbies, holidays, future plans). In the official grading scheme, task completion is worth up to 4/25 for this part, on top of the 13 points from the shared criteria (vocabulary, morphosyntax, phonology) that run across all three parts. Minimum pass mark for the whole speaking test: 5/25.
How Part 1 fits into the DELF B1 Speaking test
Here is the full structure of the Production Orale to put the directed interview in context:
| Part | Duration | Preparation | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 — Entretien dirigé (directed interview) | 2–3 min | None | Examiner questions about your life, family, and plans |
| Part 2 — Exercice en interaction (role play) | 3–4 min | None | Role play: you draw 2 topics and choose 1 |
| Part 3 — Expression d’un point de vue (opinion) | 5–7 min | 10 min (before the test, for Part 3 only) | Short talk (~3 min) from a document, then discussion with the examiner |
The three parts run back to back in 10 to 15 minutes. The 10 minutes of preparation take place before you enter the room and apply only to Part 3. For a full breakdown of the test structure and official criteria, see our guide on the DELF B1 speaking structure and criteria.
The questions examiners really ask
There is no published official list, but the themes are consistent across sessions. These are the ten most frequent questions, roughly in the order they tend to appear:
- Can you introduce yourself and tell me a little about you?
- Tell me about your family.
- Are you studying or working at the moment?
- What do you enjoy most about your studies / your job?
- What do you like doing in your spare time?
- Tell me about your last holiday.
- Is there somewhere you have always dreamed of visiting? Why?
- What is your town or neighbourhood like?
- What are your plans for the next few years?
- Why are you learning French?
The examiner picks follow-up questions based on what you say, so the conversation does not always follow this order. What matters is that you give developed answers, not single-sentence replies.
Worked example
This is the opening prompt as it appears in official test sessions:
« Bonjour ! Pour commencer, pouvez-vous vous présenter, me parler de vous, de votre famille, de ce que vous faites ? »
(Hello! To start, could you introduce yourself, tell me about you, your family, what you do?)
Model Answer 1 — Full self-introduction
« Bonjour ! Je m’appelle Sofia, j’ai vingt-six ans et je suis originaire de Barcelone, en Espagne. Actuellement, je travaille dans une agence de communication où je gère les réseaux sociaux de plusieurs clients. Avant, j’ai fait des études de journalisme à l’université pendant quatre ans, et depuis deux ans je suis dans ce poste. Ma famille est assez grande : j’ai deux frères et mes parents habitent toujours à Barcelone. Moi, je vis dans un appartement avec une amie depuis que j’ai commencé à travailler. En ce qui concerne mes centres d’intérêt, j’adore la photographie — je viens d’acheter un nouvel appareil — et je fais du yoga deux fois par semaine. J’apprends le français parce que mon entreprise travaille avec des clients francophones et j’aimerais pouvoir les rencontrer directement. »
This answer moves through present tense (je travaille, je vis), passé composé (j’ai fait, j’ai commencé), the recent past (je viens d’acheter), and the conditional of wish (j’aimerais). The bold connectors — Actuellement, Avant, depuis, En ce qui concerne — structure the talk without making it sound rehearsed. At roughly 130 words, it fills the 2–3 minute slot comfortably without rushing.
The examiner follows up:
« Parlez-moi de vos dernières vacances. »
(Tell me about your last holiday.)
Model Answer 2 — Last holiday (passé composé + imparfait)
« L’été dernier, je suis allée au Portugal avec deux amies, à Lisbonne et à Porto. On a passé huit jours là-bas. Ce qui m’a le plus marquée, c’est l’architecture : les azulejos, les tramways anciens… C’était vraiment dépaysant. On a beaucoup marché parce qu’on voulait tout voir à pied. Le soir, on cherchait des petits restaurants locaux — on évitait les endroits touristiques. Je ne savais pas du tout parler portugais, donc j’utilisais l’espagnol et ça fonctionnait plutôt bien ! J’ai eu un vrai coup de cœur pour Porto, c’était plus calme que Lisbonne et les gens étaient très accueillants. J’aimerais y retourner l’année prochaine. »
The passé composé carries the sequence of completed events (je suis allée, on a passé, on a beaucoup marché), while the imparfait handles descriptions and habitual actions (c’était, on évitait, j’utilisais). This contrast is one of the key markers the examiner is listening for to award the B1+ band in morphosyntax.
New follow-up:
« Quels sont vos projets pour l’avenir ? »
(What are your plans for the future?)
Model Answer 3 — Future plans (futur simple + conditionnel)
« À court terme, je passerai cet examen DELF et, si je réussis, je continuerai à apprendre le français jusqu’au niveau B2. Dans quelques années, j’aimerais changer de poste et travailler dans une entreprise internationale, peut-être à Paris ou à Bruxelles — je ne sais pas encore exactement. Ce qui m’attire, c’est de pouvoir travailler dans un environnement multilingue. Par ailleurs, je voudrais aussi ouvrir un compte Instagram dédié à la photographie de voyage. C’est un projet plus personnel, mais ça me tient vraiment à cœur. En tout cas, je pense que les prochaines années vont être très riches en expériences ! »
The futur simple (je passerai, je continuerai) alternates with the conditional of wish (j’aimerais, je voudrais), showing command of the nuance between certainty and desire — a discriminating factor for the B1+ band. The expression ça me tient vraiment à cœur (it really matters to me) is exactly the kind of idiomatic phrase that pushes the vocabulary score into the higher band.
Practice Part 1 with official grading band feedback
OralPrep simulates the DELF B1 directed interview and scores your answer by band — task completion, vocabulary, morphosyntax, phonology — with the exact points to improve.
