If you're here, you probably already know that the DELE A2 gives you access to Spanish nationality. That puts a lot of extra pressure on the prueba oral, I understand. But, believe me, the A2 oral is much more manageable than it seems. You just need to know what it looks like, train the format, and stop improvising. Let's get to it.
Download the DELE A2 oral exam model for free
First, what matters. I've prepared a DELE A2 oral exam model PDF that you can download for free by leaving your email in the form. The download link appears straight away, no waiting. By giving me your email you also subscribe to my newsletter, and from then on you'll get practical resources in your inbox before each convocatoria (exam session).
Download the model for free here: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/a2oral
Why bundled with the newsletter? Because that way, in addition to the model, you also get useful resources before each convocatoria, ideas to prepare for the exam, and reminders so you don't miss any key date. No spam. You can unsubscribe whenever you want.
Inside the PDF you'll find:
A realistic proposal for tarea 1, tarea 2, and tarea 3 with the exact format of the exam.
The instructions just as the examinador/a (examiner) will read them on the real day.
A lámina (photo) prepared for tarea 2.
My notes as an examiner with what is and isn't expected in each tarea.
If you work through it properly, with this DELE A2 oral exam model you can do a full simulation at home. It's not magic, it doesn't pass the exam for you, but it helps a lot to lose the fear of the format and to arrive on the day knowing what's going to happen.
How the DELE A2 oral exam works
Let's get straight to it. According to the official information from the Instituto Cervantes (DELE A2, 2020 version, currently in force), the Expresión e interacción orales (oral expression and interaction) prueba of the DELE A2 works like this:
3 tareas in total.
12 minutes of test.
12 minutes of prior preparation.
Maximum score: 25 points.
The three tareas are: Exposición de un tema (topic presentation), Descripción de una fotografía (description of a photograph), and Diálogo en situación simulada (role-play dialogue).
Before going into the room you have 12 minutes of preparation. It's precious time, but many candidates don't use it well. They give you some sheets with the materials, you choose the option you want among the ones they offer you, and you start preparing tarea 1 and tarea 2. You can't prepare tarea 3, because it's a situation that develops live.
When you go into the room, the examinador/a welcomes you. At A2 our role isn't so much about "pulling the words out of you" as at A1. Here we expect you to carry more of the weight of the conversation. That said, we help you get started and, if you freeze, we build bridges for you.
I'll walk you through tarea by tarea.
Tarea 1: Exposición de un tema
Tarea 1 is a short monologue. They give you a choice between several topic options (related to your daily life: routines, trips, family, work, leisure, etc.) and some guiding puntos (points) you have to touch on.
You speak alone for between 3 and 4 minutes about that topic, following the puntos.
The puntos are your legal cheat sheet. If you follow them, you don't get lost. As an examiner, what I value here is that you touch all the puntos, even briefly, and that you organize the discourse a bit. Basic connectors like "primero", "después", "además", "por eso", work very well.
Quick trick: don't try to talk 4 minutes about each punto. Split the time. If you have 4 puntos and 3 minutes, that's about 45 seconds per punto, plus a mini introduction and a mini closing.
And please, no memorizing. It shows the moment you open your mouth. Prepare ideas, not full sentences.
Tarea 2: Descripción de una fotografía
Here we shift register. They give you a photograph and instructions to describe it.
You're going to talk about the photo for 2-3 minutes following some puntos. They usually ask you about things like: the people who appear, the place, what they're doing, how you think they feel, if it reminds you of a situation of your own, etc.
The key here, watch out for this, is not to stay just at "veo una mujer, veo una mesa". That's A1. At A2 we expect a step further: imagining, supposing, relating. "Yo creo que…", "Me parece que…", "Imagino que…", "Quizás está…", "A mí me recuerda a…".
My advice is: use the puntos as a script. Start by describing the obvious (what's there, where, who), move on to interpreting (what they're doing, how they feel, why you think so), and finish with a small personal connection if they ask for it.
Tarea 3: Diálogo en situación simulada
Tarea 3 is the most different at A2 and, also, the one that surprises those who arrive without having seen a model before. That's why I want you to see it properly.
