DELE Practice Test

What the DELE is and how it works

According to Instituto Cervantes, “El examen DELE consta de cuatro secciones y la duración total del examen depende del nivel que se evalúe.”^[1]

The DELE is an official Spanish qualification. The Instituto Cervantes awards it on behalf of Spain's Ministry of Education, and it is recognised internationally. The diploma does not expire, so you never need to renew it.

You take the exam in person at an accredited exam centre. You register and pay online. Every level has 4 sections: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression and interaction, and oral expression and interaction. The total time depends on the level and ranges from 1 h 55 min to 5 h 5 min.

To receive the diploma you need an overall result of "Apto" (pass). Results come out about 3 months after the exam, and the Instituto Cervantes emails you at the address on your registration when they are published.

The exam is open to anyone who can read and write, at any age, although the tests are designed for people over 16. In the November 2026 session, the school exams and the general A2 exam are on 13 Nov 2026. The general A1, B1, B2, C1 and C2 exams are on 14 Nov 2026. The Universitat de Barcelona calendar lists registration for that session until 30 September. Deadlines, fees and retake options are set by the Instituto Cervantes and each exam centre, so check them with your centre or on the official DELE site before you make plans.

DELE Exam at a Glance

Worked examples: how to reason through DELE questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What does 'estar seguro' typically express in Spanish?

1. That a place is physically safe
2. That something is reliable or trustworthy
3. That a person feels certain or sure about something
4. That a building has security features

Answer: C. That a person feels certain or sure about something

Explanation:

C is correct. With estar, seguro describes a person's state of mind. Estoy seguro de que viene means you feel certain. Option A mixes this up with physical safety, which is a quality of the location itself and takes ser: La zona es segura. Option B, reliability or trustworthiness, is also a built-in characteristic, so it uses ser too (un método seguro). Option D, a building with security features, again describes what the thing is like, not how someone feels. The rule to remember is that adjectives such as seguro, listo or aburrido change meaning with the verb. Ser gives the characteristic. Estar gives the state or feeling of the moment.

Example 2

Question: En el blog de un crítico de cine, usted lee una reseña con la que no está de acuerdo. Quiere dejar un comentario para expresar su opinión de forma respetuosa. ¿Cuál de las siguientes frases es la más apropiada para iniciar su comentario?

1. No tienes ni idea, la película es una obra maestra.
2. Respeto tu análisis, aunque personalmente tuve una impresión diferente de la película.
3. Este es el peor análisis que he leído.
4. ¿Vimos la misma película? Porque lo que dices no tiene sentido.

Answer: B. Respeto tu análisis, aunque personalmente tuve una impresión diferente de la película.

Explanation:

B is correct. The task asks you to disagree respectfully, and B does exactly that. It first acknowledges the author's work with Respeto tu análisis. It then gives a different view with aunque personalmente, which softens the disagreement and presents it as a personal opinion. Option A opens with an insult (No tienes ni idea), so the tone is aggressive even if the opinion itself is fair. Option C condemns the whole review without giving any reason. Option D is sarcastic and says the review makes no sense, which shuts down discussion. The rule for forum and blog tasks in the written expression and interaction section: match your register to the situation, acknowledge the other view, then give yours with a connector such as aunque, sin embargo or no obstante.

Example 3

Question: Which sentence uses 'ser' incorrectly?

1. El examen es difícil.
2. La reunión es a las tres.
3. El niño es cansado esta tarde.
4. Ella es profesora.

Answer: C. El niño es cansado esta tarde.

Explanation:

C is the answer because it is the only sentence that misuses ser. Being tired is a temporary state, so Spanish uses estar: El niño está cansado esta tarde. The phrase esta tarde is a clue that a passing condition is meant. A is correct as written, because the sentence presents difficulty as a characteristic of the exam, so es difícil works. B is correct because ser gives the time or location of an event: La reunión es a las tres. D is correct because professions take ser: Ella es profesora. The rule: use ser for identity, profession, characteristics, and the time or location of events. Use estar for states and conditions, and for where people and things are.

How to use these practice tests

Start by finding out where you stand. Take the general practice test, note which skills give you the most trouble, and then work through the matching sets below.

• Grammar: ser y estar, verb tenses and subjunctive and conditional (set 2). For each question you miss, write the rule in your own words.
• Reading: the A1 and A2 or B1 and B2 reading sets, then general reading and formal texts. Time yourself as you work.
• Listening: everyday listening, followed by the official Instituto Cervantes sample audio.
• Writing: emails and forums and blogs. After that, write full answers to official sample tasks.
• Speaking: describing images and giving opinions. Record yourself answering out loud.
• Vocabulary and connectors: work and professions, travel and leisure and discourse connectors.

Before test day, take the official sample exam for your level under timed conditions, with all 4 sections in order, so the length of the exam feels familiar.

Sources & last verified

1. ucm.es — number of questions, time limit, passing score, delivery (official source). “El examen DELE consta de cuatro secciones y la duración total del examen depende del nivel que se evalúe.” Verified Oct 21, 2026.
2. uc3m.es — validity (official source). “El DELE es un título oficial de español que otorga el Instituto Cervantes en nombre del Ministerio de Educación de España. Tiene reconocimiento internacional y…” Verified Oct 21, 2026.
3. upv.es — renewal (official source). “No. Su vigencia es indefinida.” Verified Oct 21, 2026.
4. uv.es — eligibility, score release (official source). “Personas alfabetizadas de cualquier edad, aunque las pruebas están elaboradas para mayores de 16 años.” Verified Oct 21, 2026.
5. eh.ub.edu — next exam date (official source). “13 y 14 de noviembre Día 13, exámenes escolares: A1, A2/B1 y B2/C1 Día 13, examen general: A2 Día 14, exámenes generales: A1, B1, B2,…” Verified Oct 21, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.