Every French level, and what it actually means

Six, in ascending order: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user), C1 and C2 (proficient user). The DELF exams certify A1 to B2 and the DALF certifies C1 and C2. Gallus covers A1 through C1, which is the range that matters for study, work and residence in France.

As of 1 January 2026: A2 for a first multi-year residence permit, B1 for the 10-year carte de résident, and B2 for naturalisation - the naturalisation bar moved up from B1, and a civics exam was added. Files completed before 31 December 2025 are assessed under the previous rules. These requirements have changed twice in recent years, so confirm the current one with the préfecture before booking an exam.

The US Foreign Service Institute classifies French as a Category I language for English speakers and budgets 600–750 hours of study to reach professional working proficiency, roughly B2 to C1. At one focused hour a day that is about two years; at twenty minutes a day, considerably longer. French is among the fastest major languages for an English speaker, largely because so much of the vocabulary is already familiar.

If you have never studied French, A1, without exception - it holds the four verbs everything else is built on. If you studied it at school and stopped, you are usually somewhere between A2 and B1 passively and a level below that actively, so starting at A2 and moving fast is more productive than starting at B1 and having gaps.

The CEFR is the scale; the DELF and DALF are French Ministry of Education exams built on it. One diploma per level, no overall pass mark across levels, and neither expires - unlike the TCF and TEF, which are tests with a validity period rather than diplomas.

B1 is coping: you follow clear speech on familiar subjects and can explain a point of view simply. B2 is operating: you follow technical discussion in your own field, argue a position and hold your own with native speakers without either side slowing down. Grammatically the frontier is the subjunctive, register, and the ability to build a paragraph that concedes a point before countering it.