Passing the DELF B2 opens real doors — whether you’re applying to a French university or planning to work in a Francophone country. One of the trickiest parts? Speaking section— the third and most structured part of the speaking exam.
The good news: this section isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing that you can structure your thoughts clearly and participate in a meaningful discussion — in French.
In this guide, you’ll discover what this section of the French exam expects from you, the official themes and prompts (in French), bilingual explanations for each theme, and vocabulary plus sentence starters to help you sound fluent and confident in later article.
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👉 Read the main guide: How to Succeed in the DELF B2 Production Orale: Complete Guide
What is covered in the speaking section of the DELF exam?
This section of the DELF B2 is officially called Production Orale and it’s divided into two clear parts:
Part 1: The Monologue — You give a solo presentation for up to 10 minutes. This is where you show you can express and organize your ideas independently.
Part 2: The Debate — This is a 10-minute interactive discussion with the examiners. They’ll ask questions, and you’ll respond, clarify, or defend your views.
And here’s the key thing: You don’t get two different topics. Both of these parts use one single prompt — a short, opinion-based document known as a document déclencheur.
This prompt might come from:
A newspaper article
A blog or editorial
A magazine opinion column
So, there’s no topic switch. You’ll get this one prompt and prepare for both your monologue and your discussion using the same text. That’s it. Simple.
Les thèmes officiels + sujets à préparer
Thematic Breakdown + Real Test Prompts
There are seven official categories used in the speaking section. Below are common past prompts within each theme, along with links to helpful vocabulary and commentary to help you prepare. Furthermore, we have 4 files with 50 prompts to get you started.
DELF B2 production orale exemple corrigé 2
DELF B2 production orale exemple corrigé 3
THÈME 1 – SOCIÉTÉ, FAMILLE, QUALITÉ DE VIE & VIE QUOTIDIENNE
This theme includes questions about how we live together, education, aging, childhood, and daily lifestyle. For example, you might be asked whether senior housing should be encouraged (Faut-il encourager les résidences pour personnes âgées ?), or whether lifelong learning should be a norm (Doit-on apprendre toute la vie ?).
The overall focus here is on the changing expectations and needs in modern life: aging populations, family dynamics, access to culture, and sustainable living. This theme tests your ability to discuss quality of life in social, cultural, and personal terms.
Want full analyses of example prompts and vocabulary for this theme? 
Go to: DELF B2 Theme 1 – Society & Quality of Life (Vocabulary + Prompts)
Model Speaking Answer Available: Go to:
- B2 Prompt: « Doit-on apprendre toute la vie ? »(with B2 argument structure)
- B2 Prompt: « Faut-il encourager les résidences pour personnes âgées ? »(with B2 argument structure)
THÈME 2 – ÉDUCATION, ÉCOLES & UNIVERSITÉ
This theme explores the complex relationships between schools, teachers, students, and families. At the B2 level, you are expected to understand key issues such as the role of parents in education (coéducation), how to motivate students, the fairness of reward systems, and the balance between academic and physical development. Questions like L’école en demande-t-elle trop aux parents ? require you to weigh the expectations placed on families against the responsibilities of schools.
To answer well, students need to show understanding of current debates in education and use vocabulary like coéducation, surcharge de travail, motivation scolaire, and équilibre vie étudiante. Be prepared to discuss fairness, mental load, and the social role of schools.
Model Speaking Answer Available: Go to:
- B2 Prompt: « L’école en demande-t-elle trop aux parents ? »(with B2 argument structure)
THÈME 3 – ENVIRONNEMENT, DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE & CONSOMMATION RESPONSABLE
Under this theme, the exam might present a document on the “Semaine de la mobilité” and ask how to encourage people to use sustainable transport. You could be discussing whether fair trade (commerce équitable) is a real solution.
More broadly, this theme asks you to discuss how our habits, policies, and innovations impact the planet. You should be comfortable discussing environmental challenges, public spending, energy use, and sustainable behavior. Key ideas include ecological responsibility, and balancing budgetary and environmental concerns.