It's a role-play. The examinador/a and you act out a small everyday scene (in a shop, with a neighbor, in a restaurant, organizing a plan, etc.). They give you a card with the situation, your role, and some puntos you have to solve.
You can't prepare this tarea in the 12 prior minutes. You see it right in the room, just before starting.
It lasts about 2-3 minutes. What's evaluated, above all, is the interacción (interaction). That is: do you greet?, do you ask for things?, do you react to what the examinador/a says?, do you solve the situation?
My advice is: don't sit waiting for the examinador/a to say everything. Take the initiative. You greet, you ask, you propose. It's a dialogue, not an interrogation.
And don't go looking for the perfect word. If "factura" doesn't come, say "el papel donde está el precio". Communicate.
How the DELE A2 oral exam is graded
The DELE A2 oral prueba scores up to 25 points. It's part of grupo 2 (along with the expresión e interacción escritas). To get apto in the DELE A2 you need a minimum of 30 out of 50 in each grupo, and a total of 60 out of 100.
As an examiner, at A2 we evaluate each tarea with two lenses:
Cumplimiento de la tarea (task completion, around 34% of the score per tarea): whether you've done what was asked. Touched all the puntos, kept to the time, responded to the situation.
Uso de la lengua (language use, around 66% of the score): appropriate vocabulary for A2, well-used basic structures (presente, pretérito perfecto, indefinido, ser/estar, hay/está, futuro con "ir a"), understandable pronunciation, reasonable fluency.
We don't expect complex sentences with super-long subordinate clauses. We expect well-built sentences, with verbs in the right tense, enough day-to-day vocabulary, and the ability to maintain an everyday conversation.
That said, I'm warning you about three things that do count:
Staying silent for too long affects the grade.
Talking non-stop but without touching the puntos also brings the grade down (it's not about talking a lot, it's about meeting the brief).
Not interacting in tarea 3 (answering only with "sí", "no", "vale") is a big hole.
How to make the most of the A2 oral model you downloaded
Once you've downloaded the DELE A2 oral exam model, I propose this protocol to squeeze all the juice out of it. It's the same one we do in my course, simplified so you can do it on your own.
Step 1. Read the model through once, calmly. Look at the three tareas, the instructions, the lámina. Familiarize yourself with the format.
Step 2. Do a real simulation. Set 12 minutes on the timer and prepare tareas 1 and 2 with a pen, jotting down key words (not full sentences). Then grab your phone, hit record, and do the three tareas one after the other as if it were the exam.
Step 3. Listen to yourself. I know, it's embarrassing. But it's where you learn the most. Check: did I touch all the puntos?, did I keep to the time?, did I take the initiative in tarea 3?, did I connect the ideas or was it a list of disconnected sentences?
Step 4. Write down 3 concrete things to improve next time. Just 3. For example: "don't overuse the verb gustar", "use more pretérito perfecto in tarea 1", "take the initiative myself at the start of tarea 3".
Step 5. Repeat the simulation 2-3 days later with another topic option. You'll see the difference.
If you have someone who can play the examinador/a in tarea 3, even better. But on your own it also works, I promise.
Download the model for free here: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/a2oral.
Typical mistakes in the DELE A2 oral exam
From the examiner's perspective, these are the mistakes I see over and over in the DELE A2 prueba oral. And I tell you honestly, they're avoidable if you know them.
Mistake 1: Memorizing tarea 1.
It shows a lot. And if you get interrupted or forget a word, you freeze. Better to bring the ideas, not the sentences.
Mistake 2: Confusing A2 with A1 in tarea 2.
Just describing what you see doesn't reach A2. You have to interpret, suppose, imagine. "Creo que…", "Me parece que…", "Quizás…".
Mistake 3: Not taking the initiative in tarea 3.
Waiting for the examinador/a to ask all the questions, answering with monosyllables, and leaving the situation unresolved. That brings the grade down a lot. It's a dialogue: propose, ask, react.
Mistake 4: Skipping puntos.
