DELF A1 Sample Paper 2 with Answers (PDF)

Reading comprehension · Exercise 1

Read the document, then answer each question by choosing the right option.

Reading comprehension · Exercise 110 points · 10 min

InstructionsYou read this notice at the entrance of a media library. Answer the questions.

Médiathèque des Tilleuls

MÉDIATHÈQUE DES TILLEULS 5 place du Marché, Nantes

Horaires Mardi et jeudi : de 14 h à 18 h Mercredi : de 10 h à 18 h Samedi : de 9 h à 13 h

Cette semaine Mercredi : histoires pour les enfants, au café Jeudi : atelier de dessin pour les adultes, dans le jardin (2 euros) Samedi : film pour les adolescents, salle bleue

Inscription gratuite avec une pièce d’identité. Interdit de manger dans les salles.

Notice written for this sample paper

1. Le samedi, la médiathèque ferme…
- A à 13 heures.
- B à 14 heures.
- C à 18 heures.
2. Mercredi, il y a…
- A un film.
- B des histoires.
- C un atelier de dessin.
3. Les histoires sont…
- A dans le jardin.
- B dans la salle bleue.
- C au café.
4. L’atelier de dessin est pour…
- A les enfants.
- B les adultes.
- C les adolescents.
5. Qu’est-ce qui coûte 2 euros ?
- A L’inscription.
- B Le film.
- C L’atelier de dessin.

See the answer key +

1 → A. The Saturday line, “de 9 h à 13 h” (from 9 am to 1 pm), shows that on Saturdays the library opens at 9 am and closes at 1 pm.

Trap: 6 pm is the closing time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. 2 pm is the opening time on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

2 → B. The line that starts with “Mercredi” (Wednesday) names the “histoires pour les enfants” (stories for children): each line of the programme starts with the day.

Trap: the drawing workshop is on Thursday and the film is on Saturday.

3 → C. The Wednesday line, “histoires pour les enfants, au café”, ends with the place: story time is in the café.

Trap: the garden is for the drawing workshop, and the blue room is for the film.

4 → B. “Atelier de dessin pour les adultes” (drawing workshop for adults): the notice says who each activity is for.

Trap: children have story time on Wednesday, and teenagers have the film on Saturday.

5 → C. “(2 euros)” is written on the Thursday line, after the drawing workshop: it is the price of the workshop.

Trap: registration is free, and the notice gives no price for the film.

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Get the full paper as a PDF

Print-ready, sent by email. Free. The paper and answer keys are in French, like the real exam.

✓All 3 exercises with detailed answer keys
✓The model answer annotated line by line
✓The official grading grid explained

Writing · Short letter

Write your text under exam conditions, then compare it with the annotated model answer.

Writing · Short letter15 points · 20 min

InstructionsVotre ami français Hugo vous invite à un pique-nique dimanche, au parc. Vous répondez par courriel : vous acceptez, vous dites à quelle heure vous arrivez et ce que vous apportez. Vous posez une question sur le pique-nique. (40 mots minimum)

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See the annotated model answer +

Salut Hugo,informal greeting: you are writing to a friend, so use “tu”

Merci pour ton invitation ! Je viens dimanche avec plaisir, parce que j’adore les pique-niques.thank, then accept, with a simple reason (“parce que”)

Je prends le bus, alors j’arrive au parc à midi et demi.the arrival time, linked to the transport with “alors”

J’apporte une salade de tomates et du jus d’orange. J’ai aussi un ballon pour jouer.what I bring: two food items and one extra detail

Est-ce que ta sœur vient aussi ?the required question, built with “est-ce que”

À dimanche ! Bises, Aminafriendly closing formula + first name

Official grid criterion

Points

Task fulfilment

3 / 3

Coherence and cohesion

3 / 3

Sociolinguistic appropriateness

3 / 3

Vocabulary (including lexical spelling)

3 / 3

Morphosyntax (grammar)

2,5 / 3

Examiner's note: The email does everything the task asks: it accepts the invitation, gives the arrival time, says what the candidate is bringing and asks a question. The sentences are short and linked with “parce que” and “alors”, with a greeting and a closing that suit a friend: this is the top of the official A1 grid. Half a point is held back on morphosyntax: everything is in the present tense, in safe structures, with no other slightly more ambitious form.

Vocabulary · Time and days

Complete each sentence with the option that fits.

Vocabulary · Time and days5 points · 5 min

InstructionsYou are talking about your week. Complete each sentence with the right word.

1. Aujourd’hui, c’est lundi. Demain, c’est ______.
- A mardi
- B dimanche
- C mercredi
2. Il est 12 h 00, je déjeune : il est ______.
- A minuit
- B midi et demi
- C midi
3. Le ______, à 7 heures, je me lève et je prends mon petit déjeuner.
- A matin
- B soir
- C midi
4. Il est 8 h 15 : il est huit heures ______.
- A et demie
- B et quart
- C moins le quart
5. Le cours commence à 9 h et finit à 11 h : il dure deux ______.
- A minutes
- B jours
- C heures

See the answer key +

1 → A. The days follow this order: lundi, mardi, mercredi (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). The day after Monday is “mardi”.

Trap: “dimanche” (Sunday) is yesterday, the day before Monday, not tomorrow.

2 → C. 12:00 in the middle of the day is “midi” (noon). It is lunchtime.

Trap: “minuit” is midnight, in the middle of the night. “Midi et demi” is 12:30.

3 → A. You get up and have “le petit déjeuner” (breakfast) in “le matin” (the morning), at the start of the day.

Trap: in the evening (“le soir”) you have dinner. And “le midi” is 12 o’clock, lunchtime, not 7 o’clock.

4 → B. Fifteen minutes past the hour is “et quart”: 8:15 is “huit heures et quart” (quarter past eight).

Trap: “et demie” means half past (8:30). “Huit heures moins le quart” is 7:45.

5 → C. From 9 to 11 o’clock is two “heures” (hours). One hour is 60 minutes.

Trap: “un jour” (a day) is 24 hours. The class starts and ends on the same day.

Other levels

DELF A1 sample paper→DELF A2 sample paper→DELF B1 sample paper→DELF B2 sample paper→

Frequently asked questions

Is this a real exam paper?+

No. Official exam papers are never published. This sample paper was written to the exact format of the exam (exercise types, scoring, timing) for faithful practice.

How is this paper different from the other two DELF A1 sample papers?+

All three papers share the same scoring and timing, but not the same documents. Here you read a notice in a public place (opening hours and programme), reply to an invitation by email and practise clock time and days. The other two papers offer a message from a friend with a postcard, and a short article with a message introducing yourself.

How do I get my own text marked?+

On delfprep, the free demo (one per account) grades one writing answer against the official grid. Full timed mock exams, with graded writing and speaking, are part of the paid plans.

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