Alliance Française Certificates

Certificates are issued to students who have successfully passed the French examinations offered at the end of each term, from beginner to advanced level.

DELF and DALF 2010

The DELF and DALF examinations will be held this year from Monday 7th until Saturday 12th of June.
The fees for the June session are as follows :
A1 : 10USD
A2 : 15USD
B1 : 20USD
B2 : 25USD
C1 : 30USD
> Download a registration form for DELF DALF 2010 examinations (pdf, 29,9 KB).
> Download the examinations timetable for DELF DALF 2010 (pdf, 24,0 KB).

DELF and DALF

What are they ?

DELF (Diplôme d’études de Langue Française - Certificate of French Studies) and DALF (Diplôme d’approfondissement de Langue Française - Advanced Certificate of French Studies) are state certificates of French as a Foreign Language awarded since 1985 by the French Ministry of Education.
The National Commission of DELF and DALF, which is situated at the International Centre of Pedagogical Studies (CIEP) in Sèvres (France), is responsible for conducting these examinations. DELF and DALF are internationally recognised and can be taken in over 900 examination centres in 154 countries.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Experts of the Division of Linguistic Politics of the Council of Europe decided in 1991 to create a practical tool allowing the establishment of common elements to be achieved during the learning process of a foreign language and to harmonize the evaluation system from one language to another. From this was born the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This framework defines six levels of competency in a language, whatever the language, whatever the country. It is used more and more for the reform of national programmes of living languages and for the comparison of language certificates. Today, the impact of this Common European Framework, used with reference to 18 languages, has gone far beyond European borders.

The new structure

DELF and DALF changed their structure in September 2005, when new certificates were introduced based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Six new independent certificates are available : each certificate corresponds to one of the six levels of the

Common European Framework : DELF : 4 Levels (A1, A2, B1 and B2) DALF : 2 Levels (C1 and C2) Certificates adapted to young candidates and to school students are also available.

Before September 2005, there was a unit credit scheme. Now, however, DELF and DALF certificates can be sat for and obtained independently of each other, in one country or in different countries and without time limit. It is no longer necessary to be the holder of a previous level in order to register for a certificate at a higher level. DELF and DALF certificates are lifetime awards. The pass mark to obtain a certificate is 50%.

Correspondence between the two structures

A certificate awarded before 1 September 2005 remains valid. However it does not entitle the holder to a new certificate. Candidates holding units under the old structure will have to request, before 31 August 2007, for an equivalency established by the National Commission of DELF and DALF. Should you need information regarding the various combinations CIEP web site between the old and the new structure, please consult the or do not hesitate to contact us.

Can I sit for DELF and DALF certificates ?

DELF and DALF certificates are available for all non-French citizens who wish to improve their French language skills, whether for professional or personal purposes. Each examination requires a different level of expertise. They are not based on a particular course of study but test competencies in French.