Why two months are enough if you already have the level

When someone tells me "Mar, I don't have enough time", the problem is almost always not the exam — it's that they're trying to raise their level and prepare for the exam at the same time. And those are two different things.

If you already have the level, the exam is trainable. That means there's a fixed format, tasks that repeat from one exam sitting to the next, known assessment criteria, and very tight timing. Learning that format, automating the templates, and adjusting your speed is perfectly doable in 8 weeks with a routine of 1 to 1.5 hours a day.

Learning the language, on the other hand, takes as long as it takes. The Instituto Cervantes talks about 180–200 teaching hours to reach A2 from scratch, another 200 to reach B1, and so on. If you're in the middle of that journey, no magic plan saves you those hours.

The good news is that, if you already have the level, in 8 weeks you can go from "I more or less know Spanish" to "I know exactly how this exam works and how I'm going to pass it." Which is precisely what's being assessed.

Before you start: confirm your level

This is step 0, and honestly, it's the one most people skip. And then things go the way they go.

There's not much point launching yourself into an 8-week plan without knowing which level you're preparing for. That's what the free test is for: https://nivel.aporeldele.com/

It helps you:

  • Confirm the level you can realistically sit.
  • Detect if you're a bit below (in which case, it's worth delaying the exam sitting or changing level).
  • Decide whether you're going for A2, B1, B2, or whichever one, without relying only on gut feeling.

I'll be honest with you: if you do the test and discover you're a level below what you wanted, better to know now than on exam day. With two months ahead, there's still time to adjust: either drop a level and go for a solid pass, or delay the sitting and raise your level first. Both are good decisions. What isn't a good decision is sitting the exam without the level and "seeing what happens."

If the test confirms your level, great. Close the browser, open the calendar, and let's get into the plan.

What the DELE exam looks like

Whatever your level, the DELE always has four tests:

  • Test 1: Reading comprehension.
  • Test 2: Listening comprehension.
  • Test 3: Written expression and interaction.
  • Test 4: Oral expression and interaction.

What changes between levels is the duration, number of tasks, text types, and complexity. For example, the oral at A1 has four tasks, the A2 has three, the B1 has four different ones, and the C1 and C2 include long monologue and debate tasks. Timing also varies: 25 minutes of written at A1, 80 minutes at C2.

Even so, the passing rule is the same at all levels. The tests are grouped into two blocks:

  • Group 1: reading + writing.
  • Group 2: listening + oral.

To pass, you need 70% (60% on some older levels, but the safe reference is 70%) in each of the two groups. Within a group you can compensate (if you're weak on reading but ace the writing, it evens out). Between groups, you can't.

This matters for the plan, because it means you can't neglect any skill, even the one you find hardest.

8-week plan to prepare for the DELE exam

Here's the full plan. Each week has a main focus, but all skills are touched every week. Plan for 1 to 1.5 hours a day, 6 days a week. On the seventh, rest properly.

Week 1: exam format and first contact

This week you don't study content — you study the exam.

Download the exam guide and the candidate manual for your level from the Instituto Cervantes website. Read it all. Calmly. Underline timings, number of tasks, assessment criteria, and anything that sounds unfamiliar.

Then get hold of a complete official model (there are free ones on the Cervantes website) and look through it without answering anything. I repeat: WITHOUT ANSWERING. Just to see the real format of each test, how the instructions are worded, what they'll ask you to do.

Quick tip: at the end of the week, make a list with three columns: "what I already handle well", "what worries me", and "what I don't even know what it is". That list will be your map for the rest of the plan.

Week 2: reading and listening with official models

A week of immersion in the two receptive tests. No magic here: do tasks, correct, repeat.

Reading: do two complete, timed official reading tests. Note where your time goes, which type of task costs you most, and what vocabulary you don't understand. Write it in your notebook.

Listening: one official task every day. No tricks: listen, answer, correct, listen again with the transcript. If your level is B2 or above, alternate between a Spain accent and a Latin American one, because both appear.

