The Ultimate Spanish DELE Exam Guide

While studying Spanish for travel or relationships requires nothing more than a willingness to learn, employment in a Spanish-speaking career or admission to a Spanish university may necessitate proof of ability. If you fall into this category, passing the DELE is a tremendous advantage.  

Let's take a look at what the exam comprises, what to expect when taking it, how to best prepare, fees and registration information, and even eight fantastic study resources.

What is the DELE Exam?

DELE stands for diploma de español como lengua extranjera (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language).

The tests are designed by the Universidad de Salamanca (University of Salamanca) in Salamanca, Spain. The university, located west of Madrid, also corrects and delivers a final evaluation of all exams to those who take them.

Instituto Cervantes (Cervantes Institute), located in Spain, plans the examination sessions.

Your exam scores act as certification to prove that you’ve reached a certain degree of competency in the Spanish language.

Anyone can take any of the DELE exams as long as they can prove they’re a citizen of a country where Spanish isn’t the official language, and registration is easy and can be done online.

When you pass a DELE exam, the certificate you receive never expires. So, once you take a test and pass, you never need to do it again!

What Are the 6 DELE Exam Levels?

The exams are separated into six levels:

• Levels A1 and A2 test competency in the basic areas of Spanish and show an ability to communicate on general topics. Family, work, shopping and a few other common themes are part of these levels.
• Levels B1 and B2 are a bit more challenging. They deal with understanding texts and navigating situations that might occur when traveling and test your writing skills on simple subjects. They also test your ability to express thoughts and opinions.
• Levels C1 and C2 are the most difficult exams and certify that those who pass have a high level of competence in the language. They test your ability to understand intricate texts, whether your communication is fluent and your ability to write on complex subject matters.

The tests show proficiency in all facets of language learning—reading, writing, speaking and listening. The higher the level, the more challenging those exam questions will be.

In the past, reading comprehension material has been taken from Spain’s daily newspaper “El Mundo” (“The World”) so if you want to get a head start or just add on to your exam practice, check it out.

Is the DELE Exam Difficult?

Answering this question depends on several factors, such as the exam level, how long you’ve been studying Spanish and how well prepared you are. But to give you a short answer first: No,  the DELE exam is difficult. However, it’s very, very, very demanding.

Depending on someone’s Spanish level, the same DELE exam can be easy for you but super hard for another person. If you’re already an advanced student, taking the A1 would be like child’s play. Likewise, if you’re an intermediate learner of Spanish, taking the C2 exam would be crazy.

If you have a look at the DELE curriculum, you’d probably have a heart attack. There’s so much to cover it doesn’t seem to ever end. But that’s the whole thing, not your specific test. You can click on the different sections depending on your level and get to know exactly what you’re expected to know. Yes, it’s a lot, but this is the DELE exam.

The DELE exam can be passed, but for that to happen, you need to work hard.

Is the DELE Exam Worth It?

¡Sí! Yes, the DELE exam is definitely worth taking. There’s not a single reason why having this certification would be a bad thing. Really.

There are only pros when it comes to taking the exam and getting your diploma.

Here you have a few of them:

• You can use it to access schools and universities
• It’s a great asset to add to your CV/resumé
• It can land you the job of your dreams
• It’s officially recognized worldwide
• You can use it to apply for Spanish citizenship (from level A2 onwards)
• It never expires

As for personal reasons, when you pass your DELE exam:

• You’ll be super proud of yourself and feel accomplished
• You’ll be confident in knowing that you indeed have that level of Spanish (instead of just guessing)
• You’ll feel motivated to continue your language journey

So, yes, the DELE exam is totally worth it. Don’t even think about it. Go for it!

What’s the Difference Between the DELE and SIELE?

Did you know there’s another test Spanish learners can take known as the SIELE? It’s not as common, but I feel it’s worth mentioning if we’re going to talk about the DELE exam in its entirety. So what’s the difference?

Both the DELE and the SIELE are official exams you can take to assess your knowledge of Spanish. Even though they have some points in common—like the fact that they focus solely on Spanish or that they give you an official certification after you pass—there are a few key differences between them.

Here you have a list of the most important points:

• The DELE certification never expires, while the SIELE is valid for only five years
• You have to take all the DELE exams for a specific level (listening, reading, writing and speaking), while the SIELE allows you to get tested on language skills individually
• The DELE diploma is officially recognized worldwide, but the SIELE is only accepted by SICELE members
• You can only take the DELE exam on specific dates, while the SIELE can be done whenever you want
• The DELE is compulsorily done on paper, while the SIELE is done electronically in an examination center

Taking one exam or the other will mainly depend on your needs.

If you need a quick way of demonstrating your Spanish language skills, the SIELE is a better option because it can be done anytime during the whole year.

The same happens if you only need a certificate stating your language level. The SIELE will give you a certificate even if you get zero points, and you’ll have a document that says your Spanish level is A1. It’s like an “Oprah exam,” everyone gets a certificate!

Another advantage the SIELE has over the DELE is that you can check your mastery of specific skills. If you only need to prove your speaking skills or your writing talent, you just have to take those parts of the exam. On the other hand, if you need to demonstrate you have a deep knowledge of Spanish and you master every language skill, you’d have to take the DELE exam.