Start your free practice sessionWhy these answers score B1+
The official grading scheme (revised in 2022) assesses four criteria, each by band:
| Criterion | Bands | What it looks like in the model answers |
|---|---|---|
| Task completion — Part 1 | 0 / 1 / 2.5 (B1) / 4 (B1+) | Developed answers on every topic the examiner raises; no single-sentence replies |
| Vocabulary (shared) | 0 / 1 / 3 (B1) / 5 (B1+) | “dépaysant”, “azulejos”, “environnement multilingue”, “coup de cœur” — precise and varied |
| Morphosyntax (shared) | 0 / 1 / 2.5 (B1) / 4 (B1+) | Passé composé vs imparfait correctly contrasted; futur simple + conditional; subordinate clauses |
| Phonology (shared) | 0 / 1 / 2.5 (B1) / 4 (B1+) | Steady pace, no excessively long pauses, intelligible even with a foreign accent |
B1 band (2.5 pts) vs B1+ band (4 pts) for task completion: the difference is not grammatical accuracy — it is the richness of development. A B1 candidate answers with two or three correct sentences. A B1+ candidate develops each idea, provides concrete details (les azulejos, les tramways), qualifies (peut-être, je ne sais pas encore), and spontaneously moves to a related sub-topic without waiting for the next prompt.
For vocabulary, the jump from B1 (3 pts) to B1+ (5 pts) requires dropping generic fillers like faire, avoir, bien and replacing them with more precise words: gérer, dépaysant, accueillant, me tenir à cœur.
Phrases you can reuse
Grouped by function:
Introducing yourself
- « Je suis originaire de… / Je viens de… » (I’m from…)
- « Actuellement, je travaille / j’étudie… » (Right now, I work / I study…)
- « Ça fait [duration] que je… » (I’ve been doing… for [duration])
Talking about your background
- « Avant, j’ai fait des études de… » (Before, I studied…)
- « J’ai commencé à… il y a [duration]. » (I started… [duration] ago.)
- « Ce qui m’a amené(e) à… c’est que… » (What led me to… is that…)
Talking about hobbies
- « En dehors du travail / des cours, je… » (Outside of work / class, I…)
- « Je suis passionné(e) par… » (I’m passionate about…)
- « J’y consacre [frequency] environ. » (I spend roughly [frequency] on it.)
Talking about plans
- « À court terme, j’aimerais… » (In the short term, I’d like to…)
- « Dans quelques années, je pense que je… » (In a few years, I think I’ll…)
- « Ce qui m’attire vraiment, c’est de… » (What really appeals to me is…)
Buying time (communication strategies)
- « Alors, comment dire… » (So, how can I put this…)
- « C’est une bonne question… » (That’s a good question…)
- « Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ? » (Could you repeat that, please?)
- « Si je comprends bien, vous me demandez… » (If I understand correctly, you’re asking me…)
Typical mistakes in the directed interview
Reciting a memorised introduction. Examiners are trained to spot flat intonation and unnatural pace. If you recite, the examiner will cut in with an off-script question — and that is when candidates freeze. Prepare ideas, not scripts.
Answering with a single sentence. « J’habite à Madrid » is not a B1 answer. Always develop: where, for how long, what you like about your city, what you miss.
Using only the present tense. If your entire answer is in the present, you stay in band 1 for morphosyntax. Holidays are narrated in the passé composé and imparfait. Plans use the futur simple or conditional. Varied tense use is not optional at B1.
Inventing a simpler persona. Some candidates think a made-up profile will be easier to talk about. The opposite is true: you will have to improvise consistent details under pressure, and the risk of contradicting yourself is high. Talk about yourself.
Falling silent instead of asking for clarification. A long silence costs points in phonology and fluency. The right move: ask politely. « Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ? » is a communication skill, not an admission of failure.
For a complete picture of pitfalls across the whole speaking test, read our article on common mistakes in the DELF B1 speaking test.
What comes next
Once Part 1 ends, the examiner moves straight into Part 2. Find full worked examples for the rest of the test:
- Part 2 — Role play: worked example with model answers
- Part 3 — Giving an opinion: worked example with model answers
Simulate the directed interview and get your band score
Answer the real Part 1 questions, listen back to your recording, and receive AI feedback aligned with the official DELF grading scheme — task completion, vocabulary, morphosyntax, phonology.
Practice Part 1 nowFrequently asked questions
How long is Part 1 of the DELF B1 speaking test and is there preparation time?
Part 1 (the directed interview, or entretien dirigé) lasts 2 to 3 minutes. There is no preparation time for this part. The 10-minute preparation window given before the test is reserved exclusively for Part 3.
What does the examiner ask in DELF B1 Speaking Part 1?
The examiner asks you to introduce yourself, then follows up on topics close to your daily life: family, studies or work, hobbies, recent holidays, and future plans.
How is Part 1 graded in the official marking scheme?
Task completion for Part 1 is worth up to 4 points (bands: 0 / 1 / 2.5 at B1 level / 4 at B1+). It combines with the shared criteria: vocabulary (0/1/3/5), morphosyntax (0/1/2.5/4), and phonology (0/1/2.5/4), which run across all three parts.
Can I prepare scripted answers for Part 1?
No. The examiner asks unpredictable follow-up questions and will spot a memorised speech immediately. Prepare ideas about yourself, not texts to recite.
What should I do if I do not understand a question?
Ask politely for clarification: 'Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?' (Could you repeat that, please?) or 'Je n'ai pas bien compris' (I didn't quite understand). This is a legitimate communication strategy, not a failure.
Does Part 1 count the same as Parts 2 and 3?
Task completion carries the same maximum of 4 points in each part. However, Part 3 is longer and therefore generates more evidence for the shared criteria (vocabulary, morphosyntax, phonology), which together account for 13 of the 25 total points.