If they give you four puntos in tarea 1 or three puntos in tarea 2, you have to touch all of them. Even with one sentence. If you skip one, it penalizes you in cumplimiento de la tarea.
Mistake 5: Always using the presente.
At A2 we expect you to already handle pretérito perfecto, indefinido, and "ir a" + infinitivo. If you're going to tell something from last week, don't tell it all in presente.
Mistake 6: Not using the 12 minutes of preparation well.
Some candidates get paralyzed or only prepare tarea 1. Split it: 6-7 minutes for tarea 1, 4-5 minutes for tarea 2, and 1 minute to breathe.
Mistake 7: Speaking very fast to "fill".
At A2 a clear, well-built sentence is valued more than three rushed sentences. Speak at your own pace, without machine-gunning.
And, above all, don't go in thinking "I'm risking my nationality". Go in thinking "I'm going to do my best oral, with what I know". The head plays a huge role.
Frequently asked questions about the DELE A2 oral exam
How long does the DELE A2 oral exam last?
The prueba oral lasts 12 minutes, plus 12 minutes of prior preparation in a separate room at the exam center. In total, you can spend about 30-40 minutes at the center between preparation, waiting, and the test.
How many tareas does the DELE A2 oral exam have?
Three tareas. Tarea 1: Exposición de un tema with guiding puntos. Tarea 2: Descripción de una fotografía. Tarea 3: Diálogo en situación simulada with the examinador/a.
Which tareas can I prepare in the 12 prior minutes?
You can prepare tarea 1 and tarea 2. Tarea 3 (the dialogue) isn't prepared in advance, it develops live in the room.
Does the DELE A2 oral exam count for Spanish nationality?
Yes. The DELE A2 is one of the language requirements for applying for Spanish nationality by residence, along with the CCSE test. Passing the prueba oral is essential to get the apto in the complete DELE A2.
Is there an official DELE A2 oral exam model in PDF?
Yes. The Instituto Cervantes publishes an official model of the complete DELE A2 exam with all the pruebas. I have also prepared an extra DELE A2 oral exam model PDF for free with a lámina and my examiner notes so you can practice at home. Download it here: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/a2oral
How many models do I have to practice to arrive well at the exam?
It depends on your level, but as a minimum I recommend 4-5 complete simulations of the prueba oral before the day. That's why in my Amazon book "DELE A2: 4 modelos de examen comentados" I give you four complete models, ready for you to practice without having to improvise.
The essentials to take away
The DELE A2 oral exam is 3 tareas in 12 minutes, with 12 minutes of prior preparation.
Tarea 1: monologue about a topic with guiding puntos. Tarea 2: interpreted description of a photograph. Tarea 3: dialogue in a simulated situation, without prior preparation.
Passing comes down to meeting all the puntos in each tarea and really interacting in tarea 3.
Use the DELE A2 oral exam model PDF to do real simulations with a timer and recorder at home.
Watch out for the typical mistakes: memorizing, describing without interpreting, not taking initiative, skipping puntos, always speaking in presente, and not making the most of the preparation.
A2 is doable, but you have to work on it with method.
If you want to follow this with method, without stress and with every tarea worked step by step, I'm leaving you three paths.
Download the DELE A2 oral exam model for free first: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/a2oral. The download link appears straight away when you leave your email, and you'll also be subscribed to the newsletter 💌.
If you're preparing for the DELE A2 and want a guide tarea por tarea (task by task), with strategies for every prueba and commented examples, here's my online DELE A2 course: https://a2.aporeldele.com/.
If you prefer to practice with material on paper, I also have the book "DELE A2: 4 modelos de examen comentados" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Tvylte.
And if you still don't know if A2 is really your level, before preparing for the exam do the free level test: https://nivel.aporeldele.com/.
And if you want to receive free resources and useful reminders before each convocatoria, you can sign up for the newsletter 💌: http://recursos.aporeldele.com/boletin.
Official information about the exam structure taken from the Instituto Cervantes (DELE A2, 2020 version, currently in force): https://examenes.cervantes.es/es/dele/examenes/a2.
