The Comprehension de l’ecrit (Reading) component of the DELF B1 is worth 25 points and is 45 minutes long. It presents two texts on everyday or social topics, each followed by comprehension questions. At B1, texts come from accessible sources — magazines, local newspapers, websites, informational brochures — and deal with familiar topics: work and leisure, family and society, travel and environment. You are not expected to understand every word, but you must locate specific information, infer meaning from context, and identify the writer’s intentions. This guide covers the complete format, question types, and the reading strategies that score consistently.
DELF B1 Comprehension de l’Ecrit – Module Overview
| Feature | Details |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Number of texts | 2 (sometimes 3 short texts combined for one task) |
| Total marks | 25 |
| Pass mark | 5 out of 25 (overall pass requires 50 out of 100 total) |
| Text length | Text 1: 200–300 words; Text 2: 300–450 words |
| Text type | Informational articles, opinion pieces, practical guides, advertising texts, brochures |
Text 1 – Shorter Practical Text (10–12 Marks)
The first text is typically a practical, informational piece — a guide, a notice, an announcement, a short journalistic article about an everyday topic. Questions test whether you can locate specific information, understand the purpose of the text, and identify who it is aimed at.
| Question Type | Strategy |
| Who is the text written for? / What is its purpose? | Read the title and first paragraph; identify the target reader by the vocabulary and the type of information provided |
| Vrai / Faux / Justifiez (True/False with justification) | Find the relevant sentence in the text; copy or closely paraphrase the French phrase that justifies your choice — do not write your own explanation |
| Find specific information (a date, a number, a condition) | Scan for the information type (number, name, date); read the surrounding sentence to confirm context |
| Vocabulary question (What does the word X mean in this context?) | Identify the sentence containing X; determine meaning from context clues — surrounding nouns, verbs, and logical flow |
The Vrai / Faux / Justifiez Format – The Critical Rule
Many DELF B1 reading questions use a three-part format: state whether the claim is Vrai (true) or Faux (false), then write the French sentence from the text that proves your choice. This justification step is where marks are lost — and it has a specific rule:
You must quote or closely paraphrase the text. Writing your own explanation — even if correct — does not earn the justification mark. The examiner is checking whether you correctly identified the supporting passage in the text, not whether you can explain it in your own words. Always copy the relevant French sentence or key phrase.
| Common Mistake | Result | Fix |
| Writing “Vrai” correctly but giving a justification from memory rather than the text | 0 points for justification; 0.5 for Vrai alone | Locate the exact sentence in the text before writing; mark it; copy it accurately |
| Quoting an irrelevant sentence that happens to contain a keyword from the statement | 0 points for justification | Read the statement carefully; the justifying sentence must logically prove the statement true or false |
| Marking “Vrai” but quoting a sentence that says the opposite | Full 0 for both parts | Vrai/Faux and justification must be consistent — if the text says the opposite, the answer is Faux |
Text 2 – Longer Analytical Text (13–15 Marks)
The second text is longer and more complex — a journalistic article or analytical piece discussing a social or cultural topic. Questions move beyond simple fact-finding to understanding the writer’s argument, the relationship between ideas, and the significance of specific claims.
| Question Type | How to Answer It |
| What is the writer’s main argument or position? | Find the thesis — usually in the introduction or the final paragraph; paraphrase in your own words (this question does not require text quotation) |
| Why does the writer mention example X? | Identify the function of the example in context: is it evidence for a claim? An illustration of a pattern? A contrast? |
| What does the writer mean by expression X? | Identify the context; paraphrase the meaning in simple French; do not translate literally — explain the meaning |
| How does paragraph X relate to the rest of the text? | Identify the function: does it introduce the topic? Give evidence? Offer a counter-argument? Draw a conclusion? |
B1 French Reading Vocabulary – Functional Categories
| Category | Key French Words to Recognise |
| Text structure | d’abord / ensuite / enfin / d’un cote… de l’autre / en revanche / cependant / donc / ainsi / c’est pourquoi |
| Frequency and quantity | souvent / parfois / rarement / toujours / jamais / la plupart / certains / nombreux / peu |
| Opinion markers | selon / d’apres / il semble que / il parait que / estimer / considerer / penser / affirmer / souligner |
| Cause and consequence | parce que / car / puisque / grace a / a cause de / donc / c’est pourquoi / en consequence |
DELF B1 reading preparation should combine regular French reading practice with focused exam technique. Read one French article daily from accessible sources (Le Monde Decodeurs, RFI simplified news, 20minutes.fr) and practise the Vrai/Faux/Justifiez format on every article: make a statement, find a sentence that proves or disproves it, and write it out. languagetest.in provides DELF B1 reading mock tasks with authentic-style texts and full answer keys to support timed practice and technique refinement.
References: CIEP DELF B1 official guide: france-education-international.fr | languagetest.in DELF B1 reading preparation
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