A2 is where French stops being a set of fixed phrases and starts being a language you assemble yourself. The vocabulary list barely doubles from A1, but the grammar and the tenses roughly do, and that is where students underestimate the jump.
The checklist below is the exact map of what the DELF A2 can test. Everything on it appears in the exam, and nothing outside it does.
What changes between A1 and A2
If you have already passed A1, this table is your revision plan on its own.
| Area | At A1 | Added at A2 |
|---|---|---|
| Pronouns | Subject pronouns and pronoms toniques | COD, COI, y, en, and the relatives qui, que, oĂą |
| Past | Passé composé only | Imparfait, and above all choosing between the two |
| Future | Futur proche (aller + infinitif) | Futur simple, including the common irregular stems |
| Mood | Indicatif and impératif | Conditionnel présent, for politeness and simple hypotheses |
| Sentences | Short, mostly independent clauses | Connectors (mais, parce que, donc, d'abord, ensuite) and si clauses |
| Comparison | Not tested | Comparatifs and superlatifs (plus… que, le plus…) |
The DELF A2 exam format
The DELF is awarded by the French Ministry of Education and never expires. Each of the four papers is marked out of 25 for a total of 100, you need 50/100 overall to pass, and at least 5/25 in every single paper.
| Paper | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Compréhension de l'oral (listening) | About 25 minutes | 25 |
| Compréhension des écrits (reading) | 30 minutes | 25 |
| Production Ă©crite (writing) | 45 minutes, two short texts | 25 |
| Production orale (speaking) | 6 to 8 minutes, plus 10 minutes preparation | 25 |
Grammar to master for A2
Everything here is grammar that is not a verb form. The tenses have their own table below, so nothing is counted twice.
- Les articles définis, indéfinis, partitifs, et les contractions (au, du, aux…)Definite, indefinite and partitive articles, and contractions (au, du, aux…)
- Les pronoms personnels : sujet, COD, COI, y, enPersonal pronouns: subject, direct object, indirect object, y, en
- Les pronoms toniques, possessifs et démonstratifsStressed, possessive and demonstrative pronouns
- Les adjectifs qualificatifs : accord, place, intensitéDescriptive adjectives: agreement, position, intensity
- Les adjectifs possessifs et démonstratifs (révision A1, maîtrise fine)Possessive and demonstrative adjectives (A1 review, used with confidence)
- Les comparatifs et les superlatifs (plus… que, le plus…)Comparatives and superlatives (more… than, the most…)
- Les prépositions de lieu, de temps et de direction (jusqu'à , vers, depuis…)Prepositions of place, time and direction (until, towards, since…)
- La forme négative (ne… pas / plus / jamais / rien / personne…)The negative (ne… pas / plus / jamais / rien / personne…)
- Les phrases interrogatives : intonation, inversion, est-ce queQuestion forms: intonation, inversion, est-ce que
- Les connecteurs logiques simples : mais, ou, parce que, donc, ensuite, d'abord…Simple linking words: but, or, because, so, then, first…
- Les quantificateurs : beaucoup de, trop de, assez de, quelques, plusieurs, chacun…Quantifiers: a lot of, too much, enough, a few, several, each…
- Les pronoms relatifs qui, que, oĂąRelative pronouns qui, que, oĂą (who, which, where)
- L'emploi de c'est et de il estUsing c'est and il est (it is / he is)
Essential A2 vocabulary
Sixteen themes. Compared to A1, they move from naming things to describing, explaining and giving an opinion about them.
- Parler de soi : personnalité, goûts, loisirs, projetsTalking about yourself: personality, tastes, hobbies, plans
- La famille, les relations, les sentimentsFamily, relationships, feelings
- Les activités quotidiennes (logement, travail, école)Daily activities (home, work, school)
- L'alimentation et les habitudes alimentairesFood and eating habits
- Les vĂŞtements, les tailles, les achatsClothes, sizes, shopping
- La santé, les maladies, chez le médecinHealth, illnesses, at the doctor's
- Les transports et les moyens de déplacementTransport and ways of getting around
- Les vacances, les voyages, l'hébergementHolidays, travel, accommodation
- Les tâches ménagères et les objets du quotidienHousehold chores and everyday objects
- Le monde du travail : métiers, tâches simplesThe world of work: jobs, simple tasks
- Les outils numériques (email, téléphone, visio…)Digital tools (email, phone, video calls…)
- Les médias : programmes TV, annonces, radioThe media: TV programmes, adverts, radio
- Le logement : types, pièces, meublesHousing: types, rooms, furniture
- L'environnement et la météoThe environment and the weather
- Les fêtes, les invitations, les activités socialesCelebrations, invitations, social activities
- Les Ă©motions et les opinions simplesEmotions and simple opinions
Communication skills tested at A2
The A2 oral asks you to tell, describe and justify, not only to answer. Rehearse these aloud.
- Se présenter, et présenter quelqu'un de façon plus complèteIntroducing yourself and others in more detail
- Parler de son emploi du temps et de sa routineTalking about your schedule and routine
- Décrire une personne, un lieu, un événementDescribing a person, a place, an event
- Poser des questions simples et répondre dans un dialogueAsking simple questions and answering in a conversation
- Exprimer une préférence, une opinion simpleExpressing a preference or a simple opinion
- Donner un conseil, une obligation, une interdictionGiving advice, stating an obligation or a ban
- Inviter quelqu'un, accepter, refuserInviting someone, accepting, declining
- Proposer une activité, organiser une sortieSuggesting an activity, planning an outing
- Raconter un souvenir, une expérience passéeTelling a memory or a past experience
- Expliquer un problème ou une situationExplaining a problem or a situation
- Donner des instructions et des explications simplesGiving simple instructions and explanations
- Remplir un formulaire ou Ă©crire un mail simpleFilling in a form or writing a simple email
- Faire une réclamation simple, demander un serviceMaking a simple complaint, asking for a favour
The tenses you need at A2
| Tense | What it covers | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Le présent de l'indicatif | Regular, reflexive and irregular verbs | The A1 irregulars, now expected without hesitation. |
| Le futur proche | aller + infinitif | Still the natural choice for anything immediate. |
| Le futur simple | Plans and predictions, regular forms plus the common irregular stems | ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, pourr-, viendr-. Learn the stems, the endings never change. |
| Le passé composé | With avoir, with être, and the agreement of the past participle | Agreement with être, and with a preceding COD. |
| L'imparfait | Description, habits, background of a story | One single irregular stem: Ă©t- for ĂŞtre. |
| Imparfait vs passé composé | Telling a simple story: the background against the events | This is the single hardest point at A2 and the one examiners test most. |
| Le conditionnel présent | Politeness (je voudrais) and simple hypotheses | Futur simple stem plus imparfait endings. Nothing new to memorise. |
| L'impératif | Affirmative and negative | Pronoun placement changes: donne-le-moi, but ne me le donne pas. |
| La condition avec si | si + présent + futur, si + imparfait + conditionnel | Never a futur or a conditionnel directly after si. |