If you’re thinking about taking the DELE exam or the SIELE, it’s important to know the main advantages and disadvantages of each. We’ll compare their features, timing, costs and formats so you’re clear on how they work and can get your diploma.
Article updated with the official fees and exam dates in July 2026.
How many levels does each exam have?
The DELE exam has 3 levels — A, B and C — each with 2 sub-levels. This means you can take anything from the DELE A1, the most basic, up to level C2, the highest, so in total there are 6 levels to choose from.
The SIELE exam, on the other hand, has up to 5 levels. It’s a multi-level exam, meaning all students take the same exam, and depending on your result you’ll get level A1, A2, B1, B2 or C1 (C2 is not included).
How are they graded?
In a DELE exam there are only 2 possible results: Apto (pass) or No Apto (fail).
In the SIELE, on the other hand, you’ll always get a grade according to your level. The minimum is A1 — unless you score under 40 points, in which case you won’t receive certification — and the maximum is C1, which is one of the main benefits of this exam.
Can minors take them?
A DELE section for school-age students has been created. If you’re under 17, you can take the DELE A1 for schoolchildren and also the dual-outcome A2-B1 exam. Unlike the exam for adults, it covers topics more accessible for teenagers or children, because it doesn’t deal with such abstract or work-related subjects.
In contrast, you need to be 18 to take the SIELE.
How many parts do they have?
In the DELE exam you must be tested on all 4 language skills. This means that in the DELE exam you’ll do one test that grades your “Comprensión lectora” (reading comprehension), another that assesses your “Comprensión auditiva” (listening comprehension), plus a “Comprensión y expresión escrita” (written comprehension and expression) test, and finally an “Expresión e interacción oral” (oral expression and interaction) test.
In the SIELE, meanwhile, the format is more flexible and there are 6 options: the first is the Global exam, in which you’re tested on the same four skills a DELE exam assesses. However, it’s possible to be tested on, for example, just the “Expresión oral” (speaking) skill, which gives students greater flexibility.
How long does the exam take?
The DELE exam will take more or less time depending on the level.
In the SIELE, since it’s a multi-level exam that’s the same for all students, the “Expresión oral” (speaking) section lasts between 15 and 20 minutes, while each of the other 3 skills takes between 50 and 60 minutes.
When does the certification expire?
The DELE never expires: once you get your Apto, it’s yours forever.
The SIELE, on the other hand, does expire — it’s valid for 5 years. That’s one of its disadvantages, and at the same time one of the reasons students take it when they need to certify their level for something specific within a short period of time.
Are the oral test and the written test on the same day?
In the DELE exam, if you’re lucky, the oral test may be on the same day as the rest of the tests. But quite often the oral exam takes place a day before or after, which can create difficulties in terms of the time you have available for it.
In the SIELE, all the skills are tested on the same day.
Is it in person or online?
The DELE exam is taken in person, face to face with an examiner in the oral test, while the written “Comprensión lectora” test is done on paper.
The SIELE, meanwhile, is a completely digital exam. Even the “Expresión oral” tests are done on a computer: the student’s voice is recorded and an examiner listens to it afterwards, which can be an advantage if you’re afraid of exams or tend to go blank during oral exams.
When are the exams held?
The DELE exam has fixed exam sessions. There isn’t an exam every month, nor is every level offered at every session. In 2026 there are 5 exam sessions (February, April, May, October and November), with no exams over the summer. For the highest levels, such as the C2, there tend to be only 2 exams a year, in May and November.
The SIELE offers greater flexibility, since someone who wants to take the exam could sit it within 3 days if they wished. However, unlike the DELE, there aren’t as many accredited centers where you can take the SIELE.
When do you get the results?
For the DELE exam, results usually take an average of 2 to 3 months, which is how long the electronic result takes. But if you want your diploma, you’ll have to wait another 2 to 3 months.
With the SIELE there’s less bureaucracy and it’s faster, since results take 3 weeks at most.
What language is the website in?
The web page where you can find information about the DELE is entirely in Spanish.
On the SIELE website, the information is available in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.
How much does the exam cost?
The DELE exam doesn’t have a single price; it varies according to the level and the country where you take it. In Spain, the official 2026 fees range from 112 euros for the A1 to 240 euros for the C2; in other countries they can be even lower.
SIELE prices depend on the modality and the country where you take the exam. In Spain, the SIELE Global costs 155 euros and, since you can also take a specific skill, in that case you’ll pay roughly between 55 and 100 euros, depending on the skill.
How do you prepare for the exam?
Since the DELE exam has a longer track record, it’s easier to find information online, such as books, my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/aporelDELE) and my online courses (https://aporeldele.com/cursos), whereas for the SIELE there isn’t as much information, although on the exam’s website you can take an online course that explains the structure of the test and different strategies to pass it.
I hope this comparison has been useful if you were torn between the two exams. Now you know exactly how the DELE and the SIELE are alike and how they differ. Thank you, César (from the channel https://www.youtube.com/c/SpanishLanguageCoach), for your collaboration. Here you can watch the video we made together comparing the DELE and the SIELE:
If you want to prepare effectively and strategically for the DELE exam, with all the confidence and self-assurance you need to get the APTO, sign up for my online DELE course: https://aporeldele.com/cursos
