Instituto Cervantes · examen DELE A2 · Updated September 2026

DELE A2: the exam, the pass mark and the Spanish nationality route

Most DELE A2 pages explain either the nationality paperwork or the exam format. You need both, because what decides whether you pass is a rule almost nobody spells out: the four papers are marked in two separate groups, and you have to clear 30 of 50 in each. Here is every paper, the arithmetic that rule forces on your weakest skill, and the exemptions, fees and sitting dates.

Verified against the Instituto Cervantes2026 and 2027 A2 sittings and deadlinesDELE A2 and CCSE side by side

Mocko does not have practice tests for the DELE A2 yet. This is our guide to the exam while we build them. What is live on Mocko today is French and English exam prep: TEF, TCF, CELPIP and Versant. If you want to practise for the DELE A2 here, say so at the bottom of this page and we will prioritise it.

DELE A2 at a glance

The Diploma de Español nivel A2 is the second rung of the six DELE levels. Everything here comes from the Instituto Cervantes exam portal and was checked on 22 September 2026.

CEFR level	A2, the second of the six DELE levels (A1 to C2)
What it certifies	Basic Spanish: everyday expressions, simple exchanges about familiar topics, and short descriptions of your background and surroundings
Who issues it	Instituto Cervantes, in the name of Spain’s Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport
Papers	Four, marked in two scoring groups of two papers each
Total exam time	157 minutes of testing (2 h 37 min), plus 12 minutes of speaking preparation
Pass mark	30.00 of 50 in Grupo 1 and 30.00 of 50 in Grupo 2. Both are needed, and there is no aggregate route
Result	A single global APTO or NO APTO. Your marks certificate breaks the score down by group and by paper
Validity	Indefinite. The DELE diploma never expires
Where it is sat	More than 1,000 exam centres in more than 100 countries. Not every centre runs every sitting
A2 sittings in 2026	Five: February, April (Spain only), May, October and November
Fee	€138 in Spain for 2026. It is set per country: €125 France, €150 Germany, £170 UK, 780 MAD Morocco
Results	About two months after the written papers, about three for the May and November sittings

Who actually needs the DELE A2

A2 is a low level, and very few universities or employers ask for it. Almost all the demand comes from one place: la nacionalidad española por residencia. The Reglamento approved by Real Decreto 1004/2015 makes two Instituto Cervantes exams part of proving integration into Spanish society, and the DELE at A2 or above is the language one.

Two exams, not one

Nationality by residence needs DELE A2 or higher and the CCSE, the Prueba de Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España. Both are written and run by the Instituto Cervantes, and the Ministry of Justice can check your results directly with them, which is why you register for the DELE with your NIE if nationality is your reason for sitting it. Passing one and failing the other gets you nowhere, so book them in parallel rather than in sequence.

	DELE A2	CCSE
What it tests	Spanish at CEFR A2	The Spanish constitution, and Spanish society and culture
Length	157 minutes across four papers	45 minutes, one paper
Questions	50 marked items plus two writing tasks and three speaking tasks	25 multiple choice or true/false questions in five tasks
Pass mark	30 of 50 in each of the two groups	15 of 25 correct, which is the same 60 per cent rule
Fee	€138 in Spain in 2026, set per country	€85, unchanged since 2023, and it covers a second attempt if you fail or miss the first
Sittings	Five A2 sittings in 2026, worldwide	Ten ordinary sittings a year, listed on the official calendar for Spain
Results	About two months, three for May and November	About 20 days
How long it counts	The diploma is indefinite	The certificate is valid for four years from issue

Exempt from the DELE

Article 6.5 of the Reglamento dispenses anyone who already holds a DELE at A2 or above, plus nationals of these twenty countries and territories:

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Venezuela.

If that nationality is not the one on file with the Spanish authorities, you have to prove it with a valid passport or a nationality certificate. The exemption covers the DELE only. The CCSE still applies.

Other ways out of it

The Spanish ESO secondary school title is a full dispensation from both the DELE and the CCSE, and you present it with the application rather than requesting a dispensation first.
Official Spanish-as-a-foreign-language certificates from Spanish education authorities, including the Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas, can be lodged with the Instituto Cervantes instead of the exam.
Candidates who cannot read or write apply to the Ministry of Justice for a partial dispensation, then sit an adapted speaking-only DELE A2 in Spain. It yields a certificate for the nationality file, not a diploma.

There is no such thing as a DELE A2 para escolares. The school version at this level is the DELE A2/B1 para escolares, a double-outcome exam for students aged 11 to 17 that ends in either an A2 or a B1 diploma and runs twice a year. Anyone sitting for nationality takes the general DELE A2, which is aimed at candidates from 16 upwards. Book the wrong one and you will sit an exam with the wrong topics and the wrong calendar.

