Here's a free DELE C1 speaking test sample in PDF, plus an explanation of how the exam works: 20 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes in the exam room, with three tasks. In Task 1 you summarise and assess a text and give your opinion, in Task 2 you answer interview questions on that topic, and in Task 3 you negotiate with the interviewer to choose one of four options.

Download the DELE C1 speaking test sample

Download it here: DELE C1 speaking test sample (free PDF).

It's an up-to-date model that simulates the exam, with all three tasks: the text for Task 1 and the card with the situation and the four options for Task 3. My advice: read it calmly first, then do it against the clock, as if it were exam day.

What is the DELE C1 speaking test like?

Its official name is Prueba 4: Expresión, mediación e interacción orales (Paper 4: oral expression, mediation and interaction). This is the format in force since the April 2024 session, according to the Instituto Cervantes specifications table and exam guide:

  • Preparation: 20 minutes for Tasks 1 and 2.
  • Time in the exam room: 20 minutes.
  • Tasks: three. An oral presentation on a topic (3-5 minutes), an interview on that topic (4-6 minutes) and an informal conversation involving a negotiation (4-6 minutes).
  • In the room: two examiners. The interviewer talks to you and gives you the instructions; the assessor takes notes and doesn't take part.
  • Date: it can be on the same day as the written papers or on a different day before or after, depending on the exam centre.

Before you start, the interviewer asks you a few warm-up questions to break the ice. They aren't marked: they're there to help you relax. You'll usually also be asked whether you'd prefer to use tú or usted. If that question worries you, I explain it in Tú or usted in the DELE speaking test?.

What do you do in the preparation room?

You choose between two options for Task 1. You normally choose by the title, which usually describes the topic clearly. Choose with Task 2 in mind as well, because the interview questions will be about that same topic: go for the one you have more to say about.

Then you have 20 minutes to read the text (a newspaper article of 750 to 850 words), underline the key points and make yourself an outline. You can refer to that outline during the test.

Task 1: oral presentation on a topic

This is a mediation task: you tell the other person what a text they haven't read says. You have 3 to 5 minutes to do three things:

  • Summarise the main points of the text.
  • Assess the text: for example, the author's intention, how clear it is, its tone or how solid its arguments are. Two aspects are better than one.
  • Give your opinion on the topic.

Aim for about four minutes. If you reach five, the interviewer will normally stop you to move on to Task 2, and if you haven't given your opinion yet, part of the task is left undone.

Use your outline as a guide, but look at the interviewer. Reading your notes makes you sound less natural.

Task 2: interview on a topic

When you finish your presentation, the interviewer asks you questions about the topic of the text for 4 to 6 minutes: your opinion on a particular aspect, your experience, comparisons with your country, arguments for and against, examples.

What's assessed here is answering in detail, justifying what you say and giving examples. Neither one-sentence answers nor two-minute speeches per question. If you don't understand a question, ask for it to be repeated or clarified: it's exactly what you'd do in a real conversation.

Task 3: informal conversation (negotiation)

After the interview, you choose one card out of two and have one minute to read it. The card describes a situation (a problem to solve), gives you some guidelines for the conversation (for example, that the budget is tight) and shows four options represented by photos, posters, adverts or slogans.

Your goal is to reach an agreement with the interviewer to choose one of the four. For 4 to 6 minutes:

  • Talk about at least three of the four options; you can start with the ones you'd rule out.
  • Mention the guidelines on the card when you defend your choice.
  • Compare options with discourse markers: “mientras que”, “si bien”, “por un lado… por otro”.
  • Bring the interviewer in: pick up on what they say and ask for their opinion. It's a negotiation, not a monologue.

The interviewer will often disagree with you to keep the conversation going. You aren't penalised for not agreeing: what counts is that you argue your case. You'll find more ideas for this task in Tips for Task 3 of the DELE C1 speaking test.

How is the DELE C1 speaking test marked?

According to the official guide:

  • The interviewer gives a holistic (overall) mark for the three tasks, worth 40 %.
  • The assessor gives an analytic mark for each task, worth 60 %. All three tasks carry the same weight.
  • The analytic scale has four categories: Fluency, Accuracy, Range and Task fulfilment, with different descriptors for each task. Task fulfilment carries more weight (34 %) than each of the other three (22 %).
  • Each category is scored from 0 to 3. Band 2 corresponds to C1 level.

To assess your mediation in Task 1, the scales refer to a sheet listing the key content of the text. That's why talking about the topic in general isn't enough: you need to cover the essentials of what the text says.

The speaking test is worth 25 points and makes up Group 2 together with the listening paper. You need at least 30 out of 50 in that group, and another 30 out of 50 in Group 1 (reading and writing). The groups don't compensate for each other.

How to get the most out of the sample

  1. Read it without a timer. Get to know the instructions and what the Task 3 card looks like.
  2. Do it under exam conditions. 20 minutes of preparation for Tasks 1 and 2, then record yourself doing all three tasks within their times. Task 3 isn't prepared in advance: give the card just one minute.
  3. Listen to yourself. Note where you get stuck, which mistakes keep coming back and which parts sound learnt by heart.
  4. Repeat it a week later. With the same sample or another one. The second time you'll notice the difference.

Common mistakes in the DELE C1 speaking test

  • Summarising without assessing or giving an opinion. Task 1 asks for all three.
  • Reading out your outline. It's a support, not a script.
  • Running over time in Task 1 and never getting to your opinion.
  • Forgetting the guidelines on the card in Task 3.
  • Turning the negotiation into a monologue without listening to the interviewer.
  • Memorising speeches. As soon as the conversation goes off script, you freeze. Bring flexible structures and vocabulary instead.

For more, here are 7 mistakes in the DELE C1 oral exam that you can fix in days.

Frequently asked questions about the DELE C1 speaking test

How long is the DELE C1 speaking test?

20 minutes in the room, plus 20 minutes of preparation beforehand for Tasks 1 and 2.

Can I use my notes during the exam?

Yes, the notes and outline you made in the preparation room. Use them as a guide, without reading them out.

Is the speaking test on the same day as the written papers?

It depends on the centre. It can be on the same day or on a different day before or after the official exam date. Your centre tells you in its exam schedule.

What mark do I need to pass?

At least 30 out of 50 points in Group 2, which combines the speaking test and the listening paper, plus 30 out of 50 in Group 1.

Do I have to end up agreeing with the interviewer in Task 3?

The task is about trying to reach an agreement, but you aren't penalised for standing your ground. What matters is that you argue, listen and take into account what the interviewer says.

In short

  • Download the free sample and do it against the clock: recursos.aporeldele.com/oralc1.
  • 20 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes in the room, with three tasks.
  • Task 1: summarise, assess the text and give your opinion, in 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Task 2: an interview on the same topic, with well-argued answers.
  • Task 3: you choose one card out of two, read it in a minute and negotiate to choose one of four options.
  • Marking: 40 % holistic from the interviewer and 60 % analytic from the assessor, with task fulfilment as the heaviest criterion.

If you want to prepare the speaking test and the rest of the exam with a method, my online DELE C1 course gives you strategies for each paper, commented examples, a community, a questions chat and group calls. If you're not sure C1 is your level, take the free level test first, and to get resources and reminders before each exam session, join the newsletter 💌.

¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