DELE exam preparation: the complete guide (2025)

Would you like to have an official certificate that recognizes your level of Spanish? Do you need a challenge to motivate you to advance in your learning? Or maybe you already know what the DELE is, but you’d like to know more about the exam?

Keep reading, because in this complete guide I explain everything you need to know to effectively prepare for your DELE exam.

Guía completa para preparar el DELE

As a DELE examiner, I know firsthand that good preparation can make all the difference: to pass this type of exam, you not only need to know Spanish at the level you’re taking, but you also need to know the exam very well.

Keep reading, in this complete guide I explain everything you need to know to successfully prepare for your DELE exam, and I also provide all the available information about the DELE exams in 2025.

Table of contents

Prepare your DELE exam in 5 steps

Download my checklist for the first steps in the exam preparation
DOWNLOAD CHECKLIST

What is the DELE exam?

DELE stands for Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language). 

The DELE diplomas are awarded by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional de España, and are the best way to obtain an official certificate of your Spanish level recognized worldwide.

Przygotowanie do egzaminu DELE

What is the DELE exam for? Is it worth it?

It definitely is! 

Having an official certificate of your Spanish proficiency:

✅ Can open you doors in the job market, for example, to work in a Spanish-speaking company or international companies that value proficiency in multiple languages.

✅It can help you become a teacher of Spanish as a foreign language.

✅ It can be an excellent opportunity to learn Spanish!

✅ It can be a requirement for some legal procedures (for example, to obtain Spanish nationality, you need the DELE A2).

✅ Facilitate admission to Spanish-speaking universities and other educational institutions.

✅  And let’s not forget, obtaining this type of certificate will give you great personal satisfaction.

REMEMBER: The DELE diplomas are recognized worldwide by companies, chambers of commerce, and public and private educational systems.

What are the DELE levels?

Currently, you can take exams at the following levels:

  • DELE A1
  • DELE A1 escolar
  • DELE A2
  • DELE B1
  • DELE A2/B1 escolar
  • DELE C1
  • DELE C2

These correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):

 A1Beginner 
 A2Elementary 
 B1Intermediate 
 B2Upper-intermediate 
 C1 Advanced
  C2 Proficiency

Which DELE exam should I take?

That depends on your current level of Spanish and how much time you want (or you can) dedicate to preparing for your exam.

First of all, it’s a good idea to take a placement test. You can try this one, prepared by the Cervantes Institute: placement test. It can guide you regarding your level of grammar and vocabulary, but be careful: you also need to consider your level of speaking and writing skills (that is, how you speak and write texts), and this test won’t help you with that. If you need it, I can advise you on your decision; it’s not always easy to determine the appropriate level when it comes to speaking and writing exams.

Once you have an idea of which level interests you, I recommend that you take a sample exam and see if you feel comfortable with the level you have chosen.

What is the DELE exam like?

Depending on the level the tests vary, but they always consist of four parts:

  • Reading comprehension
  • Listening comprehension
  • Written expression
  • Oral expression

How much does the DELE exam cost?

DELE exam prices depend on the level, the center, and the country where you take it. These are the prices in Spain for the DELE exams in the 2024 sessions:

Price adults

Price escolares

A1

A2

B1

B2

C1

C2

A1

A2/B1

€ 112

€ 134

€ 170

€ 201

€ 219

€ 234

€ 112

€ 170

If you take the exam in another country, it will depend on the local currency.

You can check the current prices on the Instituto Cervantes website of the country where you’re taking the exam.

REMEMBER: the exam prices change every year.

When can I take the DELE exam? Dates in 2024

The DELE exams can only be taken on the official dates published by Instituto Cervantes.

The exam dates might vary depending on the center where you take the test (not all the centers have exams in all the possible dates). 

In Spain, in 2024, there are exams in 7 sessions:

  • February
  • April
  • May
  • July
  • September
  • October
  • November

The registration deadline for the November exams closes on October 9th, so you still have time!

DELE exam dates in 2025

The 2025 DELE exam dates are now available. Here they are:

When?

Written test

Registration deadline

February

Friday,  February 14th

January 8th

April

Friday, April 4th

February 12th

May

Friday, May 23rd

April 9th

Saturday, May 24th

July

Friday, July 11th

May 14th

September

Friday, September 12th

July 16th

October

Friday, October 17th

September 3rd

November

Friday, November 21st

October 8th

Saturday, November 22nd

The registration period for the 2025 exams begins on November 13, 2024.

