DELE A1 exam-day guide
DELE A1 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Original ID document (passport or national ID card)
Bring the original, physical document you registered with. The name and details must match your registration exactly. Photocopies, photos on a phone or expired documents are not accepted.
Registration confirmation / exam entry letter
Print or download the confirmation document you received when you enrolled; it usually shows your candidate number, venue, room and timetable. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital version is enough.
Two or three blue or black pens
Bring spares. Pens are normally used for the written expression tasks. Confirm with the provider which writing instrument is required for each paper.
Pencil(s), eraser and sharpener
Multiple-choice answer sheets are often completed in pencil so answers can be corrected cleanly. Confirm the accepted pencil type and whether pencil is permitted with the provider.
A simple non-smart wristwatch
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock and phones are not allowed on the desk. Confirm with the provider whether a watch may be worn.
Exact venue details and a travel plan
Check the full address, building, room and reporting time, and plan your route with a buffer for delays. Do a trial run or check the map the day before.
Phone switched off and stored as instructed
Leave it at home if possible. If you must bring it, switch it off completely (not silent) and hand it in or store it exactly as the invigilators direct.
Light snack and water for the break
There is normally a pause between the first block of papers and the later ones, but the schedule varies. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed in the building or exam room.
Nothing that could be considered study material
Leave dictionaries, notes, books, tablets and smart devices at home. Only authorised items should be on your desk.
Arrive early
Aim to be at the venue well before the reporting time (around 30 minutes is a safe habit) so you can find the room, show your ID and settle in. Confirm the exact reporting time with the provider.
Check your oral test slot
The speaking test may be scheduled in the afternoon of the same day or on a different day/slot. Verify your personal timetable on the confirmation document and with the provider.
Plan the day
Re-read your confirmation document and confirm date, reporting time, full venue address, room and your oral test slot with the provider. Check that your ID is valid and that the name matches your registration. Do one full timed practice run under exam conditions (reading 45 min, listening 20 min, writing 25 min) so the timings feel familiar. Plan your journey and decide what you will take. Stop trying to learn new grammar; consolidate task formats and useful phrases instead.
Pack your bag: original ID, confirmation document, pens, pencil, eraser, sharpener, watch, water/snack if permitted. Check transport for strikes or engineering works and set two alarms. Eat normally, avoid heavy cramming, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. A short, calm review of the task types (multiple-choice reading, short listening tasks, a short message/form and a short piece of writing, plus the oral tasks) is enough.
Eat breakfast and drink water. Leave with a generous buffer so you arrive early. Switch your phone off before entering the building. Have your original ID and confirmation ready to show. Follow the invigilators' instructions, sit where you are told, and check that your name and candidate number on the answer sheets are correct before you start.
Read the task instructions first, then work through the texts. Do not spend too long on one item: mark a provisional answer and move on, returning at the end if time allows. Transfer answers to the answer sheet carefully and erase changes completely.
Use the pause before each recording to read the questions. Audios are normally played more than once - use the first listening for the general idea and the second to confirm details (confirm the number of playings with the provider). Keep writing while the audio plays and finish transferring answers immediately afterwards.
Read both tasks fully and note what each one asks for (format, number of words, addressee). Spend a minute planning, write legibly, and leave a couple of minutes to check agreement, spelling and that you have covered every point required.
Use the preparation time to note key words, not a full script. Speak slowly and clearly, ask the examiner to repeat if needed, and keep going even after a mistake. Answer the task as asked - a short, clear, complete answer scores better than a memorised speech that does not fit the question.
Do not linger to compare answers, which only adds stress. Note anything you want to work on next, and keep your ID and confirmation safe until results are published. Check with the provider how and when results are released.
Rules to check
Bring the original ID document you registered with; photocopies, digital copies or expired documents are not accepted, and the name must match your registration.
Arrive at the reporting time stated on your confirmation. Admission of late candidates is at the provider's discretion - confirm the late-arrival policy with the provider before exam day.
Mobile phones, smartwatches and any other electronic devices must be switched off and stored as instructed. A device seen or heard during the test can lead to your exam being annulled.
Dictionaries, notes, books and unauthorised material are not allowed in the exam room; only authorised items may be on your desk.
Follow the invigilators' instructions at all times: do not open papers before you are told, and stop writing immediately when time is called. Talking, copying or looking at another candidate's work is misconduct.
Scoring is organised in two groups (reading plus writing, and listening plus speaking), each scored out of 50, and you normally need a minimum score in each group as well as an overall pass mark. The exact thresholds and any compensation rules should be confirmed with the provider.
The oral test may be on a different day or in a different slot from the written papers; check your personal timetable rather than assuming a single-day schedule.
If you are ill or cannot attend, contact the provider as soon as possible to ask about documented procedures; do not simply stay away without notifying them.