What Exactly is SIELE?
SIELE is an exam for Spanish proficiency. SIELE stands for Servico Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Espaola and is an electronic means of confirming your Spanish language proficiency.
SIELE is a multi-level exam in which each activity varies in complexity in Spanish, ranging from level A1 to C1 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which standardizes plurilingual education throughout Europe. As a result, each exam question assists you in determining your official level of Spanish ability.
The SIELE is modular, so each candidate may choose between a complete Exam Certificate in Spanish or an individual Skills Report of the competency areas (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking).
What are your options?
Here are the options for the SIELE exam:
1. SIELE Global
2. S1: Reading + Listening comprehension
3. S2: Reading comprehension + Written expression and interaction
4. S3: Listening comprehension + Oral expression and interaction
5. S4: Oral expression and interaction
6. S5: Written expression and interaction + Spoken expression and interaction
The SIELE Global exam consists of 4 tests corresponding to the four language communication competences and is the most complete modality to certify your level of Spanish proficiency.
The independent SIELE modalities (S1 – S5) are created from four possible combinations of the Global exam and certify your Spanish language level of the communication part of your choice.
Spanish Certificates: SIELE vs. DELE
The DELE Exam is considered the best official and international proof of your Spanish certification level, but is a bit more complicated to obtain. When taking the DELE exam, you need to decide on a specific proficiency level and take all four test areas together on a specified date.
Alternatively, you can take the SIELE exam on a date of your choice, determine your proficiency during the examination and you don’t need to complete all sections of the tests if you so choose.
The DELE gives you lifetime certification in Spanish proficiency, while the SIELE certificate is valid for up to 5 years.
What is the Instituto Cervantes?
The SIELE exam is promoted by Instituto Cervantes, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the University of Salamanca and the University of Buenos Aires.
The Ingenious Nobleman Mister Don Quixote of La Mancha, written by Miguel de Cervantes, is considered the most influential work of Spanish literature and follows the story of a brave Spaniard throughout his journey to revive chivalry, undo wrongs and bring justice to the world. It is then no surprise that an institute whose main responsibility is to promote Spanish language and culture around the world would name their organization after one of the greatest writers in the Spanish language.
Instituto Cervantes guarantees standards of quality and good practices in the preparation of Spanish exams, and ensures different usage of linguistic varieties in the Hispanic world – standards which are also practiced in various courses at FUIA.
Why Should You Take the SIELE Exam?
These are the benefits of the SIELE Exam:
- Fast and easy – Everything is managed electronically, which guarantees you will receive your results within a maximum of three weeks. You can then print the certificate straight from your computer or prove your proficiency with the secure verification code.
- Adaptable – You can choose between the most complete modality of SIELE Global or any of the 5 independent modalities.
- Flexible – You can decide when and in which exam center you want to take the exam – there are no pre-established dates!
- Uniform – Because it is pan-hispanic, the exam includes different linguistic variations of Spanish.
- Good business – Companies and organizations can quickly find candidates that best adapt to their team through the SIELE verification code.
- Competent training – Universities and schools of business will be able to establish objectives, tools for measurement and control of the progress of learning and training based on SIELE results.
- World Recognition – SIELE is recognized by more than 75 associated organizations and universities in more than 20 countries, including Conference of Rectors of the Spanish Universities (CRUE), the Association of Language Centers in Higher Educations (ACLES), American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the National Directory of Professional Certifications (RNCP).
Why Take an Independent Modality?
Depending on whether you need to prove your Spanish proficiency for professional or academic reasons, it may only be necessary to take just part of the SIELE exam through one of its independent modalities.
For example, some entities may only need to certify your level of Spanish oral expression and interaction, which you can do with the independent S4 modality in a 15-minute exam. Here you can obtain a report that supports your competence in a more affordable and less time-consuming manner than if you were to complete the entire SIELE exam.
Be sure to consult your associated education or business institution before taking the exam to determine which option is best suited for your needs.
Accredit your Spanish Level B1/B2 to obtain your degree
A large number of Spanish universities require students to possess an official Spanish certificate to obtain an undergraduate and postgraduate degree. The required level varies from each university, but the most requested levels are B1 and B2 Spanish proficiency.
The different levels of the SIELE diploma are based on CEFR. Here are the different proficiency levels from A1 to C2.
What does each level prove?
When you obtain proficiency in one of the six CEFR levels, you prove that you …
Level A1 - Beginner
Level A2 - Elementary
Level B1 - Intermediate
Level B2 - Advanced
Level C1 - Proficiency
Level C2 - Mastery
How Can You Register for the SIELE Exam?
Registration and payment for the SIELE exam is done online through https://siele.org/reservas
The registration process involves 3 steps:
1. Choose the type of exam you wish to take (SIELE Global or any of the 5 independent modalities)
2. Select the country, date and examination center in which you wish to obtain your SIELE certificate of Spanish.
3. Print your completed registration form with all required information and bring it to the exam center along with your stated identification on the day of your SIELE exam. You will need to present this information to the examiner.
When and where can you take part in the SIELE exam?
You can participate in the SIELE exam in more than 70 countries in over 300 centers around the globe – including here at FUIA in Puerto de la Cruz! You can select specific dates when searching for centers on siele.org, or by contacting the center directly to set up a time and date.
What Can You Expect on the Exam Day?
To get a better understanding of what to expect for your SIELE Examination, click here to access the practice exam. But don’t worry! None of your results will be saved or evaluated on the demo exam, so you can practice as often as you’d like.
On the day of the exam, be sure to go to the examination center 15 minutes before the time of your exam and bring your official documents as well as your login credentials for siele.org (i.e. email and password).
Your evaluation will be done electronically, with a maximum possible score of 250 points per section. You will be informed of the time left to finish throughout the examination. After the allotted execution time, the test is blocked and automatically advanced to the next one.
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