DELF B2 Exam Structure and Tips to Score High

4 sections, 25 points each

DELF's pass rule: 50/100 isn't the whole story

Beyond needing a total of 50/100 or higher, DELF also requires at least 5/25 in every section — meaning a strong section can't carry a weak one if that weak section falls below the floor. Many candidates fail despite a high total score because one specific section (usually Speaking) drops under this threshold.

B2 Speaking is a different animal from A2/B1

From B2 up, Speaking stops being free-form conversation and becomes "défendre un point de vue" — you get a short document (a news article, an announcement) on a debatable topic, get prep time, then present and defend your position in front of the examiners like a small-scale debate. This is where most candidates lose the most points, because they train the wrong thing — fluency instead of structured argumentation.

Tips per section

• Listening: listen to French news daily (RFI, France Info), and practice taking quick notes on the first pass instead of waiting for the second listen to write anything down.
• Reading: skim the headline and opening paragraph before reading in detail, so you locate the information you need instead of reading start to finish in order.
• Writing: drill a fixed structure (opening stating your position — two body paragraphs with examples — conclusion), and practice under strict time limits to get used to the real pressure.
• Speaking: train "defending an opinion" as its own skill, not as free conversation — practice stating a claim, backing it with an example, and responding to the examiner's counter-questions.

Oui Academy's Speaking Curriculum is built around the two sections B2 candidates lose the most points on — Speaking and Writing — trained to the exact "defend your position" format of the real exam.