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Which exam
suits you

Before paying an exam fee it helps to know what you are buying. Here is what sets these exams apart, without the small print.

English exams

LanguageCert

We prepare it
Awarded by
LanguageCert (United Kingdom)
Levels
A1 – C2
Expires
Does not expire
Result
A few days
Format
Online with remote invigilation, or at a centre. The oral can be taken on its own
When to choose it
If you need the certificate soon and want to sit it from home. Ofqual-regulated and accepted by Spanish universities and public exams
Official site ↗

Cambridge (B2 First, C1 Advanced)

Awarded by
University of Cambridge
Levels
A2 – C2
Expires
Does not expire
Result
Two to six weeks
Format
Paper or computer, always at a centre
When to choose it
If you want the best-known certificate of all and are not in a hurry
Official site ↗

IELTS

Awarded by
British Council, IDP and Cambridge
Levels
Banda 0 – 9
Expires
Two years
Result
Three to thirteen days
Format
At a centre or at home (IELTS Online)
When to choose it
To study or emigrate to English-speaking countries: the one universities and immigration ask for
Official site ↗

Spanish exams

DELE

We prepare it
Awarded by
Instituto Cervantes
Levels
A1 – C2
Expires
Does not expire
Result
About three months
Format
On paper, at an examination centre
When to choose it
If you want the official lifelong diploma: the one that counts for citizenship, qualification recognition and public exams
Official site ↗

SIELE

We prepare it
Awarded by
Instituto Cervantes and three universities
Levels
A1 – C1
Expires
Five years
Result
Three weeks
Format
On a computer, at a centre. Sittings all year round
When to choose it
If you are in a hurry or unsure of your level: there is no pass or fail, it gives a score and the level you are at
Official site ↗

CCSE

Awarded by
Instituto Cervantes
Levels
—
Expires
Four years
Result
About three weeks
Format
25-question test, at a centre
When to choose it
Only for Spanish citizenship: it does not test language but the Constitution and culture. Usually taken alongside the DELE A2
Official site ↗

Depending on what you need

For a public exam or a grant in Spain
Any B1 or B2 certificate that does not expire: LanguageCert or Cambridge for English. Check the rules for the list of accepted certificates.
For Spanish citizenship
DELE A2 plus the CCSE test. Under-18s and people who have studied in Spanish may be exempt from the DELE.
To study at an English-speaking university
IELTS or TOEFL: those are the ones they ask for, and they expire after two years, so do not sit them too early.
To work or prove your Spanish
SIELE if you need it fast; DELE if you want a certificate that never expires.
I do not know my level
SIELE for Spanish: it places you without passing or failing you. For English, take a level check first — sitting an exam blind is expensive.

Fees and exam dates change every year and depend on the centre: always check them on the official site. We prepare you for the exam; the fee is paid separately to the centre.

And if you do not know your level yet

Sitting an exam blind is expensive. In a real trial class we tell you what level you are at and which exam you can take with confidence.

Start free.