DELF A1 30-Day Study Plan: Week-by-Week Prep from Zero to Pass

Who this plan is for

You already know French greetings, can count to 20, and recognise the present-tense conjugation of être and avoir. You have 30 days before your DELF A1 exam and can commit 12 hours per week — roughly 2 hours a day with 1 rest day. The plan targets a comfortable pass at 60/100 total.

If you are a complete beginner with less than 20 hours of prior French, this 30-day window is too tight — you need 3–4 months. If you are already comfortable at A2 level, you don’t need a 30-day plan for A1 — you’ll pass with 2 weeks of section-specific mock practice.

Week 1 — foundation & vocabulary base

• Daily 30 min: numbers 1–100, days, months, times, dates (drill until instant).
• Daily 30 min: the 8 personal-question topics — nom, âge, nationalité, famille, profession, ville, loisirs, langues. Rehearse full-sentence answers.
• 3× this week: 20-min TV5Monde ‘Apprendre le français’ A1 listening video.
• 3× this week: 30-min reading from Alliance Française textbook or Bonjour de France A1 module.
• End of week: informal 15-min mock speaking with a friend or on the AI speaking trial.

Week 2 — section drills

• Daily 20 min: DELF A1 listening drill (past-paper Exercise 1 style).
• Daily 20 min: DELF A1 reading drill (short texts, timed 5 min each).
• 3× this week: writing practice — one Task 1 (form completion) + one Task 2 (short message).
• 3× this week: speaking practice — Task 1 personal questions, then Task 2 question-formation from keyword cards.
• End of week: full A1 diagnostic mock, all 4 sections under exam-timed conditions.

Week 3 — mock cycle & weakness targeting

Take 3 mocks this week — Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Between mocks, spend 60 minutes reviewing errors from the previous mock. If a specific error pattern appears twice (e.g. confusing 60 and 70 in listening), drill that specific pattern for 20 minutes on the following day.

Weekend: intensive speaking prep — 4 × 15-min sessions on Task 3 role-play, rehearsing the standard skeletons for hotel, restaurant, transport, and shop scenarios.

Week 4 — calibration & taper

• Days 22–24: one final full mock. Compare per-section scores to your Week 2 baseline — the improvement is your evidence you’re ready.
• Days 25–27: rehearse only the 8 personal questions (Task 1) and 3 memorised Task 3 role-plays. No new material.
• Day 28: 30 min light listening only. No timed practice.
• Day 29: rest. Review exam-day logistics (centre address, ID, arrival time).
• Day 30 (exam day): light warm-up French — 10 min listening on the way — then trust your prep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 30 days enough for DELF A1?

For candidates with ~50 hours of prior French exposure and 12+ study hours per week, yes — a comfortable 60/100 pass is achievable. Complete beginners with under 20 hours of prior French need 3–4 months instead.

How many DELF A1 mocks should I take in 30 days?

Minimum 4 full-length mocks — one diagnostic at end of Week 2, three during Week 3. Plus 8–12 skill-specific short mocks (listening drills, timed reading exercises) throughout the plan.

What if I’m behind schedule at the end of Week 2?

Extend Week 2 by 3–5 days rather than compress the mock cycle. Skipping mocks to keep on schedule almost always produces a below-pass score on the actual exam — mocks are where scores actually move.

Can this plan work at 6 hours a week instead of 12?

No, not in 30 days. At 6 hours per week you need 8+ weeks to hit the same milestones. The alternative is to hire structured coaching that reduces hours needed via more efficient learning.

Related Guides

• DELF A1 exam pattern & syllabus
• DELF A1 Production Orale — speaking
• DELF A1 sample questions