In the DELE C1 listening paper you hear every recording twice, and the key to making the most of both listens is to arrive with the questions already read and underlined. That way you can start answering on the first listen (or, in Task 3, noting clues next to each question) and use the second to check and fill gaps. Here's how to do it in each of the four tasks.

What is the DELE C1 listening paper like?

It's Paper 2, “Comprensión auditiva y uso de la lengua” (listening comprehension and use of language). According to the Instituto Cervantes specifications table:

  • It lasts 50 minutes and has 4 tasks and 30 questions.
  • Task 1: a monologue (a talk, a lecture, a report) of 4.5 to 5.5 minutes. You choose, from twelve statements, the six that match what is said.
  • Task 2: four conversations of 1.5 to 2 minutes, with two three-option questions each.
  • Task 3: an interview of 5 to 6 minutes, with six three-option questions.
  • Task 4: ten very short dialogues of 15 to 20 seconds, with one three-option question each.
  • Each recording is played twice in a row: conversation 1 twice, then conversation 2 twice, and so on.

The timing is set by a recorded voice that reads out the instructions: you can't pause the audio or go back. The paper is in the same booklet as the reading paper and is taken straight after it.

Why should you arrive with the questions already read?

Because the recordings don't wait for you. When the instructions end, in several tasks only a few seconds pass before the recording starts, and the pause between the first and second listen is usually very short. If you read the questions for the first time while the audio is playing, you're always behind.

That's why, in my course, I suggest this strategy:

  • Finish the reading paper in 80 minutes instead of 90 and use those 10 minutes to read and underline the listening questions, which are in the same booklet. If you can't save 10, save at least 5.
  • Prioritise Tasks 1 and 3, which need the most reading in advance.
  • While the voice reads the instructions, don't listen: they're always the same and you already know what to do. Use those seconds to read the questions for the task that's starting.

Reading well means underlining the key words in each statement and, if it helps, writing next to it what it says, in your own words or with a symbol. Then, while you listen, a glance is enough to know what each one is about.

What do you do on the first listen, and what on the second?

The general idea: on the first listen you already answer, in the booklet, and on the second you check what you've marked and fill in what's missing. If you're unsure on the first listen, put a question mark next to that question and focus on it the second time.

The exception is Task 3, which I explain below. And in every task there's a huge help: the questions follow the order of the recording. If you already have the answers to questions 1 and 3, the answer to question 2 is somewhere in between.

Task 1: the monologue (6 out of 12 statements)

You get one minute of silence to read the twelve statements before the recording. If you already read them in the minutes you saved from the reading paper, use it to review them.

  • The twelve statements are in order of appearance, including the ones you don't choose: the recording always gives you information to accept or rule them out, in the same order. At the start of the recording, focus only on the first ones.
  • Treat it as true or false. Each statement is either true (you choose it) or false (you rule it out), and there's always something in the recording that justifies it.
  • Don't try to transcribe. If you write down everything you hear, you won't have time to look at the statements, and half-finished notes can confuse you when something is qualified or contradicted later on. My recommendation is not to take notes and to follow the statements with your eyes; try both ways at home and stick with what works for you.
  • Mark exactly six letters on the answer sheet. If you mark seven, you lose all the points for the task. And if you're only sure of four, mark the other two anyway: wrong answers don't cost you anything.

Task 2: four conversations

These are informal conversations between two people, usually a man and a woman, with two questions per conversation.

  • Read only the questions for the conversation that's about to play, in the gap between one conversation and the next. Underline what makes each option different.
  • Watch the subject of the question: “según el hombre”, “la mujer piensa que…”. It's easy to mark what the other person said.
  • Beware of distractors: you'll often hear words that appear in the options but don't answer the question.
  • Revise colloquial expressions and set phrases. These conversations are full of them, and sometimes the answer depends on understanding one.

Task 3: the interview

It's a long interview, with six three-option questions that also follow the order of the conversation. Here the strategy changes slightly:

  • Work out from the start who's asking the questions and who's answering.
  • On the first listen, note next to each question the words that seem to answer it, without deciding yet.
  • On the second listen, decide using your notes and what you hear again.
  • Watch out for distractors: almost every option seems to be mentioned in some way, but only one answers the question.

