How long is the DELF B1 oral exam?

About 15 minutes total, with 10 minutes of preparation time beforehand. Three tasks: (1) a guided interview about you, roughly 2 minutes, (2) an interactive role-play with the examiner, 3-4 minutes, (3) presenting and defending an opinion based on a short text you prepared, 5-7 minutes. The preparation period covers task 3 only.

What questions are asked in DELF B1 oral production?

Task 1 questions are predictable: name and origin, profession or studies, hobbies, daily routine, family, recent travel, weekend plans, why you're learning French, future career plans, places you'd like to visit. Preparing 60-second answers for each of these is the single highest-leverage preparation for the DELF B1 oral.

How is DELF B1 oral graded?

25 points total across 4 criteria: ability to express oneself spontaneously (4 points), interactive competence (3-4 points), lexical and grammatical range (4-5 points), morphosyntactic correction (4-5 points), and pronunciation (2-3 points). The exact weighting varies slightly by task. Conditional and subjunctive forms are explicitly rewarded under lexical/grammatical range.

What level of French do I need for DELF B1 oral?

CEFR B1. You need to spontaneously hold a 2-minute monologue on a familiar topic without long silences, conduct a basic role-play with the examiner using appropriate register, and present + defend an opinion on a topic you've had 10 minutes to prepare. Your conditional forms (je voudrais, j'aimerais) and passé composé / imparfait usage need to be reliable, not perfect.

How do I prepare for the DELF B1 oral exam?

Three steps: (1) prepare and memorize 60-90 second answers for the 10 predictable Task 1 questions, (2) practice 5 role-play scenarios with a tutor (booking, complaining, asking advice, dealing with a problem, persuading), (3) practice opinion presentation: take any short text and rehearse a 3-minute structured response. Weekly italki tutor sessions for 8-12 weeks is the standard preparation.

DELF B1 oral production: the 10 questions the examiner asks every time

The DELF B1 oral exam is the most predictable section of the entire exam. The format is fixed, the question types are public knowledge, and Task 1 questions barely change across sessions. With 8-12 weeks of focused prep, you can walk in knowing roughly what's coming.

This article gives you the 10 Task 1 questions that show up every session, the 5 Task 2 role-play archetypes, and the structure for Task 3 (the opinion-defence task).

For the full DELF B1 format breakdown including the written sections, see the DELF B1 prep guide.

The 3 tasks

Task	Time	What you do
Task 1: Guided interview	~2 min	Examiner asks you a series of questions about yourself. You answer.
Task 2: Interactive exercise	3-4 min	Role-play: you draw a scenario card, conduct a dialogue with the examiner.
Task 3: Express and defend an opinion	5-7 min	You prepare a short text (10 min beforehand), present and defend the opinion it raises.

Each is scored separately, all four oral-production criteria apply throughout.

Task 1: The 10 predictable questions

These come up in nearly every session. Prepare and memorize a 60-90 second answer for each. Don't write a script word-for-word, write bullet points you can riff from. The examiner can tell when you're reciting; they want spontaneity.

1. Présentez-vous (Introduce yourself)

Cover: name, age, where you live, profession or studies. Three sentences max. Save the depth for follow-ups.

Bonjour, je m'appelle [name], j'ai [age] ans, et j'habite à [city]. Je suis [profession/studies] depuis [duration]. J'apprends le français depuis environ [duration].

2. Parlez-moi de votre famille

Cover: who's in it (parents, siblings, partner, kids), where they live, what they do. Two minutes of content max.

J'ai une famille assez grande. Mes parents habitent à [city], où mon père est [profession] et ma mère [profession]. J'ai [number] frère(s) et sœur(s), [details]. Nous sommes très proches; on s'appelle souvent au téléphone.

3. Quels sont vos passe-temps préférés ?

Pick 2-3 hobbies; describe one in depth. Use the conditional to express preferences (j'aimerais, je voudrais) for bonus marks.

J'ai plusieurs passe-temps. Le premier, c'est [hobby 1], que je pratique depuis [duration]. J'aime aussi [hobby 2], surtout le weekend. Si j'avais plus de temps, je voudrais [hobby 3].

4. Décrivez votre journée typique

Use présent throughout, with reflexive verbs (je me lève, je m'habille, je me couche). Pure A2 territory but expected fluency at B1.

En semaine, je me lève à [time]. Je prends mon petit-déjeuner, puis je vais au travail / à l'université. Je commence vers [time] et je finis à [time]. Le soir, je [activity], et je me couche assez tôt.

5. Que faites-vous le week-end ?

Mix of habitual (présent) and last weekend (passé composé). Examiner is checking your passé composé control.

Le week-end, j'aime bien [activity]. Le samedi, je [activity]. Le dimanche, c'est plus calme. Le week-end dernier par exemple, je suis allé(e) [place] avec [person]. Nous avons [activity].

6. Pourquoi apprenez-vous le français ?

This is the question they want a personal answer to. Generic "I love French culture" is fine, but specific is better.

J'apprends le français pour plusieurs raisons. D'abord, [personal reason]. Ensuite, [practical reason, e.g., work / travel / family]. Et j'aime aussi [cultural reason, e.g., literature / cinema / music]. À long terme, je voudrais [goal].

7. Parlez-moi de votre ville / pays

Use comparatives. Mix présent and imparfait if describing how it was vs how it is now.

J'habite à [city], qui se trouve dans [region/country]. C'est une ville [size, character]. Ce qui me plaît, c'est [aspect]. Ce qui me plaît moins, c'est [aspect]. Quand j'étais petit(e), la ville était [imparfait], mais maintenant elle [présent].

