The DELF A2 exam will test you on the four language skills in French: reading, writing, listening and speaking. We’ve detailed some tips and practice resources for each skill to help you better prepare for your test. Let’s get started!
Table of contents:
Reading comprehension
30 minutes / 25 points
You'll be given three or four short texts dealing with various situations from everyday life, along with a questionnaire to test your comprehension.
Tips
Read the articles carefully before looking over the questions. Make sure you understand them and then read the articles again. If there are any words you don't know, use the rest of the article as context to figure out what they probably mean.
Practice
The best way to prepare for the reading portion of your DELF A1 exam is to read regularly in French. We publish many French articles and transcripts on a variety of topics in our Bilingual Reader, where you can read the text in French and click on any phrase to see the English translation as well as related grammar lessons:
A2: Lower intermediate French reading exercises
You can also borrow or buy French readers or children's books, and look for French websites that use relatively simple language, such as sites for children (e.g., 1 jour 1 actu), shopping, travel, or entertainment. Regular reading will help you learn new grammar and vocabulary, which will help you with the other language skills as well.
Try these online exercises from one of our Education Partners here at Learn French With Alexa and Kwiziq: A2 reading comprehension.
Writing skills
45 minutes / 25 points
Two parts:
- Describe an event or personal experience
- Write a letter with a specific purpose (invitation, apology, thank you, etc)
Tips
Be sure you understand your task and don't forget to proofread what you write. Pay particular attention to spelling and accents.
Practice
We publish new writing challenges for our Premium subscribers every Friday, but you can find a couple of free exercises in our library to practise your French:
A2: Lower intermediate French writing challenges
Try writing a paragraph or two about a personal experience (party, vacation, etc.). Post it on an online forum such as Lang-8 and request corrections from native French speakers.
Listening comprehension
25 minutes / 25 points
You'll listen, twice, to three or four short recordings (3-5 minutes each) dealing with everyday situations, then answer questions in order to demonstrate how well you understand.
Tips
On the first listen, try to get an overall sense of the topic. On the second, pay particular attention to the details. Don't let unfamiliar words or structures distract you from listening to the recording. It's more important to answer the questions accurately than it is to write in perfect French: you're being graded here on comprehension, not how you write.
Practice
You can and should practice for at least a few minutes every day: listen to the radio, watch TV and movies, talk to people if you can. Even if you don't understand every word, listening will help your brain get used to these unfamiliar sounds.
Our reading exercises mentioned above also include videos or audio files so that you can work on your listening comprehension too:
A2: Lower intermediate French listening exercises
Be sure to try one of our amazing dictées which let you practice listening comprehension and writing skills at the same time. Here's a free exercise you can do first: Au cirque
Also, try these online exercises from on of our Education Partners here at Learn French With Alexa and Kwiziq: A2 listening comprehension
Speaking skills
20 minutes / 25 points
This test includes three parts:
- Directed interview
- Information exchange
- Simulated dialogue
Tips
For the first two parts, listen carefully to what the examiner says and answer only that. You'll have 10 minutes to prepare for the third part: use this time to study the images you're given and figure out what you can say about them or how you can use them as props in the dialogue (e.g., "pay" with a picture of money).
Practice
Seek out native speakers. Talking to a variety of people will help you get more comfortable with different speaking styles, speeds, and accents - which helps your listening comprehension as well.
Here are some of our articles with great resources to help you practice your French speaking skills:
- Practice speaking French, whether or not you're in France
- Online speaking practice
- Solo speaking practice
Beyond the four skills
Getting ready for your French DELF A2 exam is just one step towards an even bigger goal: becoming fluent in French!
Improve your French skills by creating your free account with Learn French With Alexa and Kwiziq and get your personalized study plan based on your current French level. Kwizbot, your AI language coach, will inject the right amount of challenge and fun into your study plan to keep you always learning and always progressing.
Related info:
8 Official French Proficiency Tests & Diplomas
The DELF A2 Exam: What to Expect & How to practise with Learn French With Alexa and Kwiziq
