I passed the DELF B2 2026 with a 95
I took the DELF B2 in April of 2026 and received my results in June. I scored overall with a 95/100:
CO: 24/25
CE: 25/25
PE: 25/25
PO: 21/25
When I was studying, reading other people's experiences online really helped me feel more prepared, so I hope my own advice can be somewhat helpful as well!
My Background in French:
Through grades 1-8 of elementary school I was enrolled in French Immersion. However, in high school, I switched to the regular English track, while still completing Core French courses. I took both grade 10 and 11 French in the same year, so I was able to complete grade 12 French while I was still in 11th grade. My school board allows students who completed 4 years of Core French to take the DELF exam for free for the levels A1, A2, B1, and B2. Even though it felt a bit out of my skill level, I decided to commit to level B2.
At the time, we were not informed when the exam would take place, so I was surprised to find out I only had 2 months to study. I had no idea what the DELF even was, so I felt completely unprepared. Fortunately, there were so many resources available, and by the end of the 2 months, I could feel a lot more confident going into the exam.
Preparation: Learning the Format
- Buy a prep book: This is an absolute must if you want to feel the most prepared. Although French skills in general are important, a big factor in your success will be understanding and mastering the format. I purchased the books: Le DELF B2 100% Réussite (Éditions Didier) and ABC DELF B2 (CLE International). Although both may not be necessary, they each offer different things. Édition Didier is very helpful in terms of skill-building. They break down each section into mini activities to help you get into the mindset of the exam. ABC DELF, however, focuses less on coaching and acts as more of a workbook with 50 practice questions for each section. This is why I would recommend both, but if you had to choose one, then go with the Édition Didier version.
- Watch YouTube videos: Before even starting to practice, it's also important to watch some videos about the exam itself. Getting familiar with the expectations for the Production Écrite and Production Orale can be really helpful. Specifically for the writing portion, level B2 tends to be in the form of a formal letter, so if you are not familiar with formal writing, this can be a big adjustment. To prepare, I just learned a few templates from YouTube (Learning French with Stephanie) as well as from my book. For the Production Orale, I would definitely recommend any of the videos from the channel French School TV. Understanding the different components of the monologue and debate are important to make sure you can earn as many marks as possible. Especially since the PO is usually the most difficult for testers. This video in particular was super helpful for me.
- Study vocabulary: I found vocabulary to be the key to all four parts of the exam. I recommend learning the transition words (Connecteurs Logiques), as well as some topic related words (Lexique pour le DELF B2). These will not only help with understanding, but will boost your confidence for the Production portions. Personally, it made my writing a lot faster and speaking more fluent.
Preparation: Practice
After understanding each component of the exam, practicing is the most important. Given the time frame of 2 months, I tried to do 3 or 4 listening exercises per day. Writing and speaking prompts I would do 3 or 4 per week. Of course this will vary depending on your current level and amount of time you have to study.
- Listening (CO): I used the audio recordings from my prep books and practiced the MCQ. Other times I would listen to French podcasts in the morning while getting ready or walking home to get used to fast paced speaking. It can also help you pick up key vocabulary words. (Writing down new words you learned is a good idea)
- Reading (CE): I felt the most comfortable with reading, so I spent less time practicing it. I read a few practice texts and did the questions from my prep book.
- Writing (PE): As mentioned before, I learned a template for formal letters (proposing and protesting) and practiced using the writing prompts from my book. Practicing planning and organizing your ideas is key before you start the actual writing. At the beginning it would take me hours to complete one letter, but over time, I became a lot better at being more clear and concise. I found this is what they are really looking for in terms of writing.
- Speaking (PO): I would use the prompts from my book and set a timer for 30 minutes, then practice just planning out my arguments and providing examples. I'd use a scrap piece of paper to write them out (as you would on the real exam date) and then practiced expanding my ideas out loud. I found that speaking slowly and using clear vocabulary is much more important than trying to sound native.
Exam Experience:
I had the CO, CE and PE on one day, taken with other testers. The CO was first where they played the audio with a loud speaker. I felt the actual audio was easier than the practice in the prep books and the answers were a bit more obvious. My exam was the new version with only multiple choice (no written answers).
Then was the reading and writing portion. Our centre allowed us to switch freely between sections, however, this can vary among testing centres. As I mentioned before, I was already comfortable with reading, so I was able to complete the CE pretty quickly.
I then moved onto writing and took a few minutes to really understand the prompt. Mine was that you were a member of a sports association in your town, but your president is retiring so you are requesting for more funding and support from the Mayor. I had to provide them with the benefits of keeping the sports association and propose some possible solutions. I was given a scrap paper to plan out my ideas, which is really important since you are only allowed permanent ink (No pencils or whiteout allowed). Planning in general also helps to stay on topic and around the minimum word count of 250. Going over is not necessarily good since it can increase the risk of losing marks on grammar or formatting. Remember, the actual content of your response is not as important as your organization and clarity. They should be able to easily follow your arguments and examples.
Finally, my Production Orale was scheduled for a couple days after the first portion. I was invited into a room with about ten pieces of paper on the table and I could choose two. Then, I could look at the two prompts and decide which I wanted to do. I chose the topic "Should all schools have uniforms?" to which I wrote the pros and cons on my scrap piece of paper. I then jotted down 3 arguments for each side with a little example for each. (Make sure you don't write full sentences because the judges don't want to see you reading your page). After my 30 minutes of planning, I was taken to a room with 2 examiners and we greeted each other before beginning the timer. They were very friendly and I felt my monologue went quite smoothly. The debate, however, was a bit challenging. I had to take a moment to think about my answer after each question as some of them were quite tough. Still, overall, it was not too difficult. I was especially lucky that the topic I got was one that I had just practiced the night before.
Personal Reflection:
To be honest, even after all this preparation, I still did not feel completely confident going into the exam. Despite this, I really surprised myself with my results. This just goes to show that you don't have to feel 100% ready, but its more important to give it your all and trust in your own abilities.
This was definitely a challenge, but I think the experience of just preparing for the DELF B2 was really rewarding and a great way to improve my French. I hope my story can be even a little bit helpful and I wish anyone who is aiming for the DELF B2 the best of luck! Feel free to ask any questions!