DELE B2/C1 for schools
The highest of the exams for schools, first offered in May 2026. Depending on the score it leads to a B2 or a C1 diploma. The diploma certifies that you can:
- at B2, grasp the gist of complex spoken and written texts and interact with native speakers fluently and naturally enough
- at C1, express yourself fluently and spontaneously without obvious effort and always find the expression that fits the situation
- 225 minutes of examination time
- 4 papers in the exam
- 24 / 36 points in each group for B2 / C1
What the exam consists of
The papers follow the order in which the Instituto Cervantes numbers them, and each one is scored separately.
| Paper | Length | Tasks | Items | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 Reading comprehension and use of language Comprensión de lectura y uso de la lengua | 75 min | 5 | 32 | 25 |
| Paper 2 Listening comprehension Comprensión auditiva | 45 min | 4 | 30 | 25 |
| Paper 3 Writing, mediation and written interaction Expresión, mediación e interacción escritas | 80 min | 2 | – | 25 |
| Paper 4 Speaking, mediation and spoken interaction Expresión, mediación e interacción orales | 25 min | 4 | – | 25 |
Before the oral paper you get 20 minutes to prepare. They do not count towards the examination time.
In this exam the oral paper is taken in pairs of candidates and the time given is per pair, not per person.
How the exam is marked
The papers are not marked one by one. They are combined into two groups (grupos de pruebas) and each group is marked as a whole.
Group 1
- Reading comprehension and use of language
- Writing, mediation and written interaction
24 points out of 50 for a pass
Group 2
- Listening comprehension
- Speaking, mediation and spoken interaction
24 points out of 50 for a pass
This exam has two outcomes: depending on the score it leads to the lower or the higher diploma. What counts is what the candidate reaches in both groups at once:
- at least 24 points in each group
- at least 36 points in each group
If the candidate reaches a different level in each group, the lower one is awarded. Below the threshold of the lower diploma the result is no apto (fail).
What the exam day looks like
The written papers in one block, in this order
- Reading comprehension and use of language 75 min
- Listening comprehension 45 min
- Writing, mediation and written interaction 80 min
You should arrive at 8:30, the exam starts at 9:00 and the written block ends at 12:55. Of those 235 minutes, 35 are breaks and exam organisation.
We hold the exams for schools on a Friday, at our own centre in Brno. The place and the time are confirmed by the convocatoria you receive from us — what it says is what applies.
The oral paper: a different time and often a different day
- Preparation 20 min
- Speaking, mediation and spoken interaction 25 min
- You arrive at the time you are given. The day, the time and the place are in the convocatoria you receive from the examination centre. The written papers are administered from 9 a.m. at the earliest in examination centres all over the world.
- You show three documents. Your registration receipt (resguardo de inscripción), the original photo ID you registered with or your passport, and the convocatoria oficial from the examination centre. Photocopies are not accepted and nobody is let into the room without them.
- You go through identification. Before the start, the examination centre checks your documents and takes your photograph. This is an identity check, and the photo is kept with your exam.
- The oral paper is usually separate. Speaking, mediation and spoken interaction may be held on the same day as the written papers, or on the day before or after — the convocatoria of the examination centre decides. Each candidate has their own time.
- No aids are allowed. You may not use a dictionary or any other aid in any of the papers.
Upcoming dates for the DELE B2/C1 exam
| City | may 2027 | november 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Brno – Hispánica | ||
| Ostrava | ||
| Prague |
With us you sit the exam in Brno, where we are an Instituto Cervantes examination centre. Fees and registration are on the exams page. DELE exams
We will get you ready for B2/C1
DELE preparation with us is one-to-one with a certified teacher, not a group course. It works through repeated mock exams with feedback: you find out how the exam is marked, how the examiners think, and you build a strategy for the written and the oral papers.
Not sure about the level? The level assessment for the DELE exam shows whether you are heading for B2 or C1 and what to work on.
The other DELE exams
For school students aged 11 to 17
Where these figures come from
The DELE exam is issued by the Instituto Cervantes: the structure, the timings and the marking are its figures and we only reproduce them. The sources are the Guía del examen for each level, the model exams and the pages of Instituto Cervantes examination centres. Anything we could not verify in them is not on this page.
- Guía del examen DELE B2/C1 para escolares, © Instituto Cervantes, NIPO 110-25-059-7 (archived copy, the original address no longer works)
What the Instituto Cervantes says always prevails. If anything is unclear, write to us at dele@hispanica.cz.
