Study guide
1.2 Four Pruebas & Official Test Administration
DELE A2 — Spanish Language Diploma Elementary
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1 Chapter 1: Exam Overview, Format & Scoring Structure
1.1 DELE A2 Identity, Purpose & Nationality Requirements 1.2 Four Pruebas & Official Test Administration 1.3 Scoring System: The 30/50 Group Rules & Pass Criteria
2 Chapter 2: Prueba 1 — Reading Comprehension Tasks & Strategies
2.1 Reading Tarea 1: Personal Correspondence & Informational Texts 2.2 Reading Tarea 2: Notices, Bulletins & Short Announcements 2.3 Reading Tarea 3: Matching Statements to Thematic Texts 2.4 Reading Tarea 4: Long Narrative Text & Changes of Topic
3 Chapter 3: Prueba 2 — Listening Comprehension Tasks & Auditory Techniques
3.1 Listening Tarea 1: Six Short Conversations with Picture Options 3.2 Listening Tarea 2: Radio News, Ads & Programme Extracts 3.3 Listening Tarea 3: One Conversation – Man, Woman or Neither 3.4 Listening Tarea 4: Seven Messages Matched to Ten Statements
4 Chapter 4: Prueba 3 — Written Expression & Interaction
4.1 Writing Tarea 1: Replying to a Personal Message (60–70 Words) 4.2 Writing Tarea 2: Option A (Personal Life) or Option B (Photos/Data) 4.3 The Official Writing Scale, Cohesion & Common Errors
5 Chapter 5: Prueba 4 — Oral Expression & Interaction
5.1 Oral Test Structure, 12-Minute Preparation & Official Scales 5.2 Oral Tarea 1: Prepared Presentation on a Personal Topic 5.3 Oral Tarea 2: Describing a Photograph (Monologue) 5.4 Oral Tarea 3: Simulated Conversation Linked to the Photo
6 Chapter 6: Essential A2 Grammar — Verb Systems & Tenses
6.1 Present Indicative Regulars, Stem-Changers & Irregulars 6.2 Reflexive Verbs & Verbs of Preference (Gustar, Encantar, Doler) 6.3 The Past Tenses: Pretérito Perfecto vs. Pretérito Indefinido 6.4 Pretérito Imperfecto & The Three-Way Past Tense Contrast
7 Chapter 7: Essential A2 Grammar — Syntax, Periphrases & Operators
7.1 Expressing the Future: Ir a + Inf, Present & Simple Future 7.2 Verbal Periphrases of Obligation, Ability & Desire 7.3 Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns and Position Rules 7.4 Affirmative Imperative: Tú & Usted Commands
8 Chapter 8: Foundational Contrasts & Sentence Building
8.1 Ser vs. Estar: Attributes, Locations, States & Gerunds 8.2 Por vs. Para: Causes, Destinations, Deadlines & Exchanges 8.3 Comparatives, Superlatives, Quantifiers & Negatives 8.4 The Noun Phrase: Gender, Articles, Demonstratives, Possessives & Relatives
9 Chapter 9: Thematic Vocabulary — Daily Life, Housing & Surroundings
9.1 Personal Identity, Physical Description & Family Relations 9.2 Home, Housing Types, Furniture & Household Tasks 9.3 City Navigation, Places in Town & Giving Directions
10 Chapter 10: Thematic Vocabulary — Services, Transactions & Health
10.1 Food, Dining Out, Supermarket Shopping & Ordering 10.2 Shopping for Clothes, Sizes, Prices & Commercial Transactions 10.3 Health, Body Parts, Illnesses & Pharmacy Visits 10.4 Work, Professions, Workplace Routines & Job Applications 10.5 Studies, Courses, Phones & Everyday Services
11 Chapter 11: Thematic Vocabulary — Leisure, Travel & Environment
11.1 Free Time, Hobbies, Sports & Entertainment 11.2 Travel, Accommodations, Transport Modes & Bookings 11.3 Weather, Climate, Seasons & Natural Environment
12 Chapter 12: Exam Day Strategy, Time Management & Final Review
12.1 Timing, Answer Sheets & Pacing on Exam Day 12.2 Identifying Distractors, False Friends & Traps 12.3 6-Week Structured Study Plan & High-Yield Checklist
1.2 Four Pruebas & Official Test Administration
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
DELE A2 has 13 tasks: Reading 4 tasks/25 items (60 min), Listening 4 tasks/25 items (40 min), Writing 2 tasks (45 min), Speaking 3 tasks (12 min plus 12 min preparation).
Reading Tarea 4 is a 375–425-word narrative text with six three-option questions; the exam has no grammar cloze.
The written tests start at 9:00 local time on the exam date; the oral may be the same day or a nearby day set by the centre.
DELE A2 candidates in Spain must show both their original TIE and their original passport, and expired originals are accepted.
Last updated: September 2026
Quick Summary: The DELE A2 (2020 version) has four tests, called pruebas : Reading (60 min, 25 items), Listening (40 min, 25 items), Writing (45 min, 2 tasks) and Speaking (12 min, plus 12 min of preparation, 3 tasks). The three written tests are held on the official exam date from 9:00 local time. The oral test may be held that day or on a nearby day set by your exam centre.
