You have been told, even in the official Instituto Cervantes guides, that you need 20 points to pass Test 1 of the DELE C2. The truth is that you need 20.51. And that difference, which looks like a detail, is exactly one question: the one that separates a PASS from a FAIL in this test. Let me explain it as an examiner, with the numbers in front of us, so that when you mark a practice test at home you really know whether you are on track.

What the guides say: 20 points

Test 1 of the DELE C2 (use of language, reading and listening comprehension) is scored out of a maximum of 33.33 points. In the guides and in many materials you will read that it is passed with 20 points. It is a convenient way of putting it, because 20 is 60% of 33.33. The problem is that a “round” 20 cannot actually be obtained: there is no combination of correct answers that gives exactly 20.

Where the 20.51 comes from

The maths is simple and I recommend doing it once so you never forget it:

  • Test 1 has 52 questions.
  • The maximum you can score, with all 52 correct, is 33.33 points.
  • Every question is worth the same, so each correct answer is 33.33 ÷ 52 = 0.64 points.

From there, your score goes up in steps of 0.64. The two steps that matter are these:

  • 31 correct answers = 19.87 points. Very close to 20, but not 20. You do not pass the test.
  • 32 correct answers = 20.51 points. This is it. It is the first possible score above 20.

That is why I say the real minimum is not 20 but 20.51. Or, put in a far more useful way: 32 correct answers.

With 31 correct answers you are 0.13 points short

This is what hurts most when I mark practice tests with my students. Someone gets 31 right, sees 19.87 on the sheet and thinks “so close”. And it is true: they were 0.13 points short. But in the exam there is no “close”. The test is failed just as if they had scored 15.

The good news is that the distance between failing and passing this test is a single question. That is not fixed by studying more grammar. It is fixed by knowing what is letting you down and training it, and that work usually takes weeks, not months.

How to use this when you practise at home

When you do a practice test at home, I suggest three changes in how you mark yourself:

  • Count correct answers, not points. Your target is 32 out of 52. It is a number you remember and it does not depend on rounding.
  • Leave a margin. If you score exactly 32 at home, on exam day, with nerves and noise, you may end up on 30. I recommend arriving at the exam consistently scoring 35 or more.
  • If you keep landing on 30 or 31, find the guilty task. It is not bad luck. There are almost always one or two tasks where you lose marks systematically. Locate them and work only on those instead of repeating whole practice tests. If one of them is the reading Task 1, there is an article on how to study Task 1 of the DELE C2 reading.

And remember: Test 1 does not stand alone

Passing Test 1 gives you a chance of passing the exam, but it does not guarantee it. In the DELE C2, Test 1 is grouped with Test 2 (integrated skills: listening and reading comprehension with written expression and interaction), and Test 3, the oral, is assessed separately. The groups do not compensate each other: you must pass both. If you want to understand what each test really assesses, read DELE C2: is it really the hardest exam in the world?

Frequently asked questions about DELE C2 Test 1 scoring

How many questions does DELE C2 Test 1 have?

52 questions, spread over six tasks of use of language, reading comprehension and listening comprehension. They are all worth the same.

What is the pass mark for DELE C2 Test 1?

The first possible score above 20 is 20.51 points, which corresponds to 32 correct answers. With 31 correct answers you score 19.87 and do not pass the test.

How much is each question worth?

0.64 points (33.33 divided by 52). That is why the score always moves in steps of 0.64 and an exact 20 does not exist.

Do wrong answers take points away?

No. In the DELE, wrong answers are not penalised, so you should always answer every question, even if you have to guess.

If I pass Test 1, have I passed the group?

No. Test 1 is grouped with Test 2 and you must pass the whole group, as well as the oral test, which is assessed separately.

Prepare for the DELE C2 with me

If you want to walk into the exam knowing exactly what is assessed in each task, how much it is worth and how to approach it, in my online DELE C2 course I explain it task by task, with strategies and annotated examples. Knowing Spanish is not the same as knowing how to do the exam, and that is the part we work on.

If you prefer to practise on paper, there is my book A por el DELE C2, with 4 up-to-date practice tests that simulate the exam, with answer keys and downloadable audio. And for the oral test, a free DELE C2 oral test model.

And if you would like free resources and reminders before each exam session, join the newsletter: recursos.aporeldele.com/boletin.

Thank you for reading this far. Now you know your number is 32. Good luck with your preparation. ¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