The DELE A2 format, paper by paper

Four papers, 157 minutes of testing. Reading, listening and writing are sat on the official exam date in the order below. Speaking can be scheduled on the day immediately before or after, at your centre’s discretion, so check your convocation rather than assuming it is all one morning.

Reading

Comprensión de lectura · 60 minutes · 4 tasks, 25 items, 25 points

Grupo 1

Tarea 1 (5 items): read one personal letter or email of 250 to 300 words and answer five three-option questions.
Tarea 2 (8 items): eight separate notices, adverts or short articles of 50 to 80 words each, one three-option question per text.
Tarea 3 (6 items): three texts of 100 to 120 words, match six statements to the text they belong to.
Tarea 4 (6 items): one narrative or biographical text of 375 to 425 words with six three-option questions.

Between 1,325 and 1,725 words of Spanish in an hour. Every item is machine marked, one point for a correct answer, nothing deducted for a wrong one.

Listening

Comprensión auditiva · 40 minutes · 4 tasks, 25 items, 25 points

Grupo 2

Tarea 1 (6 items): six short informal conversations of 50 to 80 words, answer options are pictures.
Tarea 2 (6 items): six short radio messages of 40 to 60 words, one three-option question each.
Tarea 3 (6 items): one conversation of 225 to 275 words, decide whether each of six statements belongs to the man, the woman or neither.
Tarea 4 (7 items): seven announcements or voicemails of 30 to 50 words, matched to seven of ten statements.

Every recording is played twice, and the recordings are studio made with no background noise. Reading and listening are printed in one booklet and sat back to back.

Writing

Expresión e interacción escritas · 45 minutes · 2 tasks, 130 to 150 words in total, 25 points

Grupo 1

Tarea 1 (60 to 70 words): reply to a short note, postcard, message, email or letter of 35 to 45 words, following the bullet points in the instructions.
Tarea 2 (70 to 80 words): a short composition, choosing between an everyday personal topic and a biographical or narrative text built from photos or data.

Two independent raters score each task holistically and the scores are averaged. Within a task, Uso de la lengua is 66 per cent of the mark and Cumplimiento de la tarea the other 34. The two tasks weigh the same.

Speaking

Expresión e interacción orales · 12 minutes, after 12 minutes of preparation · 3 tasks, 25 points

Grupo 2

Tarea 1 (2 to 3 minutes): a short prepared monologue on one of two topics you choose, using the prompt sheet as a structure.
Tarea 2 (2 to 3 minutes): describe a photograph of an everyday situation, again from a prompt sheet.
Tarea 3 (3 to 4 minutes): a simulated conversation with the interviewer, built on the photograph from Tarea 2.

Two examiners are in the room. The entrevistador runs the conversation and scores the paper globally for 40 per cent of the mark. The silent calificador scores task by task for the other 60, and inside that share Tarea 3 is worth as much as Tareas 1 and 2 together.

How DELE A2 is scored, and why the two groups decide everything

The exam is out of 100 points, 25 for each paper. For marking, the Instituto Cervantes puts the papers into two groups of two, each worth 50. The global result is APTO only if you reach 30.00 points in both groups. There is no aggregate, no compensation across groups and no partial pass.

Grupo 1Comprensión de lectura (25) + Expresión e interacción escritas (25)Needs 30.00 of 50

Grupo 2Comprensión auditiva (25) + Expresión e interacción orales (25)Needs 30.00 of 50

A great reading score cannot save your speaking

This is the part that catches people out. Reading sits with writing, and listening sits with speaking. Picture a candidate who scores 25 in reading, 24 in writing, 21 in listening and 8 in speaking. That is 78 points out of 100, a comfortable-looking total, and it is a NO APTO: Grupo 1 is a sparkling 49 of 50, but Grupo 2 is 29, one point short. Those 49 points cannot lend a single one across the divide. The same candidate would pass with 13 in reading, 17 in writing, 21 in listening and 9 in speaking, a much weaker 60 points, because both groups clear 30.

What your speaking band costs you in listening

Writing and speaking are scored by examiners on bands from 0 to 3, then converted onto a 25-point scale with the formula (direct score × 25) ÷ 3. So a band lands on 0, 8.33, 16.67 or 25 points. That makes the trade-off inside a group easy to work out, and the table below applies equally to speaking against listening in Grupo 2 and to writing against reading in Grupo 1.

Band on the productive paper	Points it is worth	Points still needed	Correct items required
Band 3	25.00	5.00	5 of 25
Band 2	16.67	13.33	14 of 25
Band 1	8.33	21.67	22 of 25
Band 0	0.00	30.00	Not reachable

Read it as a warning about the productive papers. Hold a band 2 in speaking and 14 of 25 listening items will carry you through Grupo 2. Slip to band 1 and you need 22 of 25, which at A2 is close to a perfect listening paper. Score zero and no listening result can rescue the group.

