DELE, the official certificate of Spanish language worldwide

What is the DELE?

DELE (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language) is the official accreditation of the degree of fluency of the Spanish Language issued and recognized by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain.

Instituto Cervantes is the institution in charge of organising the exams, while the University of Salamanca oversees the preparation, correction and final evaluation of all the tests.

DELEs are divided into 6 levels depending on the language level::

• Diploma de Español A1

  This diploma accredits the sufficient linguistic competence to understand and use daily expressions frequently used in any part of the Spanish-speaking world, aimed at satisfying immediate needs; asking and giving basic personal information about yourself and daily life and interacting on a basic level with speakers, whenever they are speaking slowly and clearly and are willing to cooperate.

• Diploma de Español A2

  This diploma accredits that the candidate can understand daily phrases and expressions frequently used related to areas of experience which are particularly relevant to them (basic information about yourself and your family, shopping, places of interest, occupations, etc.).

• Diploma de Español (Nivel Inicial – B1)

  Intermediate-mid/threshold level
  This diploma accredits enough knowledge of the language to allow control in situations which require an elementary use of the language.

• Diploma de Español (Nivel Intermedio – B2)

  High-intermediate/Advanced level

  This diploma accredits the necessary knowledge of the language to allow communication in everyday situations which do not require specialized terms.

• Diploma de Español C1

  This diploma)accredits enough linguistic competence to cope in common situations of daily life which require a specialized use of the language.

• Diploma de Español (Nivel Superior – C2)

  Superior level

  This diploma accredits an advanced knowledge of the language allowing communication in all situations requiring advanced use of the language and a knowledge of cultural background.

DELE A1

Students of this level will have enough linguistic competence to engage in situations that require a basic level of communication.

• Reading comprehension (45 min)
• Listening comprehension (20 min)
• Written expression and interaction (25 min)
• Oral expression and interaction (30 min: 15+15)

DELE A2

Students of this level will have enough linguistic ability to understand a basic range of the commonly simple and immediate relevance of expressions used in the Spanish-speaking world (basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).

• Reading comprehension (60 min.)
• Listening comprehension (35 min.)
• Written expression and interaction (50 min.)
• Oral expression and interaction (30 min: 15+15)

DELE B1

The DELE level B1 accredits the necessary linguistic competence to comprehend the salient points of clear texts and in standard tongue on questions known; describe experiences, events, wishes and desires; explain plans; and justify opinions in brief.

• Reading comprehension (70 min)
• Listening comprehension (40 min)
• Written expression and interaction (60 min)
• Oral expression and interaction (30 min: 15+15)

DELE B2

The DELE level B2 accredits the necessary linguistic competence to understand the main ideas of complex texts that treat subjects as much concrete as abstract, even if they are of a technical character, and produce clear texts and details on diverse subjects.

• Reading comprehension (70 min)
• Listening comprehension (40 min)
• Written expression and interaction (80 min)
• Oral expression and interaction (40 min: 20+20)

DELE C1

The DELE C1 guarantees that the progress of the student in the language has been a success and certifies more than an advanced level of Spanish.

This diploma certifies enough linguistic competence to:

1. Understand a wide variety of long, quite demanding texts, as well as recognize implicit meanings in them.
2. Express yourself fluently and spontaneously, without any obvious effort to find the right words.
3. Use the language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes.
4. And be able to produce clear, well-structured, detailed texts on topics having a certain level of complexity, with correct use of mechanisms for organizing and articulating a cohesive text.

• Reading comprehension and use of language (90 min)
• Listening comprehension and use of language (50 min)
• Integrated skills: listening comprehension and written expression and interaction (80 min)
• Integrated skills: reading comprehension and oral expression and interaction (40 min: 20+20)

DELE C2

Students of this level will have the linguistic competence needed to engage in situations that require an advanced use of the Spanish language and a knowledge of Spanish culture.

• Use of language, Reading and Listening comprehension (105 min: 60+45)
• Integrated skills: Listening and Reading comprehension and written expression and interaction (150 min.)
• Integrated skills: Reading comprehension and Oral Expression and Interaction (50 min: 30+20)

Corresponding British Levels for DELE Diplomas

DELE Diplomas	CEFR	NQF		General Qualifications	Language Ladder Stages
DELE A1	A1	Entry		Entry 1, 2, 3	Breakthrough: 1-3
DELE A2	A2	Level 1		Foundation GCSE	Preliminary: 4-6
DELE B1	B1	Level 2		Higher GCSE	Intermediate: 7-9
DELE B2	B2	Level 3		AS/A/AEA	Advanced: 10-12
DELE C1	C1	Level 4-6		BA Hons	Proficiency 13-15
DELE C2	C2	Levels 7 & 8		Masters & Doctorate	Mastery: 16 & 17

Abreviations:
DELE = Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera (Spanish as a Foreign Language Diplomas)
CEFR = Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
NQF = National Qualifications Framework
NC = National Curriculum

DELE 2020 exam sessions at the Instituto Cervantes in London

*Please note that the oral and written exams may not take place on the same day.

How to register for the DELE exams at the Instituto Cervantes in London

To register, you can enrol online https://cliclondres.cervantes.es/en/convocatorias. You can also enrol either in person at their school, send the necessary documents to [email protected] or [email protected] and contact us on 0207 201 0750 to process the payment.