Are you unsure which International Spanish Certification exam to take?
Read on to understand the difference between DELE and SIELE and which one is best for you!
DELE stands for “Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera” which translates to “Diplomas in Spanish as a Foreign Language”. These exams evaluate the level of Spanish proficiency of foreign speakers (not native Spanish speakers). They are administered by the Instituto Cervantes and are recognized by governments, universities, and organizations around the world.
SIELE stands for “Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española” which translates to “International Service for the Evaluation of the Spanish Language”. This exam is more recent and is offered by the Cervantes Institute, the University of Salamanca, the University of Buenos Aires and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). It is another way to prove your proficiency level in Spanish.
You can check the table out or look at the long-version for info about DELE and SIELE exams.
Format
The DELE and SIELE exams are divided into four categories: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression, and oral expression.
With DELE exams you have to attempt all the sections in order to receive a pass/fail score and a certificate. The reading, writing and listening sections are taken on one day and the spoken exam is scheduled separately.
You can choose which exams you want to take in SIELE:
S1 (Reading and Listening)
S2 (Reading and Written)
S3 (Listening and Spoken)
S4 (Spoken), S5 (Written and Spoken) or
SIELE Global which is all four sections.
With SIELE exams you can only take the exams relevant to you. For instance, for non-voice process jobs, speaking scores are irrelevant and similarly, for voice processes the listening and spoken scores are crucial.
in SIELE, the reading, writing, listening and speaking sections are scheduled at the same time. The spoken section is via audio recordings into the exam application and not a direct 1-1 with an examiner.
The DELE exams are marked on a scale of 0-10, while the SIELE exams are marked on a scale of 0-120.
Duration & Fee
Both exams are about 2 hours long. DELE exams cost between Rs.10,000/- and Rs.25,000/- based on level while SIELE exams cost about Rs.7500/- to Rs.14000/- depending on the exam.
Centre
The DELE exams are usually written and administered by the approved centres of the Cervantes Institute. This means that you have to register for a DELE exam and write it only on the specific dates that it is held on at the centres. DELE exams are usually held in February, May, October and November.
The SIELE exams are administered remotely and are available for both on-site and online administration. This means that you can book an exam whenever you are ready and take it at the closest SIELE centre or take it from a location of your choice, at home or office for instance.
Certification
A DELE exam certifies you as a speaker at a certain level. For instance, if you pass the DELE B1 exam, it means that you are at the B1 level. This is not always an accurate assessment of your ability as you could be reading at a higher level, say B2. This is the case with most students.
Also to pass a DELE exam, you need to pass all four sections – reading, writing, listening and speaking.
A SIELE exam works like an assessment of your abilities and awards you scores and corresponding levels based on your performance. For example, the exam can award you the following levels
Reading- B2
Writing-B1
Listening-B2
and Speaking-B1 based on your scores.
There is no ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ in SIELE. You are certified at different levels for different competencies (reading, writing, listening and speaking)
Validity
SIELE certificates are valid for five years while DELE certificates are valid for life.
Scope
Both DELE and SIELE certificates can be presented at Universities and Companies. DELE certificates are geared towards education, tutoring in Spanish and research in the language while SIELE certification aids working professionals as job seekers need to be proficient only in certain sections based on the role they are applying for. Thus job seekers can take a SIELE exam that is relevant to the role.
Register for the exam
You will have to register for each exam on the respective website. The process is fairly straightforward and the payment is upfront, on the website.
Which exam is harder?
Both exams test your language skills and have similar questions and testing standards.
The DELE exams measure a candidate’s level of Spanish proficiency in understanding authentic text and audio and tend to focus on academic excellence while SIELE is oriented towards the working industry and focuses more on Spanish as a medium of communication, thus focusing more on working knowledge of Spanish and less on vocabulary-intense reading text or audios.
Preparing for DELE or SIELE exams
Unless you’ve lived in a Spanish-speaking country for about two years, or interact regularly with Spanish speakers enough to be proficient, it is generally a good idea to dedicate 6-12 months while preparing for these exams.
Exam preparation includes vocabulary building as both exams require the taker to have extensive vocabulary in the Spanish language. Then you’ll need to know how to pace yourself so you answer a maximum number of questions within the examination period and how to pick the questions you’d answer first and then move on to harder ones – which questions are time-saving and which ones require more time.
Check out our guide on how to prepare for DELE and SIELE exams here!
You also need to work on your written and spoken skills – how to structure your answer, focus on the question, add a few details, how to describe a picture, an event, an experience, how to maintain a conversation with a tutor etc. You will need not only to practice model papers but to use these papers to elevate your level and expand your vocabulary.
I love working on exams as a way to elevate your language skills and would love to help you get through a DELE or SIELE exam. I can tutor you with the language itself, help you time yourself and take the edge off so you aren’t stressed or overwhelmed when you take the exam.
There you go, all the info right here!
Good luck and let me know if I can help.
For further information on the differences between the two exams, you can check the information provided directly on the Cervantes website here.