The DELE is much more demanding and you’ll need more time to prepare for it, but the benefits are also bigger, and having a DELE diploma can certainly improve your CV/resumé.

At the end of the day, you decide which one is the right exam for you.

Both are official, internationally recognized and accepted exams, but one (the SIELE) only tells your level of Spanish, while the other (the DELE) really tests your knowledge of Spanish and can open more doors for you.  

How Much Does the DELE Exam Cost?

One of the downsides of the DELE exam is its price. The exams for each level have to be paid separately, and normally the prices grow as the level goes up. And it’s important to note that prices might vary depending on the country you leave and the center where you’re planning on taking the exam.

For reference, the price of the A1 exam in 2021 in Spain is 108 euro, while the C2 exam is 220 euro.

The good news is that you don’t have to pass all the previous levels to get a C2 diploma. You can take an exam for any level you want if you feel ready.

Everything You Should Expect When Taking the DELE Exam

How Long Is the DELE exam?

The DELE exam can take between two and a half and five hours approximately (including breaks), depending on the level.

For instance, the A1 exam includes four tests:

• Reading comprehension (45 minutes)
• Listening comprehension (25 minutes)
• Written expression and interaction (25 minutes)
• Oral expression and interaction (10 minutes + 10 minutes to prepare)

The C2 exam only includes three tests. However, they’re much longer:

• Use of language, reading and listening comprehension (105 minutes)
• Integrated skills: Listening and reading comprehension, and written expression and interaction (150 minutes)
• Integrated skills: Reading comprehension and oral expression and interaction (20 minutes + 30 minutes to prepare)

How Long Does It Take to Receive My DELE Exam Results?

After you finish your exam, you’ll have to wait around three months to get your results.

You’ll first get notified via e-mail. You’ll get to know if you’ve passed and, if so, you’ll be able to access your digital certificate (the digital certificate can be used as proof of your Spanish knowledge while you wait for the actual diploma). Later on, you’ll receive your diploma through postal mail. You can also go to the center where you took the exam and pick it up personally.

How Do I Pass the DELE Exam?

To pass the test, you’ll need to get an overall score of 60% out of a total of 100 possible points. However, the DELE exam is prepared to make sure you’ve mastered all the language skills, so you need to get 60% on each test to actually pass it. For instance, if you get 100% in three tests but 55% in one, you won’t pass, so you need to practice all four major language skills plus grammar and vocabulary at the appropriate level before taking it.

The final grade will be either PASS or FAIL, according to the criteria described above.

If you fail your exam or don’t agree with your grade, you can ask for a revision. But bear in mind that your original score can be lowered if the person revising the exam finds any additional mistakes or thinks you deserve fewer points on a specific question.

Do DELE Scores Expire?

The greatest thing about the DELE scores is that they never expire.  You can try to pass the DELE exam for a different level if you so wish, but once you’ve passed a level, that score will always and forever be valid.

What You Need to Know About the DELE Exam

How to Know Which DELE Exam to Take

The level of the exam you want to take will ultimately depend on you and your Spanish knowledge. But sometimes, you need a second opinion to confirm your estimate!

If you’re learning with a teacher, they should have enough information about your Spanish skills to give you an answer that fits you personally.

Generally speaking, it is advised to go for one level higher than the one they have when they start preparing for the exam.

Obviously, there are exceptions—like a person who starts learning Spanish from scratch and decides to wait till they reach the B1 level to take the exam, or an advanced student who’s already reached the C2 level “in theory” but wants to make it official.

Whatever you decide, it’s crucial that you choose a specific level before you start preparing for the exam, because the curriculum for each level is very different. The last thing you want to do is waste your time on unnecessary topics or ignore anything important.

If you don’t have a Spanish teacher, you can also try taking a proficiency test or two, like the ones I linked to earlier.

Where to Take the DELE Exam

The DELE exam can be taken at an Instituto Cervantes or an examination center—and there are plenty out there. 1,000 places in 100 countries, to be exact. To find one near you, you can use the Instituto Cervantes center search engine (in Spanish).

When Can You Take the DELE Exam

The DELE exams can only be taken on specific official dates, and all the centers around the world have their exams on the same days.

It’s important to remember two things when deciding the date of your exam:

• Not all levels are offered on all the dates
• You have to register for a specific date before the registration period ends

How to Sign Up for the DELE Exam

You can sign up for the DELE exam online (if you’re going to take the exam in Spain) or personally in the center where you’re planning to take it.

If you’re going to take the exam in Spain, you can start your registration process by creating a user account on the Instituto Cervantes website. You’ll be able to register for the exam through your account.

If you’re going to take the exam outside of Spain, you’ll have to go to the center you’ve selected and bring:

• Two copies of the application form
• Original and photocopy of a photo ID
• A document accrediting the payment of the registration fee (you’ll need to contact your center first to get further details on this)

Sounds like a lot of trouble to register for an exam, but it’ll be worth it. After all this red tape has been done, your next step will be getting ready for the actual test. To help you with that, I’ve created a list of the best eight resources to prepare for the DELE available at the moment.

All of them are amazing, so feel free to choose one, two, three or all of them!

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