Never leave an item blank

Reading and listening are machine marked: one point per correct answer, zero for a wrong one, and wrong answers are not penalised. Guessing costs nothing and an empty box is a guaranteed zero.

Results and the diploma

Marks land about two months after the written papers, about three for May and November. You are emailed when they publish, and your marks certificate carries a secure verification code. An APTO also produces the diploma, sent digitally and downloadable from your account.

Appeals cut both ways

One revision request, within one month, costing 60 per cent of the pre-discount exam fee and refunded if NO APTO becomes APTO. The Instituto Cervantes warns that a review can also produce a lower mark than the original.

The oral may be recorded

Speaking can be recorded for quality control. On appeal the third expert works from that recording, or from the examiners’ report if there is none.

Sittings, deadlines and what to bring

DELE runs at more than 1,000 exam centres in more than 100 countries, and no centre runs every sitting. A2 gets more dates than any other level, precisely because of the nationality demand: in 2027 there are two sittings, February and September, that offer A2 and nothing else. Registration closes five to eight weeks ahead, so the deadline, not the exam date, is the one to diary.

Year	Written papers	Registration closes	Levels offered
2026	Friday 13 February	7 January 2026	A2 and A2-NA
2026	Friday 17 April	25 February 2026	A2 and A2-NA, Spain only
2026	Saturday 23 May	8 April 2026	All general levels
2026	Saturday 17 October	2 September 2026	A2 and A2-NA
2026	Friday 13 November	30 September 2026	A2 and A2-NA
2027	Friday 12 February	7 January 2027	A2 only
2027	Friday 2 April	10 February 2027	A1 to C1
2027	Saturday 22 May	7 April 2027	All general levels
2027	Friday 9 July	12 May 2027	A2, B1, B2, C1
2027	Friday 10 September	14 July 2027	A2 only
2027	Friday 15 October	1 September 2027	A2, B1, B2
2027	Saturday 13 November	29 September 2027	All general levels

Dates as published by the Instituto Cervantes and checked on 22 September 2026. Registration for the 2027 sittings opens on 18 November 2026. The CCSE runs on its own calendar, ten ordinary sittings a year listed for Spain, one near the end of every month except August and December, most closing about three weeks beforehand.

Where to register

Inside Spain, online through the Instituto Cervantes portal. Outside Spain, at the exam centre, which sets its own payment methods. You have 14 calendar days from registration to request a refund.

Documents at the door

Your registration receipt, the centre convocation, and the passport or official photo ID you registered with. For DELE A2 in Spain the original TIE and original passport are both compulsory; EU citizens may substitute the EU family member residence card or their national ID.

Register with your NIE

If nationality is your reason for sitting, the Instituto Cervantes requires registration under your NIE. If your account uses another document, ask their user service to change it before you enrol.

Access arrangements

Documented adjustments exist for reduced vision, hearing or mobility, for dyslexia and dysgraphia, for candidates in enclosed religious communities, long hospital stays or prisons, and for candidates who cannot read or write. Apply through your centre at least two weeks ahead.

How to prepare for the DELE A2

The group rule should decide how you spend your study time. Work out which of writing and speaking is weaker, then protect the comprehension paper sitting in the same group as it, because that is the only paper that can bail it out.

Time the reading paper from day one

Sixty minutes for 1,325 to 1,725 words across four tasks, and Tarea 2 alone throws eight unrelated micro-texts at you. Practise deciding fast which detail a question wants, and leave the 375 to 425 word narrative in Tarea 4 until the end if long texts slow you down.

Use the second listening play properly

Every recording is played twice. Treat the first play as gist and the second as the answer hunt, and fill the answer sheet in the pauses. Tarea 3 asks you to attribute six statements to a man, a woman or neither, so track who says what, not just what is said.

Writing is short, so the risk is coverage

You write 130 to 150 words in total: 60 to 70 in Tarea 1, 70 to 80 in Tarea 2. Length is rarely the problem. Cumplimiento de la tarea is a third of each task mark, so tick off every bullet in the instructions before you polish a sentence.

Rehearse the 12 minutes of speaking preparation

You get 12 minutes before the oral to plan all three tasks, and you may take notes and keep a draft in front of you. Practise building usable notes in that window. Tarea 3, the simulated conversation, is worth as much to the silent rater as Tareas 1 and 2 combined, so practise reacting to an interviewer, not just reciting monologues.

Work from the official materials first

The Instituto Cervantes publishes the exam specifications, an exam guide with the rating scales and annotated band 1 and band 2 sample answers, and a free sample paper, plus a version of it for non-literate candidates. Those are the only documents with the real marking scales.

