The DELE B2 reading paper (Comprensión de lectura) has 4 tasks and 36 questions, and lasts 70 minutes. To avoid the distractors, you need to know what each task asks for, read the questions and their options before the text, and back up every answer with the text, not with your gut feeling. As for timing, my advice is clear: 15 minutes per task, finish in 60 and use the remaining 10 to read the listening questions.

In this guide I explain the four tasks, the texts you'll come across, the traps that keep repeating and how to tackle each one.

What does the DELE B2 reading paper look like?

  • Task 1: an informative text of 400 to 450 words, from public or professional life, with 6 three-option questions (a, b, c).
  • Task 2: four short texts (130-150 words each) in which four people give their opinion or describe an experience on the same topic, and 10 statements that you match with one of them.
  • Task 3: a text of 400 to 450 words (an opinion piece, a news story, a letter to the editor, a travel guide…) with six short fragments of 15 to 20 words removed. You have eight to choose from, so two are left over.
  • Task 4: a text of 400 to 450 words (literary, historical, a biography…) with 14 gaps and three options for each. It's the most grammar-focused task in the paper.

Every correct answer is worth the same and wrong answers don't lose points. Notice that Task 4 has 14 of the 36 questions: almost 40% of your reading score.

How should I split the 70 minutes?

Reading and listening are in the same booklet and taken back to back, with no break. That's why I recommend finishing reading in 60 minutes and using the 10 you save to read and underline the listening questions before the first recording starts.

To get there, give each task a maximum of 15 minutes, split like this:

  • 4 minutes to read and underline the questions (with their options).
  • 8 minutes to read the text and answer.
  • 3 minutes to check the ones you weren't sure about and copy your answers onto the sheet.

If one task is especially hard for you (for many people it's Task 3), leave it until last so you don't get stuck early on, but stick to its 15 minutes.

You mark your answers on a separate sheet in pencil (a no. 2 pencil), with an eraser, because a machine marks it. Answer in the booklet first and copy your answers onto the sheet as you finish each task.

Task 1: how do I avoid the distractors in the long text?

An informative text of 400 to 450 words and six questions. The questions follow the order of the text and there's usually one answer per paragraph: if you have 1 and 3, the answer to 2 is in between.

My method: use the first 4 minutes to read each question with its three options and underline what makes them different. Then read the text paragraph by paragraph and answer as you find each answer.

Typical distractors:

  • Words copied from the text. The correct option says the same as the text in other words. The wrong ones often copy words from the text but change the meaning.
  • A true fact that doesn't answer the question. If you're asked why young people read less and one option says “they spend more time on social media”, that may be true in the text, but if it isn't the reason the text gives, it's wrong.
  • Something logical the text doesn't say. An option may sound reasonable, but if the text doesn't state it, it doesn't count.
  • A different time or a different person. The option says something that does appear, but about another period or another person quoted in the text. Watch the verb tenses.

Always check why the other two options are wrong. An answer that's only half right is wrong.

Task 2: how do I know who says what?

Four people (A, B, C, D) talk about the same topic and you have ten statements. Each statement belongs to only one person, and one person can have several.

You can tackle it in two ways; try both at home and stick with the one that suits you:

  • Read the first text, find the statements that belong to it among the ten, then move on to the second text.
  • Read the ten statements first, underlining the key words, and then read the texts one by one.

Typical distractors:

  • Two people talk about the same thing, but only one with the exact nuance. A and C both say they work from home, but only C says she prefers it because she concentrates better. If the statement is about concentration, it's C.
  • Synonyms with a different nuance. “Me cuesta empezar a escribir” (I find it hard to start writing) isn't the same as “le da pereza escribir” (she can't be bothered to write): the first is difficulty, the second is lack of motivation.
  • Feelings and attitudes. This task also tests whether you understand what someone feels or thinks, even when they don't use those exact words. Read between the lines, but always with a sentence in the text to back it up.

If you're torn between two people, go back to the text. Don't rely on memory.

Task 3: how do I place the fragments?

A text of 400 to 450 words with six gaps and eight fragments; two don't go anywhere. This task tests whether you understand how the text is organised and how the ideas connect.

My method:

  1. Read the eight fragments first and underline the clues: pronouns (este, aquella, lo, su…), verb endings that show the subject, connectors and repeated words. Write the main idea next to each one.
  2. Go through the text in order and, at each gap, read what comes before and what comes after. The fragment has to fit both.
  3. Don't rule out a fragment because you've already placed it: if it's in the wrong spot, it drags two answers down with it. If you're unsure, note both options for now.
  4. At the end, spend about 3 minutes rereading the whole text with your fragments to check it makes sense.

