DALF C1
The DALF C1 and its four papers
Four papers marked out of 25, one per skill. Here is how the exam runs and what each paper requires.
The C1 level in a few words
At C1 level, you understand long, demanding texts, including their implicit meaning. You express yourself spontaneously and fluently, without searching for words. You deal with complex subjects clearly and in a well-organised way, using the tools that hold a discourse together: connectors, references back, transitions.
The four papers
| Paper | Duration | Mark | In short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening comprehension | about 40 min | /25 | One long recording heard twice, then several short recordings heard once. |
| Reading comprehension | 50 min | /25 | A text of ideas of about 1,000 to 2,000 words, followed by questions. |
| Written production | 2 h 30 | /25 | A synthesis of documents (200 to 240 words), then an argumentative essay (at least 250 words). |
| Oral production | 30 min, after 1 h of preparation | /25 | A presentation based on a document, then a debate with the examiners. |
How the exam runs
The exam takes place in two stages.
The group papers bring candidates together in the same room. Listening comprehension, reading comprehension and written production follow one another, for a total of about four hours.
The individual paper, oral production, takes place in front of two examiners, at the time shown on your exam notice.
The guide Registering, sitting the exam, getting your results explains what to bring and the rules to follow on the day.
Marking
Each paper is marked out of 25, giving 100 points in total. To obtain the diploma, you need at least 50 points out of 100 and at least 5 out of 25 in each paper.
In this section
- Listening comprehension About forty minutes to understand a long recording in depth, then grasp the essentials of short recordings.
- Reading comprehension Fifty minutes to understand a long, dense text of ideas and grasp its thesis, its arguments and the author's position.
- Written production Two and a half hours for two linked tasks: condense a set of documents into an objective synthesis, then defend your point of view in an essay.
- Oral production One hour to prepare, half an hour to convince: a structured presentation based on a document, then a debate with the examiners.
Updated on 26 October 2026