DALF C1 · Paper 2
Reading comprehension in the DALF C1
Fifty minutes to understand a long, dense text of ideas and grasp its thesis, its arguments and the author's position.
The paper at a glance
- Duration
- 50 minutes
- Marks
- 25 points
- Documents
- 1 text of ideas, literary or journalistic, of about 1,000 to 2,000 words
- What you do
- Multiple-choice questions, short answers, true or false
What is expected of you
You read a text of ideas: an essay, an opinion piece, an in-depth article or a literary extract that defends a point of view. The examiners check that you understand its thesis, the sequence of its arguments, the author's position and tone, whether critical, ironic or nuanced.
Question types
- Multiple-choice questions: several options, only one is correct.
- Short answers: the instructions often ask you to answer by rephrasing “in your own words”. Copying a sentence from the text is not enough.
- True or false: you tick a box, and if asked, you quote the passage of the text that proves your answer. When it is required, the justification is an integral part of the answer: without it, or with a quotation that proves nothing, the answer generally earns no points.
The first question is often about the overall meaning of the text; the following ones follow the order of the document.
Rephrasing: a skill in its own right
Rephrasing means expressing the same idea without reusing the words of the text. Three techniques are enough in most cases:
- Change the type of word: « les prix augmentent fortement » (prices are rising sharply) becomes « la forte hausse des prix » (the sharp rise in prices).
- Use a precise synonym: « l'auteur déplore » (the author deplores) becomes « l'auteur regrette » (the author regrets).
- Turn the sentence around: « les jeunes délaissent la presse écrite » (young people are turning away from the print press) becomes « la presse écrite perd son lectorat jeune » (the print press is losing its young readership).
A method for the 50 minutes
| Step | Suggested time |
|---|---|
| Read all the questions | 5 min |
| Read the whole text, pencil in hand | 15 min |
| Answer the questions | 25 min |
| Reread and check | 5 min |
As you read, note the idea of each paragraph in the margin in three or four words. Underline the connectors that organise the argument (« certes », « or », « dès lors ») and the passages where the author takes a position.
How to practise
- Every week, read several opinion pieces and editorials in the French press, varying the newspapers and their political leanings.
- For each text, sum up the thesis in one sentence, then find the outline in three or four steps.
- Build yourself a list of logical connectors sorted by function: contrast, concession, cause, consequence.
- Practise rephrasing one sentence a day in three different ways.
Updated on 26 October 2026