8. Parlez-moi d'un voyage que vous avez fait

The passé composé / imparfait distinction question. The examiner is specifically checking this.

L'année dernière, j'ai voyagé à [destination] pendant [duration]. C'était [imparfait: weather, atmosphere]. J'ai visité [places], et j'ai mangé [food]. Le moment le plus mémorable a été [event]. J'avais [imparfait: feeling] parce que [reason].

9. Quels sont vos projets pour les vacances / l'avenir ?

Use futur proche (je vais + infinitive) for near plans, futur simple (je partirai) for further plans, and conditionnel (j'aimerais) for ideal plans.

Pour les prochaines vacances, je vais [futur proche: concrete plan]. À plus long terme, je voudrais [conditionnel: aspirational plan]. Si j'avais le temps et l'argent, j'irais [conditionnel: dream plan].

10. Quel est votre plat / film / livre préféré, et pourquoi ?

Pick one. Justify with at least 2 specific reasons. Use opinion phrases (à mon avis, je trouve que, ce que j'aime c'est…).

Mon plat préféré, c'est [dish]. Je l'aime pour deux raisons. D'abord, [reason 1, with example]. Ensuite, [reason 2, with example]. La première fois que j'ai mangé ce plat, c'était [story].

Task 2: The 5 role-play archetypes

The examiner hands you a scenario card. You initiate and conduct a dialogue. The scenarios fall into about 5 categories:

Type	Examples
Booking / reserving	Restaurant, hotel, train ticket, doctor's appointment
Complaining / problem-solving	Defective product, bad service, lost luggage, hotel issue
Asking for advice / information	Travel tips, course choices, finding an apartment, job advice
Persuading / inviting	Convince friend to come to event, ask for a favor, invite someone to dinner
Negotiating	Buying at a market, asking for a discount, swapping shifts

Universal structure for any role-play:

Greet (Bonjour Madame / Monsieur)
State your purpose (Je voudrais réserver… / Je vous appelle parce que…)
Give details (3-4 specific points)
React to what the examiner says (this is interactive competence, you must not just monologue)
Close politely (Merci beaucoup, au revoir)

Critical for B1: use vous with the examiner unless the card explicitly says tu. Use conditionnel for requests: pourriez-vous, est-ce qu'il serait possible, je voudrais. These elevate you from B1 to high-B1 instantly.

Task 3: The opinion-defence structure

You're given a short text (~100 words). 10 minutes to prepare. Then 5-7 minutes to present and discuss.

Recommended structure (memorize this)

Introduce the topic (~30 seconds)

Le texte que j'ai lu parle de [topic]. La question principale est de savoir si [reformulate question].
State your position (~15 seconds)

Personnellement, je pense que [position], pour plusieurs raisons.
Develop 2-3 arguments with examples (~3-4 minutes total)

Premièrement, [argument 1]. Par exemple, [concrete example]. Deuxièmement, [argument 2]. On voit cela quand [example]. Enfin, [argument 3 or counter-argument refuted].
Conclude (~30 seconds)

Pour conclure, je pense que [restate position]. Cela dit, il est vrai que [acknowledge nuance], mais [reaffirm].
Answer follow-up questions (~1-2 minutes) The examiner will ask 2-3 clarifying or challenging questions. Engage briefly with each; don't repeat your prepared monologue.

Connectors to memorize

Drop these into your discourse for bonus marks:

Connector	Use
Tout d'abord, d'abord	First
Ensuite, de plus, par ailleurs	Next, also
Par exemple, notamment	For example
Cependant, néanmoins, pourtant	However
En revanche, par contre	On the other hand
Donc, par conséquent, ainsi	So, therefore
En conclusion, pour conclure, enfin	In conclusion

What scores above 20/25

The DELF B1 oral examiner uses an internal checklist. Hit as many as you can:

✅ At least 5 different verb tenses used naturally (présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple or proche, conditionnel)
✅ At least 3 conditionnel forms in polite contexts (je voudrais, j'aimerais, pourriez-vous)
✅ At least 5 logical connectors
✅ At least 2 opinion phrases with justification (je pense que… parce que)
✅ Vocabulary range: not relying on the same 50 words throughout
✅ Spontaneity: short silences are OK, long blank stares are not
✅ Self-correction: if you make a mistake mid-sentence, fix it. Examiners reward repair.
✅ Engagement: ask the examiner clarifying questions in Task 2, respond to their follow-ups in Task 3 with real engagement

How to actually prepare

Weeks 1-4

Write 60-90 second answers for all 10 Task 1 questions. Read aloud daily. Adjust phrasing until smooth.
Drill conditionnel forms (je voudrais, j'aimerais, pourriez-vous, il faudrait) until reflexive. See the conditionnel présent tense page for the full pattern.

Weeks 5-8

One iTalki tutor session per week, focused on Tasks 1 and 2.
Practice each of the 5 role-play archetypes at least twice.
Daily 15-min verb drill on the DELF B1 scope: top 100 verbs, 5 tenses.

Weeks 9-12

iTalki sessions become full mock orals (~15 min). Get marked feedback.
Practice Task 3 with random short texts: take any French news headline + first paragraph and prepare a 5-min response.

Final week

One full mock the week before. No grinding the day before. Sleep more than usual.

Resources

Official: France Éducation international's free B1 past papers (épreuves blanches) include sample oral prompts.
Tutors: iTalki, filter "DELF B1 preparation"; expect CAD/USD 12-15 per hour.
Verb drill: Bonjour Verbs with the B1 scope drilled to reflex; the conditionnel and passé composé fluency is what separates a 12/25 from a 20/25 in oral production.

For the full B1 format including the written sections, see the DELF B1 prep guide.