This is the task where having read the questions beforehand makes the biggest difference, which is why it's one of the two I recommend prioritising.

Task 4: ten short dialogues

These are ten mini-dialogues of 15 to 20 seconds, each with one question. They go by very fast, so there's no time for long notes or rereading.

  • Between one dialogue and the next you have about 15 seconds: use them to read the question and options for the next one, not to dwell on the last one.
  • There's almost always an idiomatic or colloquial expression that holds the key to the answer. If you don't know it, jot it down next to the question on the first listen.
  • Pay attention to tone: intonation, a sentence left hanging or an ironic remark can change the meaning of what's said.
  • Answer on the first listen and check on the second.

To prepare for this task (and Task 2), go over lists of expressions such as those in Set phrases and idiomatic expressions for DELE C1 and C2.

When do you transfer your answers to the sheet?

Your answers go on a separate answer sheet, in pencil, and it's not the same one as the reading paper's, even though you're given both at once. Answer in the booklet first and, at the end of each task, transfer them to the sheet in the time the recording gives you for this (in the official model, 40 seconds after each task, announced with “Complete ahora la Hoja de respuestas”).

Don't leave it until the end: when the paper finishes there's only time to transfer the answers from the last task. And use that moment to review any answers you were unsure about.

Mistakes that cost you points

  • Listening to the instructions instead of using that time to read the questions.
  • Reaching Task 3 without having read the questions.
  • Trying to write everything down and losing track of the statements.
  • Marking seven letters in Task 1. The task scores zero.
  • Leaving questions blank. Wrong answers aren't penalised: a guess has some chance of being right; a blank has none.
  • Marking two options for the same question. It counts as wrong.
  • Leaving all your answers until the end instead of transferring them task by task.

How to train your listening at home

  • Listen to material made for native speakers: radio shows, podcasts, talks and interviews, not recordings for learners. The audio in Tasks 1 and 3 of the exam is this kind of material, with pauses, repetitions and some background noise.
  • Get used to different accents, because the paper includes three different varieties of Spanish.
  • Train multitasking: listening, reading statements and marking at the same time. When you listen, jot down the essentials in your own words (not a transcript).
  • Do full practice papers with the recording running straight through, without pausing, and with the answer sheet, so you get used to the real pace.

Frequently asked questions

How many times is each recording played in the DELE C1?

Twice. Each recording is repeated straight after the first listen, with a short pause in between.

How much time do I get to read the questions?

It depends on the task: in Task 1 you have one minute before the recording; in Task 4, about 15 seconds between dialogues; in others, very little. That's why it pays to save a few minutes from the reading paper to read them.

Can I take notes?

Yes, in the booklet. What counts is what you mark on the answer sheet. In Task 3 I recommend noting clues next to each question; in Task 1, on the other hand, writing a lot usually does more harm than good.

Can I ask for the volume to be turned up?

Yes. Before starting, they play a test recording to check the sound. If you can't hear it properly, raise your hand and ask politely. And if they play the wrong task's recording by mistake, say so.

How much is the listening paper worth?

25 points. It makes up Group 2 together with the speaking test, and you need at least 30 out of 50 across the two. The groups don't compensate for each other.

In short

  • Arrive with the questions read and underlined: finish the reading paper in 80 minutes and spend 10 on the listening, starting with Tasks 1 and 3.
  • Use the time while the instructions are read to read questions.
  • Answer on the first listen and check on the second; in Task 3, note clues on the first and decide on the second.
  • The questions follow the order of the recording.
  • Task 1: exactly six letters. Tasks 2 and 4: colloquial expressions and careful attention to who says what.
  • Transfer your answers to the sheet (in pencil) at the end of each task and never leave one blank.

If you'd like to see this strategy applied step by step to each task, my online DELE C1 course gives you strategies for each paper, commented examples, a community, a questions chat and group calls. If you're still torn between B2 and C1, take the free level test, and to get resources and reminders before each exam session, join the newsletter 💌.

¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