Watch out for this: in the listening test, what almost always fails isn't the ear — it's the reading speed of the instructions. Get used to reading the questions in the seconds before each audio starts. If you arrive with a blank mind, you're lost.

Week 3: the writing test with templates and a stopwatch

The writing test is one of the most trainable, because it has a very fixed format at every level. Letters, messages, essays, argumentative texts: each type has its structure.

Pull out the official written tasks for your level. Identify the two or three text types that appear in each task. For each one, build yourself a template: greeting, opening line, connectors you'll use, closing sentence, sign-off. Yes, a template. That's not cheating — it's training.

This week, write at least four timed texts. Time is half the battle. If you go over the word or time limit at home, you'll struggle in the exam.

My advice: once a week, ask someone (a teacher, a native speaker friend, an online community) to correct a text for you. Self-correction at this stage has a ceiling.

Week 4: the oral test with templates and recordings

The oral scares people, but it can also be trained. A lot.

Look at the format for your level: how many tasks, what each one asks, how many minutes of preparation. For each task, create a mental template: how I start, what connectors I use to organise my speech, how I close.

Then record yourself. Yes, it'll feel awkward at first. But listening to yourself is what improves you most. Note:

  • Which filler words you overuse.
  • Where you run out of words and go silent.
  • Whether you use connectors or just string sentences together.
  • Whether you speak clearly or swallow your endings.

Watch out for this: in the DELE oral, the examiner isn't looking for perfection — they're looking for communication. Don't go silent. Rephrase, say "sorry, what I mean is…", improvise if you need to. That adds marks, it doesn't subtract them.

Week 5: first complete mock exam

Halfway through the plan. Time to measure for real.

Do a complete official exam, in order, timed, without pauses (except what the exam itself allows). All four tests. Allow two to five hours depending on your level.

Afterwards, don't correct it hot. Rest for a day. Then the day after, analyse calmly:

  • Which tasks went well and why.
  • Which tasks you got wrong and why (vocabulary? didn't understand the instructions? ran out of time? got nervous?).
  • What type of error repeats.
  • How your percentage is looking for each group.

This mock exam gives you the map for the next three weeks. What failed here is what you need to reinforce.

Week 6: focused reinforcement

This week isn't about moving forward — it's about shoring up.

Take the weak points from the mock exam and dedicate the week to them. If it was reading, three reading models. If it was the oral monologue task, five recorded monologues. If it was the argumentative writing task, four timed texts.

This is the least glamorous week of the plan, but it's where exam marks are won.

Add 15–20 minutes of "passive input" daily: a Spanish series with subtitles, a podcast with your exam's accent, a short reading. No pressure, no answering anything. Just exposure.

Week 7: second mock exam and oral polish

Repeat the complete mock exam. Compare with week 5 and see the improvement. If the percentage has gone up, you're on track. If not, identify which block is still weak and dedicate the rest of the week to it.

This week, also dedicate two extra sessions purely to the oral. It's the test that improves most in the final weeks — the progress is very noticeable. Template by task, recording, listen, adjust, second recording. If you have someone to practise with, even better.

Quick tip: on exam day, you won't have time to think through the structure of each task. That's what the templates are for. If you have them automated, your whole head is free for the content.

Week 8: partial mock exams and mental rest

Week for fine-tuning, not learning new things.

  • Monday: one complete test (the one that worries you most).
  • Tuesday: another complete test.
  • Wednesday: light review of vocabulary, connectors, formulas, and templates. Nothing new.
  • Thursday: oral mock. Last recording.
  • Friday: review notes and templates. One hour maximum.
  • Saturday: rest. Read something in Spanish if you feel like it, but no pressure.
  • Sunday: rest properly. Don't open a book. Seriously.

The day before the exam: no studying. Go for a walk, sleep, prepare your ID, your registration slip, water, and a blue pen. Arrive with time to spare. And breathe.

