Qualifications

The DELF and DALF result in the awarding of State qualifications that are valid for life.

The Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF) and the different versions there of (General Public, junior, Prim), as well as the Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF), are official qualifications issued by the French Ministry for National Education and valid throughout the world. These qualifications are standardised against the proficiency scale (from A1.1 to C2) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, recognise the candidate's command of the four linguistic skills (listening, oral, reading and writing), are independent of one another and are valid indefinitely. They also take into account the international quality standards applicable to certifying bodies.

Several versions of the DELF are offered in order to adapt the themes of the exercises to the public.

• DELF
• DALF
• DELF Prim
• DELF Junior
• DILF
• Other certifications

DELF

• Audience: older teenagers and adults
• CEFRL levels covered: A1, A2, B1 and B2
• Test description

DALF

• Audience: adults in academic or professional situations
• CEFRL levels covered: C1 and C2
• Test description

DELF Prim

• Audience: children 7-12 years of age who are beginning to learn French as a foreign language and studying French at a basic level
• CEFRL levels covered: A1.1, A1 and A2
• Test description

DELF Junior

• Audience: teenagers of secondary school age
• CEFRL levels covered: A1, A2, B1 and B2
• Test description

When it comes to the Demande d’Admission Préalable (Prior Admission Request, DAP) for enrolling on the first year of a Bachelor's degree or at an architectural college, the minimum level required is the DELF B2 or the DALF (C1 or C2), both of which make you exempt from having to sit any further language tests. These are the only qualifications recognised by the Conference of University Vice-Chancellors (CPU).

Registration takes place at the examination centre in question. The cost of registering for the qualification is set by each approved examination centre, which reports to the regional education authority or the French Embassy Cultural Department. For more information on costs and to register contact the DELF-DALF examination centre of your choice.

Find the lists of examination centers in France and abroad on the dedicated page of the France Éducation international website.

DILF

The Diplôme initial de langue française (DILF) is the official qualification issued by the French Ministry for National Education to certify that an applicant has a basic level of French corresponding to level A1.1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). It assesses the communicative and linguistic skills outlined in the framework with regards to basic proficiency in French in each of the four language skills (listening, oral, reading and writing). The DILF is the first step towards the DELF and the DALF. It is available only in France.

• Audience: complete beginners and those recently arrived in France and over 16 years of age
• CEFRL levels covered: A1.1 (complete beginner)
• Test description

Registration takes place at the examination centre in question.

The registration fee for the diploma is set by each examination center approved by France Éducation international.

Other French language certifications

University degrees (DUs)

University degrees (DUs) are institutional qualifications issued by French universities. With regards to the teaching of French as a foreign language, DUEFs (university degrees in French studies) testify to various levels of command of the French language in accordance with the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL).

Based on the CEFRL and covering all levels (from A1 to C2), these qualifications validate the candidate's learning of French as a foreign language in an academic environment. As of level B2, the training provided is geared more towards the pathway to university with the aim of preparing foreign students to continue their studies on a French course. The tests for these university degrees are designed by each language centre on the basis of a template approved by the ADCUEFE (Association des directeurs de centres universitaires d’études françaises pour étrangers (Association of Directors of Academic Centres for Foreigners Studying French)). In addition to language skills, the DUEF validates the candidate's ability to take an academic course and the culture they have acquired in various specialist areas dealt with through the courses offered (history of contemporary France, francophone literature, the business world, etc.). With this in mind, they complement DELF and DALF-type national certifications. DUs are not, however, national diplomas.

In addition to the DUEF option, each university offers other specific DUs. The DU-DSA (Diplôme supérieur d’aptitude à l’enseignement du français), for example, provides both educational and practical training (observation and contributions to classroom-based teaching) for future teachers of French as a foreign language. Some centres offer comprehensive training in French with academic objectives (FOU) - a course that is validated by a DU FOU -, along with a number of specialist DUs to cater for certain university streams.

These qualifications are now recognised by many universities as evidence of the level of language proficiency required to enrol within a department.

For further information visit

The Diploma in French for Professional Purposes (DFP)

The 11 Diplômes de français professionnel (DFP) run by the Paris Île-de-France CCI are designed to enable the individual to assess their ability to communicate in French and in the main professional sectors, depending on their situation. The international dimension of the DFP, which is incorporated into a number of foreign education systems at international level, recognised by major colleges and prestigious universities and offered at establishments throughout the French cultural network and the Alliances Françaises, represents a valuable asset for all those required to operate within a French-speaking professional context, whether in France or elsewhere in the world.

• The general Diplômes de français professionnel (DFP levels A2 and B1) is aimed at all those looking to start learning some basic French for professional purposes;
• The Diplômes de français professionnel level B1, B2, C1 and C2 then enable the individual to progress coherently, covering the general knowledge common to any form of professional communication;
• The specialist Diplômes de français professionnel is aimed at those who have chosen a specialisation and wish to demonstrate that they can communicate in French in a specific professional sphere such as law, tourism, hospitality and catering, administration, science and technology or health and medicine.

For more information on the DFP please contact dfp@cci-paris-idf.fr