Model Speaking Answer Available: Go to:
- B2 Prompt: « Les voitures électriques sont-elles vraiment “propres” ? »(with B2 argument structure)
THÈME 4 – TRAVAIL, EMPLOIS, CONDITIONS PROFESSIONNELLES
This theme revolves around the evolving world of work, including job satisfaction, work-life balance, flexibility, professional identity, and the future of employment. Questions in this theme might ask whether telework is a sustainable solution (Le télétravail, une solution durable ?), or whether companies should encourage part-time contracts or hybrid work structures.
The broader debate often centers on well-being, productivity, equal access to work, and digital transformation in the workplace. To succeed here, you’ll need to reflect on the changing expectations of both employers and employees, using terms like équilibre vie privée/vie professionnelle, conditions de travail, santé mentale, and télétravail. This is one of the most practical and relatable themes for adult learners.
Model Speaking Answer Available: Go to:
- B2 Prompt: «Le télétravail est-il réellement une solution durable »(with B2 argument structure)
THÈME 5 — MÉDIAS, TECHNOLOGIE & VIE NUMÉRIQUE
This theme centers on how technology and media influence our behavior, choices, and even ethics. Prompts such as Est-il juste de noter les médecins en ligne ? or La publicité influence-t-elle trop les consommateurs ? are designed to test your ability to argue around fairness, transparency, and manipulation.
At its core, this theme asks students to reflect on issues like digital privacy, the influence of advertising, everyday tech habits, and ethical risks of innovation. Be ready to discuss vie privée & surveillance, technologie du quotidien, publicité & influence, and innovations & risques. These ideas require you to express nuanced opinions about the benefits and dangers of our digital world.
Model Speaking Answer Available: Go to:
- B2 Prompt: «Neuromarketing : le matraquage publicitaire fait un pas de plus »(with B2 argument structure)
THÈME 6 — TRANSPORTS, CONSOMMATION & SERVICES
In this theme, questions often focus on alternative economies or consumer responsibility. One prompt might ask if a restaurant where clients set their own price is a good idea (Est-ce une bonne idée ?), or whether low-cost flights should be taxed (Faut-il taxer les compagnies low-cost ?).
This theme is about how we consume and the choices we make as individuals and as a society. You’ll need to talk about pricing models, fairness, economic innovation, and environmental cost. Ideas like consommation responsable, économie solidaire, and modèle économique alternatif will be useful here.
THÈME 7 — CULTURE, PATRIMOINE & LOISIRS
This theme encourages you to think critically about the role of culture in society — from access to museums and libraries to questions of public funding and cultural preservation. Topics might include whether entry to national museums should be free (Faut-il rendre les musées gratuits ?), or how to protect cultural heritage while also modernizing it. It also touches on the accessibility of the arts, local initiatives, and how leisure activities contribute to well-being and identity. To speak confidently on this theme, students should explore the concepts of patrimoine, accès à la culture, loisirs créatifs, soutien public, and inégalités culturelles.
Additional Themes Worth Preparing
Although the topics above cover most of what appears on DELF B2 exams, past exams also include prompts about health, languages, and multiculturalism. These can touch on public health debates (vaccination, healthy eating), the place of regional or foreign languages in society, or integration and diversity in multicultural countries. While not always part of the official five categories, they reflect real societal questions in France. To be well-prepared, familiarize yourself with vocabulary related to santé publique, multiculturalisme, langues régionales, intégration, and cohésion sociale.
Balanced Prompts: Expect a Mix of Topics
DELF B2 prompts are designed to challenge your critical thinking. Some questions ask for your opinion (Faut-il interdire la publicité ciblée ?), others ask you to evaluate a policy or idea (Musées gratuits : bonne solution ou coût inutile ?), and others still push you to propose alternatives (Comment inciter les jeunes à faire du sport ?).
Prepare for all three types:
Argumentatif (Do you agree/disagree?)
Évaluatif (What are the pros and cons?)
Propositif (What would you suggest?)
A strong candidate will recognize the type of task and adapt their tone, structure, and vocabulary accordingly.
