DELE is the official test in Spanish as a foreign language and stands for Spanish Diploma as a Foreign Language (Diplomas de Espa�ol como Lengua Extranjera). The Instituto Cervates (the official governmental organization who promotes the Spanish language) is the organization in charge of the DELE exams although in practise the exam is set and corrected by Salamanca University.
The DELE test is also internationally recognised as the official Spanish language exam for none native Spanish speakers (like the TOEFL test is for the English language).

There are three different options available at the DELE exam depending on the level of the students.
The first level is the basic level (Nivel Inicial) which is for students with a elementary knowledge of Spanish. This level is for students who have studied Spanish for short a period but with a basic understanding of the Spanish grammar and who are able to understand and communicate in situations that requires minimal Spanish skills.
The second level is the intermediate (Nivel Intermedio) which is for students who are able to understand and speak Spanish in everyday situations and who have a good knowledge of the Spanish grammar.
The third level is the advanced (Nivel Superior) and is for students who have studied Spanish for a longer period and have a full understanding of the language and the Spanish culture and who are able to communicate in an advanced level in all situations.

The DELE exam is arranged twice a year (in May and in November) and in some places also in August. The DELE test can be taken in nearly all major Spanish Universities (see locations below) and can also be taken some places abroad (contact the nearest Spanish consulate for further information).

To register for the exam you will have to fill in a registration form (which can be obtained at the universities who arrange the exams), pay the fee for taking the exam (which in Spain is 85� for the basic level, 105� for the intermediate level and 115� for the advanced level) and provide documentation that you are not a citizens in a Spanish speaking country (photocopy + original ID).
The above documentation has to be handed in to the university where you will like to take the exam about one to two months before the exam. The university will then provide you with documentation as proof of your participation, which you have to bring to the exam. The exact time and date for the exam will be sent to you by mail.

Places in Spain where you can take the exam.
Alcal� de Henares, Alicante, Almer�a, Barcelona, Bilbao, C�ceres, C�diz, C�rdoba, Granada, Ja�n, Las Palmas, Le�n, Logro�o, Madrid, M�laga, Murcia, Oviedo, Palma de Mallorca, Pamplona, Salamanca, San Sebasti�n, Santander, Santiago de Compostela, Sevilla, Tarragona, Valencia, Valladolid, Vitoria, Zaragoza.

The exam for all levels consists of 5 different parts where the main difference of the 3 levels is the difficulty and the time available for each part.

The first part is to examine the reading comprehension of the student and consists of a text which vary in length and difficulty. After having read the text the student have to answer a number of multiple choice questions about the text.

The second part is to test the written skills of the student and consists of writing a small text or an essay depending on the level.

The third part is a listening exercise where the student have to answer a number of questions after having heard a text.

The fourth part is to test the students' knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and consists of multiple choice questions and filling in blank spaces with appropriate words.

The fifth part is the oral test where the student has to talk to an examiner for about 10-15 minutes about a picture or a specific topic.

There are several schools that offer special DELE courses where the main objective is to prepare students for the DELE exam. These courses will focus on the five parts included in the DELE exam. As the oral part is a minor part of the exam the focus on improving the students' conversation skills is therefore not a priority in the DELE courses - apart from practising descriptions of photos. We can therefore recommend taking a DELE course in conjunction with a normal Spanish course, which will focus more on the conversation skills of the students.

In general a specialized DELE course is not necessary to be able to pass the DELE exam but if you have short time to study Spanish the DELE preparation courses is a good alternative.
Below you can find further information about the DELE preparation courses available through UniSpain.

Sampere DELE Preparation Course
Location: Madrid , Salamanca, El Puerto, Alicante (Advanced level only available in Madrid).
Duration: 5 weeks.
Classes: 22 classes per week.
Starting dates: April 11th and Oct 17th .

For further information about the Sampere school Sampere Spanish Course Info

don Quijote DELE Courses
Location: Madrid, Barcelona, Salamanca, Granda, Valencia, Sevilla.
Duration: 2, 3 or 4 weeks - depending on level.
Classes: 26 classes Initial level in 3 weeks. Intermediate andn advanced 20 hours per week.
Starting dates: April 2004, October 2004.

For further information about the don Quijote school don Quijote Spanish Course Info

Enforex DELE Preparation Course
Location: Madrid, Barcelona and Salamanca.
Duration: 5 weeks.
Classes: 25 hours per week.
Starting dates: April & October.

For further information about the Enforex school Enforex Spanish Course Info

Malaca DELE Preparation Course
Location: Malaga.
Duration: 4 weeks.
Classes: 20 hours per week.
Starting dates: April 12th & October 11th.

For further information about the Malaca Instituto school Malaca Instituto Spanish Course Info

CLIC DELE Preparation Course
Location: Sevilla.
Duration: 5 weeks.
Classes: 25 hours per week.
Starting dates: April & October.

For further information about the CLIC school CLIC Sevilla Spanish Course Info