DELF A1 Sample Paper 3 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 article in your town’s newspaper. Answer the questions.

Un nouveau marché le jeudi soir

À Clairval, depuis mai, il y a un nouveau marché devant la gare. Il ouvre le jeudi, de 18 heures à 20 heures.

Dix-sept marchands sont là : Karim vend du pain, Louise du fromage et Paul des légumes. « J’achète mon fromage ici après le travail », dit Nadia, une cliente. Elle travaille à la mairie.

Cet été, le marché propose un concert dans le parc en juin, un film en juillet et un cours de cuisine en août.

Article written for this sample paper

1. Où est le nouveau marché ?
- A Dans le parc.
- B À la mairie.
- C Devant la gare.
2. Au marché, il y a…
- A 17 marchands.
- B 18 marchands.
- C 20 marchands.
3. Qui vend du fromage ?
- A Karim.
- B Louise.
- C Paul.
4. Nadia achète…
- A du pain.
- B des légumes.
- C du fromage.
5. En juin, le marché propose…
- A un film.
- B un concert.
- C un cours de cuisine.

See the answer key +

1 → C. “Il y a un nouveau marché devant la gare” (there is a new market in front of the station): the place is in the first sentence.

Trap: the park is for the concert in June, and the town hall is where Nadia works.

2 → A. “Dix-sept marchands sont là” (seventeen stallholders are there): “dix-sept” is 17.

Trap: 18 and 20 are the market’s hours (from 6 pm to 8 pm), not the number of stallholders.

3 → B. “Louise du fromage”: the verb “vend” (sells) is written only once, for the three stallholders. Louise sells cheese.

Trap: Karim sells bread and Paul sells vegetables.

4 → C. “J’achète mon fromage ici après le travail” (I buy my cheese here after work), says Nadia: she only mentions cheese.

Trap: bread and vegetables are also sold at the market, but Nadia does not say that she buys any.

5 → B. “Un concert dans le parc en juin” (a concert in the park in June): each summer activity has its own month.

Trap: the film is in July and the cooking class is in August.

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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

InstructionsVous allez habiter un mois chez une famille française, à Tours, pour apprendre le français. Vous écrivez un courriel à Madame Morel, la mère de famille : vous vous présentez (nom, âge, pays, ville), vous dites ce que vous aimez et vous posez une question sur la famille ou la maison. (40 mots minimum)

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See the annotated model answer +

Bonjour Madame Morel,polite greeting: you do not know the person, so use “vous”

Je m’appelle Diego Ramos et j’ai vingt-deux ans. Je suis mexicain et j’habite à Puebla.introducing yourself: name, age, country and city, as the task asks

J’aime beaucoup le football et la cuisine, mais je ne mange pas de viande.likes, with “mais” and a piece of information the family can use

Est-ce que vous avez des animaux à la maison ?the required question, built with “est-ce que” and “vous”

Je suis très content de venir chez vous.one friendly sentence before closing

Merci et à bientôt, Diegothanks + a simple closing formula

Official grid criterion

Points

Task fulfilment

3 / 3

Coherence and cohesion

2,5 / 3

Sociolinguistic appropriateness

3 / 3

Vocabulary (including lexical spelling)

3 / 3

Morphosyntax (grammar)

3 / 3

Examiner's note: The message gives the four pieces of information for the introduction (name, age, country, city), the likes and a question about the home: the whole task is covered. The “vous” form, “Bonjour Madame Morel” and “Merci et à bientôt” suit a person the candidate does not know, and the forms (the negative “ne… pas de”, “est-ce que”) are correct. Half a point is held back on coherence: the sentences follow a logical order, but the only connectors are “et” and “mais”.

Vocabulary · Food shopping

Complete each sentence with the option that fits.

Vocabulary · Food shopping5 points · 5 min

InstructionsYou are doing your food shopping in France. Complete each sentence with the right word.

1. J’achète des fruits : des pommes et des ______.
- A carottes
- B oranges
- C œufs
2. Je voudrais un ______ de tomates, s’il vous plaît.
- A litre
- B verre
- C kilo
3. Au marché, vous demandez le prix : « Ça coûte ______ ? »
- A combien
- B quand
- C comment
4. Je voudrais une ______ d’eau minérale.
- A tranche
- B bouteille
- C douzaine
5. Le ______ vend du pain et des croissants.
- A boulanger
- B boucher
- C pharmacien

See the answer key +

1 → B. “Oranges” are fruit, like apples, bananas or strawberries.

Trap: “carottes” (carrots) are vegetables. They are sold on the same stall, but they are not fruit.

2 → C. Fruit and vegetables are sold by weight: “un kilo de tomates” (a kilo of tomatoes), 500 grams of strawberries.

Trap: “litre” and “verre” (glass) are for drinks (a litre of milk, a glass of water).

3 → A. To ask for a price you use “combien” (how much), as in “Ça coûte combien” or “C’est combien”. The answer is a number of euros.

Trap: “quand” asks about a time and “comment” asks about a manner, not a price.

4 → B. Water, milk and fruit juice are bought by the bottle: “une bouteille d’eau minérale” (a bottle of mineral water).

Trap: “une tranche” (a slice) is for ham or bread, and “une douzaine” means twelve (a dozen eggs).

5 → A. “Le boulanger” (the baker) works at the bakery: he makes and sells bread.

Trap: “le boucher” (the butcher) sells meat. Both words start with “bou”, but they are different shops.

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 short newspaper article, write to someone you do not know (using “vous”) and practise shopping vocabulary. The other two papers offer a message from a friend with a postcard, and a notice with a reply to an invitation.

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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