Which Spanish Certificate Should You Take

Which Spanish Certificate Should You Take Taking a Spanish Language Proficiency Test ChaptersThe DELE (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera)What Does Each Level of the DELE Test Look Like?  The CELU Spanish Certicate for Second-Language Spanish SpeakersSIELE Language Proficiency TestThe University of Central Florida's Spanish FLPETo Sum Up  Learning Spanish can be a simple hobby in order to have a conversation with a native speaker whilst on holiday, or an obligation if you have chosen to move abroad and work in one of the 20 Spanish speaking countries around the globe.Spanish is spoken by an estimated 440 million people worldwide, and so having a certain level of fluency will be advantageous for you professionally speaking.To be able to communicate with the locals in Spain, Argentina, Mexico, or Colombia, you could take a Spanish course at a local language school, take Spanish lessons online, or even find a Spanish program at university.If you want to show off your language level in Spanish and certify it in order to add it to your resume, several degrees and language tests are available to you!This article is a summary of all the possible certifications in Spanish, what they imply, and their costs!It might not be enough for a prospective employer that you speak Spanish, they might want to see a document that validates your level. If your dream is to work in Costa Rica, Panama, or Chile, then this article will be of great interest to you.There are many DELE test centres across the world. Look out for your local Instituto de CervantesHow Much Will It Cost?The price will very much depend on the level that you want to take, and the centre that you choose.  We therefore recommend you contact the centre where you would like to take the test directly.However, to give you a rough idea of prices, you can expect to pay between £100-170 (€78-170; $105-180 USD; $147-269 AUD) depending on your preferred level and geographical level.If you are taking Spanish lessons London, your Superprof tutor may help you find a testing centre!What Does Each Le vel of the DELE Test Look Like?  It's all well and good having the logistical information about doing a proficiency test, but what does the DELE consist of? The short answer is that each level is different so it will depend entirely on which one you want to sit. A learner in all levels, however, will be assessed on five skills:written comprehensionlistening comprehensionwritten expressionoral expression and pronunciationSpanish grammar and vocabularyEach DELE exam works on a simple pass or fail outcome. For each level except the last one, the exam is divided into two groups for which you must obtain at least 30 points out of 50  in each group,  and subsequently 60 points out of 100 in total. If you don't achieve this, you will not pass.For the  A1 to B2 level exams, both groups and tests are the same, the only difference is in how long the test lasts:Reading and writing skills:Reading comprehension:  A1:  45 minutes, 4 test questionsA2:  1 hour, 5 test questionsB1:  1h10, 5 exercise sB2:  1h10, 4 exercisesWritten interactions and expressions:  A1:  25 minutes, 2 test questionsA2:  50 minutes, 2 test questionsB1:  1 hour, 2 exercisesB2:  1h20, 2 exercisesOral skills:Listening exercises:  A1:  20 minutes, 4 test questionsA2:  35 minutes, 5 test questionsB1:  40 minutes, 5 exercisesB2:  40 minutes, 5 exercisesOral interactions and expressions:  A1:  15 minutesA2:  15 minutesB1:  15 minutes + 15 minutes preparationB2:  20 minutes + 20 minutes preparationThe DELE is administered by the Spanish governmentFor the C1 level, which requires a higher level in Spanish, two categories are assessed during the exam:Reading and writing skills:Reading comprehension and language use:  1h30, 5 exercisesListening exercises and language use:  50 minutes, 5 exercisesIntegrated oral skills:Listening exercises, oral interactions and expressions:  20 minutes + 20 minutes preparationReading comprehension, oral interactions and expressions:  20 minutes + 20 minutes preparationThe C2 leve l demands the test-taker to speak spontaneously like a Spanish bilingual. It is therefore not so much about what you have been taught during your Spanish instruction, but rather your overall grasp of the intricacies of the language. It consists of three tests:Language use, reading comprehension, and listening exercises: 1h45, 6 exercisesIntegrated skills:Listening exercises, reading comprehension, written expressions and interactions: 2h30, 3 exercisesComprehensive skills:Reading comprehension, oral interactions and expressions:  20 minutes with 30 minutes preparationThere are also two levels for the DELE for juniors.  This test is reserved for young people aged from  11 to 17 years old and allows them to validate their Spanish language skills while stimulating their desire to learn. It consists of four categories:Reading comprehension:A1:  45 minutesA2/B1:  50 minutesListening comprehension:A1:  20 minutesA2/B1:  30 minutesWritten expressions and interactions:A1:  25 minutesA2/B1:  50 minutesOral expressions and interactions:A1:  10 minutes + 10 minutes preparationA2/B1:  12 minutes + 12 minutes preparationThe advantage of the  A2/B1 junior  test  is that, in one test, it determines the student's level. This certificate gives a lifelong validation of the candidate's level worldwide.Remember to prepare yourself by using the annals available on the DELE website, and plunging your heart and soul into the language and culture: read newspapers, talk to Hispanics and ask them to correct you, watch films in their original version, listen to radio broadcasts, try tutoring in Spanish...Reading Comprehension, Listening Comprehension, Written Expression and Interaction, and Spoken Expression and Interaction. The SIELE Global contains all four parts, and therefore tests each component of language learning.However, you can also choose to take one of the four modalities if it will better suit your needs. For example, you could decide that you only need to focus on speaking , and therefore you would only need to do S4.This flexibility in choice is mirrored in the flexibility regarding when you can take the exam. There are no universal examination dates where the exam is sat in all parts of the world on the same day.Instead, each of the 700 test centres around the world has slightly different dates, meaning that they are more numerous. In doing so, you may not have to wait 3 or 4 months to take the test as can be the case with some of the other Spanish language proficiency tests.Each of the four parts of the SIELE is worth 250 points. Therefore, the SIELE Global is scored out of 1000, S1, S2, and S3 are all scored out of 500 (because they contain 2 different modalities), and S4 is scored out of 250.Depending on how well you do, you will be placed into one of the CEFR language levels. The thresholds differ slightly depending on which one of the four parts it is, but you can find all of the grade boundaries on the SIELE website.With it being based on the computer, there is a shorter turn around time when waiting for the results. The Instituto de Cervantes says that you should have to wait no longer than 3 weeks from test day before you receive your score.Superprof tutors' Spanish lessons are generally structured with an eye toward sitting such exams!The University of Central Florida's Spanish FLPEThe Foreign Language Proficiency Exam (FLPE) evaluates skills in the areas of listening comprehension, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy. There is no credit awarded for this exam. Students can earn up to 2 semesters equivalency at a college level.The exam lasts for 2.5 hours, and although the content is unique in each exam, you can always expect to be assessed on  listening comprehension, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy of the first two semesters of any given language.The FLPE could help you take to Spanish like a bird to waterPrior to registering for an FLPE exam, you will need to make sure that it matches your needs. As a student at UCF, you can do this by speaking to your academic advisor. The UCF's website has all of the information that you will need to sign up and pay, plus information about what to do on test day, and what you will need to take with you.To Sum Up  If you want to validate your Spanish language level,  four diplomas  are available to you:  the DELEthe CELUthe SIELEthe University of Central Florida FLPE in SpanishIt's up to you  to see which diploma best corresponds to what you are looking for.We recommend that you choose a diploma which allows you to determine your level according to the CECRL, from A1 to C2,  knowing that most companies deal in these levels.  B2 is the most common level requested when someone is trying to work in an Hispanic  country.  Now that you have all of the information necessary--launch yourself into what you think is best for you!