An example of how it works. Text: “La autora pasó tres años trabajando en el manuscrito. (GAP) Por eso, cuando lo terminó, sintió un alivio enorme” (The author spent three years working on the manuscript. (GAP) That's why, when she finished it, she felt enormous relief). Fragment A: “Había escrito antes otros dos libros con menos esfuerzo” (She had written two other books before with less effort). Fragment B: “Le dedicaba seis horas diarias, fines de semana incluidos” (She spent six hours a day on it, weekends included). The answer is B, because it explains the “Por eso” that follows: she had worked incredibly hard. A is on the same topic, but doesn't explain the relief.

The two leftover fragments usually contain vocabulary from the text, but something always fails: a reference to something that isn't there, a verb tense that doesn't fit or an idea that contradicts what's around it. For more on this, here's how to do the DELE fragments task.

Task 4: how do I fill the 14 gaps?

A text of 400 to 450 words, often literary, historical or a biography, with 14 gaps. It's the task that demands the most grammar: understanding the text helps, but what decides it is which form is correct in that context.

My method: read the text first without looking at the options and think about what you would put in each gap. Often your first idea is the answer, and this stops the options from throwing you off. Then go gap by gap. If you're unsure, it's usually between the two most similar options: focus on those.

What to revise:

  • Verbs with prepositions: depender de, soñar con, pensar en, consistir en.
  • Indicative or subjunctive after conjunctions and expressions of opinion, doubt or wishes.
  • Infinitive, gerund and past participle.
  • Verbs of change: ponerse, volverse, hacerse, quedarse.
  • Direct and indirect object pronouns.
  • Connectors: if an idea contrasts with the previous one, you need a contrast connector (“sin embargo”, “no obstante”); if it's a consequence, a consequence connector (“por tanto”, “así que”). Putting “por tanto” where “sin embargo” belongs breaks the logic of the paragraph.
  • Collocations: tomar una decisión (not “coger”), alcanzar una meta, conseguir un trabajo.

To review connectors, here are the most useful connectors for the DELE B2.

Watch out for false friends if your first language is English. “Realizar” doesn't mean “to realise” (that's “darse cuenta”). “Asistir a clase” means going to class, not helping out in it. And “discutir” in Spanish usually means to debate or to argue, not simply to talk something over.

An example. “El profesor _____ la importancia de leer todos los días: a) recalcó, b) comentó, c) discutió” (The teacher _____ the importance of reading every day). If you're thinking of “to discuss”, you'll pick “discutió”. But the sentence needs a verb of emphasis, and “recalcar” means to stress something. The answer is a).

Which mistakes should I avoid?

  • Reading the whole text before you know what you're being asked.
  • Choosing an option because it repeats words from the text.
  • Running over time on one task and starting listening without having read its questions.
  • Leaving questions blank: wrong answers don't lose points.
  • Filling in the answer sheet in pen. It has to be pencil.

To build speed, this article may help: how to read faster and more effectively in the DELE.

How is the reading paper scored?

Reading is worth 25 points and forms Group 1 together with writing, which is worth another 25. You need at least 30 out of 50 across the two; within the group, one paper can make up for the other. The groups don't compensate for each other: you also need 30 out of 50 in Group 2 (listening and speaking).

Frequently asked questions about the DELE B2 reading paper

Can I underline and write in the booklet?

Yes. You can underline and take notes in the booklet. Only the answer sheet is marked.

When should I copy my answers onto the sheet?

When you finish each task, in the last minutes of its 15. That way you review as you go and don't risk everything at the end.

What if I don't know an answer?

Rule out whatever is clearly wrong and mark an option. A blank answer scores 0, just like a wrong one.

Is there very specialised vocabulary?

Sometimes a technical word appears, but it's rarely the key to the question. If you don't understand one word, keep reading: the context is usually enough.

Does reading the press help me prepare?

Yes, a lot. Exam texts are authentic texts adapted to the level, so reading Spanish newspapers gives you vocabulary and gets you used to current topics. Don't obsess over understanding every word: try to answer who, what, when, why and what for. And combine it with practice exams, because newspapers don't train you to spot distractors.

In short

  • 4 tasks, 36 questions, 70 minutes. Task 4 has 14 questions.
  • 15 minutes per task (4 for the questions, 8 for the text, 3 to check): finish in 60 and use 10 to read the listening questions.
  • T1: questions with options first; one answer per paragraph, in order.
  • T2: two ways to tackle it; pick yours and back up every statement with the text.
  • T3: fragments first, check what comes before and after each gap, and reread at the end.
  • T4: read the text without the options and revise grammar: prepositions, moods, connectors, collocations.
  • Answer sheet in pencil, with nothing left blank.

If you want to prepare reading and the rest of the exam with a clear method, my DELE B2 course gives you strategies for each paper, commented examples, a community, a Q&A chat and group calls. Not sure B2 is your level? Take the level test. And if you'd like free resources and reminders before each exam session, sign up for the newsletter.

¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