Tips for self-taught students

Preparing for the exam without a teacher is completely possible, but you have to be honest with yourself. Here's what works best for people who study alone.

  • ALWAYS use official models. The Instituto Cervantes publishes free models on its website, and there are official books with more models. Those are your reference. Don't trust "DELE-style" exams circulating online without an official stamp — they change the format, criteria, and timing, and train you the wrong way.
  • Get external correction at least a couple of times. The oral and writing tests are the hardest to assess on your own. Just one thorough correction of a text and a recording changes your plan. If you don't have a teacher, look for a Spanish-learning community or a one-off correction service.
  • Always time yourself. From week 1. Speed is half the battle, and if you train without a clock, you'll arrive at the exam without reflexes.
  • Don't skip the oral. It's the test that most worries self-studiers, and so many people leave it to the end. Bad idea. Speak out loud from week 1, even if it's just to yourself in the mirror or recording yourself on your phone.
  • Build a routine and stick to it. Better 1 hour every day than 6 hours on Saturday. Exam reflexes are built through regular exposure, not cramming sessions.
  • And measure. Every two weeks, a mini review: what have I learned, what's still resisting, what do I change for the next two weeks.

Recommended materials

You don't need much. In fact, buying ten books is usually worse than mastering three. Here's my minimum list:

With that, and with discipline, you'll get there. Really.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to prepare for the DELE exam?

To prepare for the EXAM (not to raise your level), 8 weeks are enough if you already have the level of the DELE you're sitting. If your level is below that, first calculate the time needed to raise your level (180–200 teaching hours per step, according to the Cervantes) and then add these 8 weeks for the exam preparation.

How do I confirm my level before starting?

With a level test. There's a free one here: https://nivel.aporeldele.com/. That's step 0 before committing to an 8-week plan.

Can you prepare for the DELE without a teacher?

Yes, you can. Students do it every year. That said, it's worth having someone correct your written and oral tests at least a couple of times before the exam, because from A2 onwards the errors are more subtle and slip past your own ear.

How much does the DELE cost?

It depends on the level, exam centre, and country. In Spain, fees typically range from around 110 euros for lower levels to around 220 euros for C2. Check the official Instituto Cervantes sitting for the country and level you're sitting in.

Do you need to study grammar, or is speaking enough?

Both. But careful: if you already have the level, you're not "studying grammar" to learn it — you're polishing what you already handle and learning to apply it to the specific exam tasks. It's not the same as "knowing the subjunctive" and "using it well in a timed B2 essay."

What if I don't pass one of the tests?

It doesn't work test by test — it works by groups: reading+writing and listening+oral. If you're weak on reading but ace the writing, the group might still work out. Same with listening and oral. That's why it's worth reinforcing the whole block, not just one test.

Key takeaways

  • Having the level and passing the exam are not the same. The first is learned, the second is trained.
  • Before starting the plan, confirm your level with the free test: https://nivel.aporeldele.com/
  • If you already have the level, 8 weeks are enough to prepare for the exam methodically.
  • If your level is below, first raise your level, then prepare for the exam. Not both at once.
  • Work on all four skills, always — don't skip the oral.
  • Use official Instituto Cervantes models, not pirate exams.
  • Time yourself from week 1. Speed is half the battle.
  • If you're self-studying, get external correction at least a couple of times.
  • On exam day, communicating matters more than being perfect.

If you still don't know which level is yours or where to start, first take the free level test: https://nivel.aporeldele.com/

If you already know your level and want a task-by-task guide, with strategies for each test and commented examples from the examiner's perspective, you have my course for whichever level you're preparing:

If you prefer to practise with printed material, I have two books on Amazon: DELE A2 with 4 commented models (https://amzn.to/3Tvylte) and DELE B1 (https://amzn.to/4e66lV6). Other levels: https://www.aporeldele.com/libros

And if you'd like to receive free resources, study templates, and useful reminders before each exam sitting, you can sign up to the newsletter: http://recursos.aporeldele.com/boletin