French diplomas
DELF and DALF preparation, level by level.
The French Ministry of Education's diplomas are sat at one fixed level: you pass that level or you do not. Preparation is therefore as much about choosing the right level as about French itself.
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One diploma, one level, held for life.
DELF (Diplôme d'études en langue française) covers A1 to B2. DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) covers C1 and C2. Both are awarded by the French Ministry of Education, both are sat at a single CEFR level, and both are valid indefinitely once passed — which is precisely what makes them the right choice when you want a permanent qualification on the record rather than a score that expires.
That structure also creates the single biggest risk. Entering a level too high wastes an entry and a term; entering too low wastes the qualification. We assess before you enter, and we will tell you plainly if we think the next session is the wrong one.
The levels, and who normally sits them
Each level is a complete examination in four skills — listening, reading, writing and speaking — with its own tasks and its own marking criteria. The pass mark is 50 out of 100 overall, with a minimum in each paper.
Junior versions (DELF Prim, DELF Junior and DELF Scolaire) exist for school-age candidates and follow the same structure with age-appropriate material. Tell us the candidate's age and we will prepare to the right version.
- DELF A1
- Simple, concrete exchanges. Usually a first formal record of level, and common with younger candidates and with adults who want a milestone early in their learning.
- DELF A2
- Everyday transactions, short informational writing, a simple exchange of information with the examiner. Frequently the level asked for by candidates whose requirement is basic and documented.
- DELF B1
- The step change. You must hold an opinion, justify it, negotiate and manage an interaction rather than answer prompts. Most candidates need real work on connective language and spontaneity here.
- DELF B2
- Widely asked for by universities, employers and institutions. An argued written piece and a structured oral presentation with a defence: technique-heavy, and the level at which structured preparation makes the most visible difference.
- DALF C1
- Long-form listening, synthesis of several documents into a coherent argued text, and an extended oral. Endurance and note-taking under time are as decisive as vocabulary.
- DALF C2
- Rare, demanding, and prepared over a long horizon. Two papers only, both extended, both assessing sustained argument in near-native register.
DELF or DALF — and is a diploma even the right route?
Three questions decide it: what the institution in front of you has asked for, whether the result needs to last, and where the candidate actually is now.
We prepare candidates for the examination. Which diploma, level or test an institution or authority accepts is theirs to state — always confirm the requirement in writing with them before you register.
- You need a permanent qualification
- A diploma does not expire. If the requirement will resurface — further study, a professional file, a future application — the diploma is usually the better investment.
- You have been given a score or a deadline
- Tests place you on the scale in a single sitting and return a time-limited attestation, and some procedures name a specific test and version. See our TCF and TEF page before you book anything.
- You do not know your level
- We assess against the examination's own criteria and recommend the level we believe you can pass, not the one that sounds best.
Preparation
How DELF and DALF preparation actually runs.
Every programme opens with a diagnostic: a written task and a spoken task marked against the criteria of the examination itself, not against a general sense of level. That is what tells us whether the gap is language, technique, or exam literacy — and they are prepared for very differently.
The specialist is matched from our network for that examination and that candidate, with a chemistry call before you commit, a review at week six, and oversight through to the exam date.
- Level placement first: a recommendation you can act on, with the evidence behind it.
- Paper by paper — production écrite, production orale, compréhension de l'oral and des écrits, each with its own marking grid.
- The grids taught explicitly: candidates lose marks for form and structure long before they lose them for French.
- Timed practice under exam conditions, marked as the jury marks it.
- Oral rehearsal with a specialist, including the B2 and C1 defence.
- A plan that works backwards from your session date, not forwards from where we happen to start.
Two ways to prepare
Private DELF & DALF preparation, or a small cohort.
One candidate, one paper, one date.
A specialist matched from our network for DELF & DALF, a programme written around your actual gaps, and scheduling that fits around school or work.
From £89/hr
See the investmentNo DELF & DALF cohort is open yet
Group exam terms run only where enough candidates share the same examination and level — we do not advertise cohorts that are not scheduled. Tell us what you are sitting on the form below and you will hear first when one is timetabled.
