DELF B2 exam-day guide
DELF B2 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Convocation / exam notification
Print or download the convocation sent by your exam centre: it carries the date, times, room and candidate number. Check whether the oral is on the same day or a different one.
Photo ID
Bring the original identity document named on your registration (passport or national identity card). A photocopy is normally not accepted; check with your centre what it requires.
Black or blue ballpoint pens (two or three)
Written papers are handwritten. Bring spares plus a pencil and eraser for notes on the draft paper.
A watch (non-connected)
Rooms do not always have a visible clock, and phones must stay switched off. A plain analogue or digital watch is the safe option.
Water and a small snack
Collective tests can run two and a half hours or more, and the oral may be scheduled well after your arrival.
Confirmation of the oral exam time and place
The production orale is often on a separate day or in a different building from the written tests. Confirm the details with your centre rather than assuming.
Leave your dictionary and grammar book at home
Dictionaries and reference materials are not allowed in the exam room. Confirm the exact list of prohibited items with your centre.
Switch your phone off and put it away
A ringing or vibrating phone can lead to your paper being cancelled. Turn it off before entering the room, not just to silent.
Plan your route and arrival time
Aim to arrive at least 30 minutes early; centres set their own cut-off and may refuse entry to latecomers. Confirm the required arrival time with the provider.
Choose and prepare your oral presentation topic method
Read the document, extract the problem, build a two-part plan with examples, and rehearse a 8–10 minute talk so you can do it in the 30-minute preparation window.
Plan the day
Re-read the exam structure and your timing: listening ~30 min, reading 1h, writing 1h, and the oral (30 min preparation + 20 min with the examiners, usually on another day). Do one full timed mock of the written tests under real conditions.
Write two or three full production écrite pieces by hand (formal letter, argumentative article) and check your standard connectors and formal register. Handwriting speed matters.
Review your oral toolkit: structures for presenting a document, giving an opinion, conceding, and rebutting. Practise speaking aloud for 10 minutes without notes.
Confirm the address, room, and start time using the convocation, and check transport for the time of day. Lay out ID, convocation, pens, watch, water and snack in one bag.
Do light revision only: reread your own error list and a few model phrases. No new grammar. Sleep a full night - the written papers are long and attention-heavy.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive early, switch the phone off, and keep only authorised items on the desk. Go to the toilet before the room opens; breaks are limited.
Read the questions before each recording starts, note keywords on the draft paper, and use the pauses to answer. Recordings are played twice - don't try to write every word the first time.
Skim the questions first, then the text; answer in the order of the text and go back to check the exact wording for true/false-with-justification items.
Spend 10–15 minutes planning, write with clear paragraphs and connectors, then reserve 10 minutes to reread for agreement, tenses and register. Keep within the word count.
Use the 30-minute preparation to build a plan on the provided paper, structure your 10-minute presentation, then use the interaction phase to defend and nuance your position rather than repeat it.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID matching your registration; without it you may be refused entry. Ask your centre in advance what it accepts if you have any doubt.
Phones, smartwatches and connected devices must be off and out of reach; any device found on you during a test can void your result.
Dictionaries, grammar books and prepared notes are not allowed in the collective tests. Confirm with the provider whether any aid is permitted in the oral preparation room.
The four sections are each worth 25 points out of 100. A total of at least 50/100 is required, and a score below 5/25 in any single section is eliminatory - so never abandon one section entirely.
Use only the draft paper supplied by the centre and write your answers in the format requested (ink, no erasable pens unless stated). Ask the invigilator about correction fluid before the test, not during it.
Leaving the room during a collective test is usually only with permission and may not be allowed in the final minutes; confirm the centre's policy on breaks and exits.
The oral exam is a separate appointment: arrive early, bring your convocation and ID, and expect to be with two examiners. Times may shift, so plan for waiting.
Results are not given on the day. The certificate is issued later by the awarding body through your centre - confirm the publication date and collection method with the provider.