The Official Structure (2020 Version)
The Instituto Cervantes lists the tests in the order they are administered:
- Prueba Skill Time Tasks and items Points
- 1. Comprensión de lectura Reading 60 min 4 tareas: 5 + 8 + 6 + 6 = 25 items 25
- 2. Comprensión auditiva Listening 40 min 4 tareas: 6 + 6 + 6 + 7 = 25 items 25
3. Expresión e interacción escritas Writing 45 min 2 tareas: interaction + expression ( 130–150 words in total) 25
4. Expresión e interacción orales Speaking 12 min + 12 min preparation 3 tareas: presentation, photo description, simulated conversation 25
The exam counts 13 tasks in total (4 + 4 + 2 + 3). The reading and listening items are all closed-response: multiple choice with three options (A, B, C) or matching . You mark your choices on a separate Hoja de respuestas (answer sheet).
- Task-by-Task Map
- Prueba 1: Reading (60 minutes)
Tarea 1 (5 items): read one personal letter, email or similar text ( 250–300 words ) and answer 5 three-option questions.
Tarea 2 (8 items): read 8 short texts (ads, notices, posters, brief articles, blog or forum posts; 50–80 words each ) and answer one three-option question on each.
Tarea 3 (6 items): read 3 texts of 100–120 words and match 6 statements or questions to the text they refer to.
Tarea 4 (6 items): read one narrative text (a biographical note, diary, blog entry, story, news item or travel-guide text; 375–425 words ) and answer 6 three-option questions.
Reading and listening share a single question booklet ( cuadernillo ). Total reading input is 1,325–1,725 words.
Prueba 2: Listening (40 minutes, every recording played twice)
Tarea 1 (6 items): six short face-to-face conversations; each question has three picture options .
Tarea 2 (6 items): six short radio extracts (news headlines, programme clips, ads, event announcements) with three-option questions.
Tarea 3 (6 items): one conversation between two people; decide whether each statement refers to the man, the woman or neither .
Tarea 4 (7 items): seven short messages (public-address or radio announcements, answering-machine messages); match each to one of ten statements .
Prueba 3: Writing (45 minutes)
Tarea 1 – Interacción escrita: reply to a short text (35–45 words) with a note, postcard, message, email or short letter of 60–70 words .
Tarea 2 – Expresión escrita: choose one of two options and write a short composition of 70–80 words . One option is about an everyday topic in your personal life; the other is a biographical or narrative text based on photos or data.
Prueba 4: Speaking (12 minutes after 12 minutes of preparation)
Tarea 1 – Presentación (2–3 min): a short prepared monologue on one of two topics.
Tarea 2 – Descripción de una fotografía (2–3 min): a short monologue describing one of two photos of everyday life.
Tarea 3 – Conversación (3–4 min): a simulated conversation with the examiner in a situation linked to the photo you described.
Exam Day: What the Official Rules Say
Written tests. The Instituto Cervantes states that on the exam date the three written tests (reading, listening and writing) are given from 9:00 in the morning, local time , at every centre. Punctuality is mandatory; a candidate who doesn't appear is marked No presentado . Your centre emails you a convocatoria (call letter) with the exact place and times. The official material does not publish a fixed timetable for breaks, so follow your centre's schedule.
Oral test. The speaking test is held in person at the exam centre (never online). It may take place on the written exam day or on days before or after it, as set by the centre. If you cannot attend your oral appointment, only the centre can decide whether to change it.
What to bring. Bring these three items:
- the registration receipt ( resguardo de inscripción ) sent by the online system or the centre;
- the original photo ID you registered with, or your passport (EU citizens may also use their national ID card);
the official call letter ( convocatoria ) from the centre.
Special rule for DELE A2 in Spain. Candidates sitting DELE A2 or DELE A2-NA in Spain must show both their TIE (foreigner identity card) and their passport , both originals. The FAQ confirms that expired documents are accepted for this purpose. EU citizens may replace them with their national ID card or EU registration certificate. Narrow exceptions exist for theft, loss, renewal, court retention or visa retention if you bring supporting documents dated within the last four months.
Identification and room rules.
Candidates are identified and photographed before the test.
Hats, caps, veils and burkas must be removed for identification. A headscarf is allowed if the face oval and the ears remain visible.
Bags, phones, smartwatches and other devices must be left outside your reach; the centre is not responsible for them.
Any incident on the day must be reported on a complaint form at the centre on the same day .
How the Listening Recording Runs
The listening audio is continuous and controls the timing. According to the official model exam transcript:
Each task begins with its instructions and usually an example .
In Tarea 2 you get 10 seconds to read each question before its recording; Tarea 3 gives 30 seconds to read the six statements; Tarea 4 gives 45 seconds to read the ten statements.
Every text is played twice , with short pauses.
After each task the narrator says "Complete ahora la Hoja de respuestas" and allows 30 seconds (45 seconds after Tarea 4) to fill in the answer sheet.
There is no single long transfer period at the end, so transfer answers task by task.