If you have a high, fluent level of Spanish but you’re hesitating and don’t know which of the two exams to take, we’ll look at their main features and which one will suit you best.
After this comparison you’ll surely have a clearer idea to help you make your decision.
Level C of the DELE exam is the highest and has two sub-levels: the C1, also known as the “Effective Operational Proficiency” level, which is closer to level B2 although more complex, and level C2, higher still and also called the “Mastery” level.
Both levels demand a great deal of effort, since they are highly complex, and you’ll need to decide carefully which one suits you according to your needs and your timeline — features we’ll look at below:
Focus
The DELE C1 is much more communicative and practical than the DELE C2, which is focused on perfecting the language, not only in formal or informal contexts but in professional ones.
Who each exam is for
Although with effort and very thorough preparation anyone with a fluent level of Spanish can sign up for the DELE C1 or C2, the C2 is generally taken by non-native journalists, diplomats, Spanish teachers, translators and philologists — in other words, the perfectionists who correct native speakers’ mistakes.
The C1, meanwhile, is usually taken by people who also have quite a fluent level of Spanish, with a very deep command of the language and a very high degree of grammatical accuracy.
Vocabulary, the key
The main difference isn’t grammar. For any Level C exam you’ll need impeccable grammar. The biggest difference, however, lies in what we examiners call “Alcance” (range) — that is, vocabulary.
When you take a C2-level exam you need to be completely clear about any semantic nuance that might come up, as well as the different varieties of Spanish that exist — and not mix them. At the same time you need a certain literary sensitivity, because more philosophical or literary texts appear at C2.
Honestly, very few native Spanish speakers could get an Apto (pass) in the DELE C2. It’s an exam you must prepare for really thoroughly and calmly, setting yourself the goal of taking it once you’re used to any accent and intonation, and to picking up irony and very subtle nuances of meaning — and above all when you need it in a professional context.
Is the DELE C1 useful in professional settings?
Although the DELE C2 exam is more focused on the professional segment, if you take the C1 you can of course use it in that sphere too, since it proves you have quite a fluent level of Spanish and can handle specific, advanced professional situations.
Little information about the C2
There is less information available online and fewer published books about level C2, essentially because it’s an exam with very little demand.
There are usually fewer exam sessions for the DELE C2, and many academies don’t even prepare anyone for this level, because it genuinely requires very deep knowledge of philology, a high capacity for analysis, and knowing very well how to comment on a text for specific — even literary — purposes.
STRUCTURE AND TIMING
All DELE exams have 4 tests, but the DELE C2 is the only one with just 3, since in this case the skills have been integrated and different abilities combined into a single test.
Time is also a very important factor. Broadly speaking — we’ll go into more detail below — in the DELE C2 exam you’ll need to “race” much more than in the C1, which can be done at a more relaxed pace.
Test 1
For Test 1 of the DELE C1, called “Comprensión de lectura y uso de la lengua” (reading comprehension and use of language), which is taken together with the next one, “Comprensión auditiva” (listening comprehension), and includes 5 tasks, you’ll have 90 minutes. In this case it covers literary texts, talks, and scientific and opinion articles, among others.
Meanwhile, Test 1 of the DELE C2 combines “Comprensión de lectura” (reading comprehension), with 3 tasks, and “Comprensión auditiva”, with another 3 tasks.
In the first part, besides the text types already mentioned for level C1, you may find theses, bibliographic records, popular science or educational articles, travel journals or specialized blogs, and more literary texts. You’ll have 60 minutes to complete the 3 tasks.
The “Comprensión auditiva” test of the DELE C2 includes longer audio recordings than at C1, covering debates, lectures, radio or television news, speeches, political presentations, interviews and professional meetings, with 3 tasks to complete in 45 minutes.
Test 2
You’ll have 50 minutes to do Test 2 of the DELE C1, “Comprensión auditiva”. It consists of 4 tasks with audio recordings of informal conversations, speeches, lectures, and radio and television ads, although on more familiar topics than at C2, where you’ll find more unexpected subject matter and less practical conversations.
In Test 2 of the DELE C2, meanwhile, you’ll have 150 minutes (there is a break between this test and the previous one) to do 3 tasks combining “Comprensión auditiva”, “Comprensión lectora” (reading comprehension) and “Expresión escrita” (written expression). In all of them you’ll have to write a text based on an audio or visual prompt (graphs, statistics or photographs). You’ll find much the same content in the third test of the C1, with the exception of Task 2.
For Task 2 of the DELE C2 you’ll be given a text, such as drafts or transcriptions, containing errors in grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and coherence. You’ll have to correct it and rewrite it properly, keeping good style in mind.
Test 3
Test 3 of the DELE C1 includes 2 tasks combining “Comprensión auditiva”, “Comprensión lectora” and “Expresión escrita”, and you’ll have 80 minutes to complete them. In the first you’ll listen to a recording and then write a text, while in the second you’ll be given a written or graphic prompt and must write a text that responds to it or incorporates it.
Oral tests
In the DELE C1 oral test you’ll have 20 minutes to prepare the first 2 tasks and another 20 minutes taking the exam with the interviewer. In the DELE C2 oral test you’ll have 30 minutes to prepare for the first task and will be in the exam room for another 20 minutes.
In both exams you can prepare Task 1, because you’ll be given a text in the DELE C1, and two texts plus a graphic prompt in the DELE C2, to plan a monologue you’ll then deliver to the interviewer.
Then, Task 2 in both exams consists of answering questions that expand on the topic covered in the previous task.
Finally, Task 3 of the DELE C1 consists of a negotiation based on a prompt, usually photographs. In this step you’ll receive photographs and will have to talk with the interviewer to agree, for example, on which image is best.
In Task 3 of the DELE C2, on the other hand, you’ll be given several written prompts on the same topic, such as newspaper headlines, and based on them you’ll have to hold a conversation with the interviewer.
My final recommendation:
To clear up your doubts, I recommend taking a look at both exams, the DELE C1 and the DELE C2. Try doing them to see which one you feel more comfortable with.
Given the complexity of both exams, there are two possible paths: if you need the certificate quickly, I suggest you prepare for the C1. But if you think the DELE C2 exam will serve you better in your professional field, then I do recommend going for this exam — and practicing a great deal before you sit it.
If you’re thinking about taking the DELE C1 or C2 exam and need a push to prepare well and have every tool you need to pass it, get in touch with me and I’ll help you get your Apto: (https://aporeldele.com/cursos) ¡Ánimo y a por el DELE!