Register your interestThe evidence
What DELF & DALF candidates and their families say.
Verified Google reviews from Learn&Co candidates who prepared for DELF & DALF with us.
“When I was looking for help with my French DALF studies, Maria was the third personal tutor I tried and I was impressed by her enthusiasm and professionalism right from the start. After working with her for over a year and a half, I have…”
Who we prepare
Trusted by families, schools and organisations.
DELF & DALF candidates reach us from two directions: pupils in schools that expect a grade, and adults whose next step depends on a certificate. Both are prepared by a specialist matched from our network.
Corporate clients
Professionals sitting language tests and diplomas
Employees at these organisations have prepared with us for language tests, official diplomas and the requirements attached to a move abroad.
Partner schools
Pupils preparing for school examinations
Pupils at these schools have prepared with us for French papers, against the specification their school actually follows.
Investment
What DELF & DALF preparation costs.
Private preparation is bought as hours, used at the pace the exam date demands. The more hours you commit to, the lower the effective hourly rate — and every plan carries the identical service.
Hours of private exam preparation, delivered online and typically used at one hour a week. All prices include VAT. Face-to-face lessons in London, intensive revision courses and additional hours are quoted individually.
Flexi
4 hours
Month to month
£105/hr£420 in total
Discovery
12 hours
Up to 3 months
£100/hr£1,197 in total
Momentum
24 hours
Up to 6 months
£95/hr£2,268 in total
Mastery
48 hours
Up to 12 months
£89/hr£4,284 in total
Every private plan, whichever you choose, includes
Bespoke programmes — not lesson bundles.
- Exam and board diagnostic
- Specialist matched for that qualification
- Chemistry call before you commit
- Programme dated to the exam
- Marked past-paper practice
- Monthly progress reports
- Week-six review
- Timed mocks in the run-in
£950 for a ten-week term
Per learner, 10 × 90-minute sessions — 15 teaching hours. Including VAT. Maximum six candidates, one exam objective, one level.
DELF & DALF enquiry
Tell us the level and the session date.
We will come back with an honest view of whether that level is the right entry, what the gap looks like, and which specialist we would match you with.
Everything you send goes straight to Maria. We reply personally, usually the same working day.
Before you book
DELF & DALF — your questions, answered.
- How long does it take to prepare for DELF B2?
- It depends entirely on your starting point. A candidate sitting comfortably at B1 usually needs a focused term; a candidate who has never met the format needs longer, whatever their conversational French sounds like. The diagnostic gives you a real answer rather than a marketing one.
- Can I sit DELF B2 without having sat B1?
- Yes. The levels are independent diplomas and you may enter any of them directly. That is exactly why the placement decision matters.
- Do the diplomas expire?
- No. DELF and DALF are valid for life once awarded. Tests such as the TCF and the TEF return time-limited results instead.
- Will you register me for the examination?
- No — registration is made directly with an approved examination centre, and sessions and deadlines are set by them. We prepare you, help you plan backwards from the date, and tell you when we think a session is too soon.
- Do you prepare children for DELF Junior or Scolaire?
- Yes. The structure is the same and the material is age-appropriate. Tell us the pupil's age and school and we will match a specialist who prepares that version regularly.
- Is group preparation available?
- Where enough candidates share the same level and session, yes — and it is listed in the French group catalogue when it is genuinely scheduled. When it is not, we will say so and offer private preparation or register your interest.
Preparing for a different examination?
Each qualification has its own format, its own marking and its own timetable. Choose the one you are sitting and we will show you exactly how it is prepared for.
Prefer to talk it through?
Schedule a chat with Maria.
Tell us which DELF & DALF route you are on, where you are now and when you sit. You will get an honest view of the gap and which specialist we would match you with.
Maria Toubbe
- 20 minutes
- A conversation, not a sales call.
- With Maria
- Our founder, every time — not a call centre.
- No obligation
- Advice you can use even if you never book.
20 min · video call · free
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