Study the CCSE separately

It tests something else: 25 knowledge questions from a published repertoire, memorisation rather than Spanish. The €85 fee already includes the official preparation manual, so keep it off your language study time.

Mocko is building DELE A2 practice, and it is not live yet. What runs on Mocko today is French and English exam prep: TEF, TCF, CELPIP and Versant. If you landed here on the way to Canada rather than Spain, the Express Entry language test guide and the CLB converter are the right starting points, and there is more on the Mocko blog.

DELE A2: frequently asked questions

What is the DELE A2 pass mark?

The exam is out of 100 points, 25 per paper, marked in two groups of 50. You need 30.00 points in Grupo 1 (reading plus writing) and 30.00 in Grupo 2 (listening plus speaking), which is 60 per cent inside each group. Miss either and the global result is NO APTO, whatever the total.

Can a strong reading score make up for weak speaking?

No. Reading is in Grupo 1 and speaking is in Grupo 2, and the groups are scored separately. A perfect 25 in reading adds nothing at all to Grupo 2. It can only rescue your writing, because writing is the other paper in its own group.

Is DELE A2 enough for Spanish nationality?

It is the language half only. The Reglamento approved by Real Decreto 1004/2015 requires applicants for nationality by residence to pass both a DELE at A2 or above and the CCSE test on the Spanish constitution and society. Both are run by the Instituto Cervantes and both are separate from the application itself, which goes to the Ministry of Justice.

Who is exempt from the DELE A2 for nationality?

Nationals of twenty listed Spanish-speaking countries and territories, and anyone who already holds a DELE at A2 or higher. Holders of the Spanish ESO secondary school title are exempt from both the DELE and the CCSE. Official Spanish-as-a-foreign-language certificates issued by Spanish education authorities, including the Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas, can also be used in place of the exam.

How long is the DELE A2 diploma valid?

Indefinitely. The Instituto Cervantes describes DELE diplomas as having official validity, indefinite currency and international recognition. The CCSE certificate is the one with a limit: it is valid for four years from the date it is issued.

How much does the DELE A2 cost?

The Instituto Cervantes publishes one price table per year, per country. For 2026 the A2 exam is €138 in Spain, €125 in France, €150 in Germany, £170 in the United Kingdom and 780 dirhams in Morocco. Check the current table, or your own exam centre, before you budget.

What is the difference between DELE A2 and DELE A2/B1 para escolares?

There is no DELE A2 for school candidates. The school exam at that level is the DELE A2/B1 para escolares, a double-outcome exam for students aged 11 to 17 that awards either an A2 or a B1 diploma and runs twice a year. Adults, and anyone sitting for nationality, take the general DELE A2.

How many times can I sit DELE A2?

You can register for any DELE level without holding a lower one and without taking a course first, so a NO APTO means enrolling in a later sitting and paying again. The grading system publishes one global result per sitting, so plan on repeating all four papers rather than carrying a passed group forward.

When do DELE A2 results come out?

About two months after the written papers, or about three months for the May and November sittings. The Instituto Cervantes emails you when marks are published, and your certificate and, if you passed, your diploma appear in your account with a secure verification code.

Can I appeal a DELE A2 result?

Yes. You have one month to file a single revision request from your private area, at 60 per cent of the pre-discount exam price, refunded if a NO APTO becomes an APTO. It re-checks the machine-marked comprehension papers and has a third expert re-mark the writing and speaking. It can also lower your score.

Do I need identity documents for the DELE A2 in Spain?

Yes, and they are strict. Candidates sitting DELE A2 in Spain must bring the original TIE and the original passport to be let into the exam. EU citizens can present the EU family member residence card or their national identity document instead. Nationality candidates must also register using their NIE.

What if I cannot read or write in Spanish?

There is an adapted route. You apply to the Ministry of Justice for a partial dispensation, then register for the adapted DELE A2, run only at exam centres in Spain. You sit an adapted speaking paper and nothing else. A pass produces a certificate valid for the nationality file, but not a DELE diploma.

Fees, dates and procedures are set by the Instituto Cervantes and by individual exam centres and do change. Confirm the current figures on the official DELE A2 page and with your centre before you book.

Other exams we are building

Guides to the other language certificates joining Mocko, with the format, the levels and what each one is accepted for.

fide test · FrenchSwitzerland’s oral and written language test for residence and naturalisation.SLE · FrenchThe Government of Canada’s Second Language Evaluation, graded A, B, C and E.CILS B1 Cittadinanza · ItalianThe shortened B1 exam built specifically for Italian citizenship applications.CIPLE · PortugueseCAPLE’s A2 certificate, the language proof for Portuguese nationality.

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