ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE DELE EXAM
FAQs
The DELE Spanish diplomas (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera) are official qualifications accrediting the degree of competence and command of the Spanish language, awarded by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport.
These exams are designed following the guidelines of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the Manual for relating exams to the CEFR, both works of the Council of Europe.
These exams are organised into six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.
The DELE exams are administered in the Instituto Cervantes centres and in its network of more than 1000 official examination centres in more than 100 countries.
In Spain, 7 official exams are held throughout the year. For the year 2025 these are the available dates:
| Exam dates | Written test | Registration deadline | Exams available |
| February | Friday, 14 February | 8 January | General: A2, A2-NA |
| April | Friday, 4 April | 12 February | General: A1, A2, A2-NA, B1, B2, C1 |
| May | Friday, 23 May | 9 April | Schools: A1 and A2/B1 |
| May | Saturday, 24 May | 9 April | General: A1, A2, A2-NA, B1, B2, C1, C2 |
| July | Friday, 11 July | 14 May | General: A2, A2-NA, B1, B2, C1 |
| September | Friday, 12 September | 16 July | General: A2, A2-NA |
| October | Friday, 17 October | 3 September | General: A2, A2-NA, B1, B2 |
| November | Friday, 21 November | 8 October | Schools: A1 and A2/B1 |
| November | Saturday, 22 November | 8 October | General: A1, A2, A2-NA, B1, B2, C1, C2 |
Please note that the oral part of this examination may be held on a different date from the written test.
The DELE exam involves different tests related to the four skills: written comprehension, written expression, oral comprehension and oral expression. The tasks in each test are contextualised in the personal, public, educational and professional spheres, and their objective is to certify the degree of general linguistic competence in Spanish.
The duration of each test varies according to the level.
In the comprehension tests, the main varieties of Spanish are included from level B1 upwards, and in the expression and interaction tests, any variety of Spanish used by the candidate is considered valid at all levels.
The price of the DELE exam depends on the country where the exam is being held and the level you have and want to certify. In Spain these prices range from 112 euros to 201/234 euros for the higher levels.
Registration for this exam and payment of the fees are done through the official website of the Instituto Cervantes (https://examenes.cervantes.es/es).
At Hablamos we have several official exams. You can register directly through the link below.
| April 24 | DELE A2 | Registration Link |
| July 24 | DELE A2 | Registration Link |
| October 24 | DELE A2 | Registration Link |
- DELE diplomas do not expire on a specific date.
- This diploma is essential for residence permit applications where it is necessary to prove that you have an A2 level or higher in order to be granted a residence permit. It is also necessary when applying for some study visas.
- The DELE diploma is required by companies and universities for employment and higher education.
- The DELE diploma is required for the homologation of certain degrees or higher education studies.
Do you want to prepare for the exam with us? Find out about our special courses!
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COMPARATIVE TABLE BETWEEN THE SIELE AND THE DELE EXAMS
| DELE | SIELE | |
| Description | Diploma of proficiency in Spanish at a level of CEFR (A1-C2) | Certificate of knowledge of Spanish on a scale of points with equivalences to levels A1-C1 of the CEFR |
| Ownership | Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. The Instituto Cervantes has held the academic, economic and administrative direction since 2002 | Instituto Cervantes (IC), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Universidad de Salamanca (USAL), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) |
| Managed from | 1989 | 2016 |
| Origin | Spain | Spain, Mexico and Argentina |
| Validity | Indefinite | Five years |
| International recognition | International recognition in regulated education systems (e.g. Brazil, France and Italy), institutions, companies, universities, etc. In Spain: Spanish nationality, MIR, FIR, etc. |
International recognition in the higher education and university system, institutions, companies, etc. In Spain: MIR, FIR, etc. |
| Head of administrative and commercial management | Cervantes Institute | Successful technology and marketing company: Telefónica Educación Digital |
| Addressees | ELE and L2, schoolchildren, young people and adults | ELE, L2 and L1, young learners and adults |
| Form of administration | In examination centres, on paper, by means of international face-to-face examinations | In examination centres, on computer, and through a system of appointments that the centre itself announces throughout the year in a public and open calendar. Remote: the candidate takes the test on his or her computer at home and the test centre monitors the test in real time online. |
| Network of examination centres | More than 1,000 test centres worldwide | More than 1,600 test centres around the world |
| Integration of the varieties of Spanish | Yes, especially from B1 onwards | Yes, especially from B1 onwards |
| Examination tests | – Reading comprehension (CL) – Listening comprehension (CA) – Written expression and interaction (EIE) – Oral Expression and Interaction (EIO) In C1 and C2 the tests are integrated skills tests. |
– Reading comprehension (CL) – Listening comprehension (CA) – Written expression and interaction (EIE) – Oral Expression and Interaction (EIO) |
| No. of exams and levels | Six exams for adult audiences: A1 – C2 Two school exams: A1 – A2/B1 |
SIELE GLOBAL, an exam for adult audiences which integrates tasks from A1 to C1. And five independent modalities: S1: RC+LC; S2: RC+WEI; S3: LC+SEI; S4: SEI, y S5: WEI+SEI |
| Information on the outcome | Pass or fail on the candidate’s mastery of the level for which he/she is taking the examination | Spanish language proficiency score in each skill expressed on 250-point scales with equivalence to the levels of the CEFR. Total score out of 1000 |
| Type of certificate issued | Electronic certification of qualifications with official validity Official diploma for successful candidates | Certificate (SIELE GLOBAL) or Report (S1, S2, S3, S4 y S5) with official validity and a verification code |
| Communication of results | Maximum three months | Maximum three weeks |
| Compliance with international certification standards |  |
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| Página web | https://examenes.cervantes.es/es/dele/que-es | https://siele.org/ |
If you would like us to advice you regarding which exam is best for you, contact us at examenes@escuela-hablamos.com
