{"id":9855,"date":"2026-08-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cecfq.ca\/?p=9855"},"modified":"2026-08-16T20:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T00:48:11","slug":"delf-b2-production-ecrite-examiner-scoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cecfq.ca\/en\/delf-b2-production-ecrite-examiner-scoring\/","title":{"rendered":"DELF B2 Writing: The Official Scoring Grid and What Examiners Look For"},"content":{"rendered":"

Production \u00e9crite \u2014 the DELF B2 writing exam \u2014 is the one skill where “I know a lot of French” doesn’t automatically turn into a passing score. Examiners work from a fixed grid worth 25 points, and more than half of it has nothing to do with vocabulary or grammar. A technically correct text built on the wrong structure, or pitched in the wrong register, can cost more points than a handful of small mistakes ever would.<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide walks through exactly what that grid measures, what separates a B1 text from a B2 one, and how to structure the 250 words you’ll need to produce in 60 minutes. For the other skills, see our guides to oral exam preparation<\/a> and reading comprehension<\/a>, or how DELF candidates are evaluated<\/a> for the scoring picture across all four.<\/p>\n

\"Adult<\/figure>\n

What Production \u00c9crite Actually Asks For<\/h2>\n

The DELF B2 writing exam gives you one task, 60 minutes, and a minimum of 250 words \u2014 there’s no upper limit, only a floor. According to the official Manuel du candidat DELF B2 published by France \u00c9ducation international, that single task can take one of several argumentative forms, such as a contribution to a debate, a formal letter, a critical article, or another structured argumentative text. <\/span>The Manuel du candidat DELF B2<\/a> sets out the full format.<\/p>\n

Whichever form the prompt takes, the job is the same: take a position and argue it convincingly for a named reader. That reader might be a newspaper’s letters page, a town council, or a colleague \u2014 the prompt tells you who, and your register has to match them.<\/p>\n

The 60 minutes go to one task, not several short ones the way compr\u00e9hension \u00e9crite is structured. That’s an advantage in one sense \u2014 no switching between texts \u2014 and a trap in another: with a single task, a plan and a work-timer matter more than they would in a shorter format. It also sits inside a longer exam day: 30 minutes of listening, 60 of reading and 60 of writing run together as one group session (2 hours 30 minutes total). The oral test \u2014 preceded by 30 minutes of preparation \u2014 may be scheduled separately depending on the exam centre and session. Always follow the exact timing on your convocation.<\/span><\/p>\n

How It’s Scored: The 25-Point Grid<\/h2>\n

For clarity, the official 25-point grid can be grouped into seven scoring areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Criterion<\/strong><\/td>\nPoints<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Respect de la consigne \u2014 matches the requested text type, topic and minimum word count<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Correction sociolinguistique \u2014 register and politeness formulas suited to the reader<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 pr\u00e9senter des faits \u2014 facts and examples that support the argument<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 argumenter une prise de position \u2014 how well the position is argued<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coh\u00e9rence et coh\u00e9sion \u2014 structure, punctuation, connectors<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Comp\u00e9tence lexicale \/ orthographe lexicale \u2014 range, precision and spelling of vocabulary<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Comp\u00e9tence grammaticale \/ orthographe grammaticale \u2014 verb forms and sentence complexity<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total<\/strong><\/td>\n25<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Add up the two language-focused rows \u2014 lexical competence (5 points) and grammatical competence (6 points) \u2014 and they total 11 points out of 25. The other five criteria, worth 14 points, have nothing to do with whether your verb conjugations are perfect: they reward following the task, matching your register to your reader, presenting facts, building an argument, and structuring the text with clear connectors. A flawless subjunctive in a text that ignores the letter format the prompt asked for still loses points on respect de la consigne \u2014 and that’s checked before an examiner even gets to your grammar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick takeaway:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Before you write, identify three things: the required text type, the reader, and the position you need to defend. If you miss one of these, grammar will not save the score.<\/span><\/p>\n

What “B2” Means in Writing<\/h2>\n

The gap between B1 and B2 writing isn’t mainly about how many words you know. According to the CEFR self-assessment grid published by Europass, a B1 writer can produce \u2018simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest,\u2019 including personal letters describing experiences and impressions. A B2 writer is expected to produce “clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects” \u2014 specifically “an essay or report, passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view.” <\/span>The CEFR self-assessment grid<\/a> lays out the full scale from A1 to C2.<\/p>\n

In practice, a B1-level text can describe an experience and stop there. A B2 text has to do more: state a position, back it with reasons, and \u2014 per the grading grid \u2014 engage with the other side of the argument. That’s the “capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 argumenter une prise de position” line, worth 3 points on its own and separate from simply presenting facts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nB1 writing<\/strong><\/td>\nB2 writing<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What the text does<\/td>\nDescribes an experience or impression<\/td>\nDefends a position and answers objections<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CEFR descriptor<\/td>\n“Simple connected text on familiar topics”<\/td>\n“Clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Typical form<\/td>\nPersonal letter, short account<\/td>\nEssay, report, formal letter, contribution to a debate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What the grid rewards<\/td>\nBeing understood<\/td>\nBeing structured, supported and convincing<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Structuring the Argument<\/h2>\n

Official guidance for candidates is specific about shape: a production \u00e9crite text should have a visible introduction, d\u00e9veloppement and conclusion \u2014 not necessarily labeled as such, but structurally distinct. The introduction states the topic and your position, the d\u00e9veloppement lays out your reasoning, and the conclusion restates where you land, sometimes with a closing appeal to the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coh\u00e9rence et coh\u00e9sion is worth 4 points on its own, and connectors are how you earn it. The Manuel calls out examples directly: n\u00e9anmoins, bien que, ainsi, par cons\u00e9quent, du fait de. Using two or three connector families across the text \u2014 contrast, cause, consequence \u2014 reads as more controlled than leaning on “et” and “mais” for 250 words.<\/span><\/p>\n

A B2-level argument also nuances its position rather than stating it flatly. Raising the strongest counterargument and then answering it \u2014 “certains diront que\u2026 cependant\u2026” \u2014 is exactly what the grid rewards under argumentation, and it’s often one of the easiest things to add to a draft that already has a clear stance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"DELF<\/figure>\n

Where Points Typically Get Lost<\/h2>\n

France \u00c9ducation international doesn’t publish a breakdown of where candidates lose points, but the patterns are consistent across DELF prep centres working with this exam. Writing the wrong type of text \u2014 a personal narrative when the prompt asked for a formal letter \u2014 is one of the costliest mistakes: it affects respect de la consigne, register, and often the argument structure all at once.<\/p>\n

Other recurring issues \u2014 again per the experience of prep centres, not any official statistic \u2014 tend to repeat:<\/p>\n