Prepare your DELE exam in 5 steps

Download my checklist for the first steps in the exam preparation
DOWNLOAD CHECKLIST

Where can I take the DELE exam? Can you take DELE online?

Unfortunately you can’t take the test online. You have to take the DELE exam at an Instituto Cervantes or an accredited examination center. 

How do I take the DELE exam?

In order to take the DELE exam you have to register on the center you want to take the test for a specific date. 

Heads up! You have to register for the exam a while in advance, before the registration period ends. Don’t miss it!

I want to take the DELE! Where do I start?

Great! Now you need to begin your preparation. It’s time to organize a structured study plan and, above all, get to know very well the types of questions that are on the exam. In my checklist “Prepare for your DELE in 5 steps“, I help you make the first decisions.

What’s the difference between preparing for the DELE exam on my own or with an examiner?

The difference…is big:

✅ An experienced examiner knows the DELE exams and common candidate mistakes better than anyone, making them the best person to guide you in your preparation.

✅ You’ll have an expert at your disposal who will give you strategies to pass the exam.

✅ An examiner keeps you motivated to achieve your goal, organizes a structured study plan for you, and ensures you maintain a good pace in your preparation.

✅ The help of an examiner can be crucial when preparing for the oral and written expression parts, where personalized feedback from someone who knows what’s expected in the exam is very important. In my DELE preparation courses, we constantly do mock exams, and my students receive personalized attention to feel confident and supported at every step of the preparation.

✅ An examiner knows the best materials for preparation and will clarify your doubts whenever you need.

In short:

If you prepare for your exam with a qualified tutor, you have a better chance of passing the exam. If you really want to go all out and get the DELE, preparing with an examiner is the best option.

Is it important to know idiomatic expressions for the DELE exam?

Yes, definitely! In the DELE exam, you need to demonstrate the ability to communicate in everyday situations, and this includes knowing and properly using idiomatic and colloquial expressions.

For example, in the listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections, you might encounter dialogues, texts, or conversations that include colloquial expressions.

In the written and oral expression and interaction sections, you can use idiomatic expressions as long as they are appropriate for the context and register, making you sound more natural.

If you’re interested in idiomatic expressions, I recommend you my post: Colloquial Spanish: Learn the 20 most common idioms in Spanish and my book available in Amazon: Aprende expresiones idiomáticas en español. You can read a sample chapter here.

Expresiones idiomáticas en español libro
Expresiones idiomáticas en español capítulo 1
you can read the whole chapter here

Tips you need to know if you’re taking the DELE exam

Would you like to know some tips that will be very useful for preparing for your exam?

In episode 3 of my podcast “Tinto de verano. The colloquial Spanish podcast,” I share tips and useful words for the DELE exam. You can listen to the episode and read the transcript here.

Examen DELE

Frequently Asked Questions

How many points I need to pass the DELE? How is DELE exam scored?

Again, this depends on the level of the exam you’re taking. There are two groups of tests at each level: GROUP 1: reading comprehension AND written expression and interaction. GROUP 2: listening comprehension and oral expression and interaction. The minimum score to pass is different at each level, but in all, you need to pass both groups of tests to get a PASS in the final grade.

How long it takes to get the DELE exam results?

DELE exam results are published approximately three months after the tests. Candidates receive their results by email.

Do DELE scores expire?

No, the DELE diploma does not expire. It is a permanent certificate that validates your Spanish level for life.

How many times can you take the DELE exam?

You can take the DELE exam at a given level as many times as you want, but each time you do, you’ll have to pay the full exam fee.

Is it necessary to have passed a lower level before taking a higher level exam?

For example, is it necessary to have passed the A2 level to take the B1 level?

No, you can take the exam you are interested in without having to complete the previous levels. For example, you can go straight for the DELE B2 or C2 without having taken the other levels. The exams are independent.

Which are the best textbooks to prepare the DELE exam?

In my opinion, there is no single best textbook for the preparation. There are great manuals which contains exam models that will help you become familiar with the exam and practice it.

The Instituto Cervantes offers a list of publications for each level. You can find it here.

Where can I find sample DELE exams?

You can find sample exams for the different levels on the Instituto Cervantes website here.

You can also practice with the exam models offered by the books mentioned above.

TO sum up…

If you have decided to take the DELE exam, good luck! The preparation is challenging but will help you grow and provide excellent motivation to improve your Spanish.

Go for the DELE!

If you prefer to read this guide in Spanish, you can do it here.

And if you prefer to read it in Polish, you can do it here. 

Go to my dele exam preparation courses