October 13, 2026 · 8 min read

Spanish Language Test: DELE vs SIELE in 2026

By Language Lab editorial team

The two official Spanish tests compared: DELE and SIELE formats, levels, scores, validity, result times and the DELE exam dates for 2026 and 2027.

The two official tests at a glance

Both are internationally recognised. The Instituto Cervantes lists Spanish citizenship among the uses of the DELE in Spain, and says SIELE is recognised by the higher education institutions that take part in it.

DELE: one exam per level

The DELE diplomas are official qualifications certifying competence in Spanish. The exams follow the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and cover all six of its levels. Counting general and school versions there are nine exams. The general exams are aimed at candidates aged 16 and over, and the school exams at students aged 11 to 17.

Each exam tests listening, reading, writing and speaking. To be awarded the diploma you must pass all the tests on the same examination date. Because you enter for a single level, choosing the right one matters: take a placement test or work through past sample papers first.

DELE exam dates

These are the written test dates published by the Instituto Cervantes. Four dates of 2026 remain, in October and November, and registration has closed for all of them.

Registration for the 2027 sessions opens on 18 November. C2 is offered only twice in 2027, in May and November, so plan around those dates if you need it. As a general rule, candidates have 14 calendar days from the date of registration to request a refund.

SIELE: one exam, a score for every level

SIELE is run electronically. You can take the full exam, SIELE Global, which has four tests, or one of five independent modules that combine some of them. There are no fixed dates.

The four tests add up to three hours. Your score in each test is mapped to a CEFR level, so one sitting can show, for example, B2 in reading and B1 in speaking.

SIELE notes that many Spanish universities require an official Spanish certificate to enter or complete a degree, and that the levels most commonly requested are B1 and B2.

Which one should you take?

• Take DELE if you need a diploma that never expires, if the institution asks for DELE by name, or if you are applying for Spanish citizenship, which the Instituto Cervantes lists among its uses.
• Take SIELE if you need a result quickly, if no fixed date suits you, or if you are not sure which level you would pass, because it reports a score instead of a pass or fail.
• Check the validity. A SIELE certificate lasts five years; a DELE diploma is indefinite.
• Check the top level. SIELE goes up to C1. Only DELE certifies C2.
• Always confirm with the university, employer or authority which exam and level it accepts before you pay.

How to prepare

• Find your level first with a placement test or a past sample paper, so you enter the right DELE level.
• Practise all four skills. Both exams test reading, listening, writing and speaking separately.
• Train recall, not recognition. Testing yourself and spacing practice over weeks are the two study methods rated most effective in a 2013 review of learning research.
• Practise speaking to a recorder if you are taking SIELE, because the speaking test is answered through a recording system.
• Use the Instituto Cervantes' Aveteca archive of activities, which is sorted into A1–A2, B1–B2 and C1.

Speaking is the part most learners practise least. Language Lab's Spanish course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, which gives you spoken practice between lessons or mock exams.

Sources: Instituto Cervantes, Exámenes: Qué son los DELE and Cuándo es el DELE; Instituto Cervantes, Difference between DELE and SIELE and DELE diploma levels; SIELE, What is SIELE and The SIELE tests; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Courtyard of the Escuelas Mayores, University of Salamanca, Brianna Laugher / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons).