Spanish Language: The DELE Examination Is Brought Up To Date

We just received some interesting information about the new DELE exam models that the Cervantes Institute expects to implement in August 2013 for levels B1 and B2.

According to statistics announced by the Cervantes Institute in the May 2012 report, these two levels - B1 and B2 - make up more than 60% of the candidates. That shows a slight decrease in the percentage of B1 and B2 candidates compared to 2011 data, but it shows that they are still the majority of candidates sitting the DELE tests.

As teachers of Spanish as a foreign language, we must be aware of this change in the number and level of candidates so that we can tailor our classes to the specific needs of our students.

Keeping in mind that for the next announcement in May 2013, DELE will continue using the examination models that we have known up until now, we will analyze in detail the new exam models that the Cervantes Institute have in their portfolio.

DELE B1 consists of four exams:

1. READING EXAM (30 questions spread over five sections, 1 hour and 10 minutes)
2. LISTENING EXAM (30 questions spread over five sections, 40 minutes)
3. WRITTEN EXAM (two sections, 1 hour)
4. ORAL EXAM (four sections, 15 minutes with an additional 15 minutes preparation time)

The new organization increases the total time of the examination by 15 minutes. The current DELE exam model is 2 hours and 50 minutes long, meaning that the new model to be implemented in August 2013 will be 3 hours and 5 minutes long. We can see that the grammar and vocabulary tests have disappeared, as these subjects have been integrated into the reading comprehension section. The importance given to listening comprehension has increased, demonstrating the need to focus on a more practical and pragmatic use of the Spanish language by the candidate putting less emphasis on purely grammatical study.

DELE B2 also consists of four exams:

1. READING EXAM (36 questions spread over four sections, 1 hour and 10 minutes)
2. LISTENING EXAM (30 questions spread over five sections, 40 minutes)
3. WRITTEN EXAM (two sections, 1 hour and twenty minutes)
4. ORAL EXAM (three sections, 15 minutes with an additional 15 minutes preparation time)

Here we can see that, while the B1 level has increased the total time of the test, in the case of B2 there has been a reduction of 20 minutes. The current exam model lasts a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes (excluding the 15 minutes preparation time for the oral exam). Now the new model proposed by the Cervantes Institute lasts a total of 3 hours and 25 minutes not including the 15 minutes preparation time for the oral exam.

The focus of the tests, as with the B1, C1 and C2, centers on real language use, making everyday language much more important in oral interaction and reading comprehension – which integrates items that, until now, were part of the grammar and vocabulary tests.

The Cervantes Institute has made available a complete example of each of the tests. Recordings of the oral DELE exam are not provided, but the corresponding transcripts are, which allow us to read them aloud and thus make up for the lack of audio support.