The DELE C2 speaking test (Prueba 3, “Expresión, mediación e interacción orales”) lasts 20 minutes, with 30 minutes of preparation beforehand, and has three tasks of 5 to 6 minutes each: a presentation based on several texts and charts, an interview on the same topic and a negotiation based on two headlines. Here's a free PDF sample to practise with and a walk through each task, with what's assessed and the most common mistakes.
Where can I download the DELE C2 speaking test sample?
Here's the sample so you have it to hand while you read:
Download the DELE C2 speaking test sample (free PDF): https://recursos.aporeldele.com/oralc2
It contains the three tasks in the exam format: the materials for Task 1, sample questions for Task 2 and the headline card for Task 3, with instructions like the ones you'll be given on the day. My advice: have a first look and then come back here. You'll understand what follows much better once you've seen what the paper looks like.
And if you'd rather see it in action, here's a complete C2 speaking test example with my comments (in Spanish):
What is the DELE C2 speaking test like?
Since 2024 its official name has been Prueba 3: Expresión, mediación e interacción orales (speaking, mediation and spoken interaction). It used to be called “Destrezas integradas: comprensión de lectura y expresión e interacción orales”. The change reflects that mediation is now explicitly assessed.
- Length: 20 minutes in the exam room.
- Preparation: 30 minutes beforehand, for Task 1 (and, if you have time left, to think about Task 2).
- Tasks: 3, each lasting 5 to 6 minutes.
- Examiners: always two. The interviewer talks to you; the rater takes notes and doesn't take part.
Before you start there are a few ice-breaker questions that aren't marked. The three tasks run back to back, and Task 3 isn't prepared: you're given the card in the exam room.
What do you have to do in Task 1 (presentation)?
In the preparation room you choose one of two topics (you usually only see the title on the booklet) and receive the materials: two or three texts, 700 to 800 words in total, and one or two charts (tables of data, diagrams or infographics) on the same topic. The instructions give you some context and three or four points you have to cover.
In the exam room you give an uninterrupted 5 to 6 minute monologue. It's mediation: you bring together information from several texts and charts, organise it in your own structure and pass it on to the interviewer.
- Cover every point in the instructions, ideally in their order. Missing one costs you marks.
- Organise by points, not by texts. To answer one point you might use text 1 and chart 2; for the next, other materials. What doesn't work is going through the materials one by one (“el primer texto dice…, el gráfico muestra…”).
- Use your own words. Lifting sentences from the texts without saying so is penalised; if you quote, flag it.
- Make the structure visible: an introduction that presents the topic and puts it in context, a development point by point with varied discourse markers, and a conclusion that sums up or looks ahead. Your personal opinion isn't required here; that comes in Task 2.
- Watch the time. If you go over 6 minutes, you may be cut off before you wrap up.
There's a step-by-step guide to the monologue in How to do the monologue for Task 1 of the DELE C2 speaking test.
Weak: “El primer texto dice X. El segundo texto dice Y. El gráfico muestra Z…”
Strong: “Los textos y el gráfico abordan el papel de la inteligencia artificial en la educación desde ángulos distintos. En cuanto a sus ventajas, tanto el primer texto como los datos del gráfico apuntan a…”
What will they ask you in Task 2 (interview)?
Once you finish your presentation, the interviewer asks you questions on the same topic for 5 to 6 minutes. The aim is to broaden the topic and find out your opinion, your experience and the situation in your country. They aren't questions about details in the texts, although if you left out something important in Task 1, they may ask you about it.
They're often double or triple questions, so pay attention to every part. Some examples of the kind of questions you might get:
- “Ha defendido que…, pero ¿no cree que en países con menos recursos sería contraproducente?”
- “Pongamos un caso concreto: si mañana se aprobara una ley así, ¿qué consecuencias tendría?”
- “En su país, ¿se habla mucho de este tema? ¿Por qué cree que es así?”
- “¿Hasta qué punto cree que su visión está condicionada por su experiencia?”
Here your opinion is expected, with arguments and examples. The interviewer may interrupt, add their own view or disagree with you: it's part of a natural conversation. You don't need to ask them questions; the point is to answer in depth. If you don't understand a question or forget part of it, ask them to rephrase it (“Disculpe, ¿le importaría reformular la pregunta?”).
What is Task 3 (negotiation with headlines) like?
Task 3 isn't prepared and there's no choice: the interviewer gives you a card with a situation, some guidelines and two news headlines on the same topic, each with a headline and a subheading. You have about one minute to read it and then you talk for 5 to 6 minutes.
- First part (about 2 minutes): the situation gives you a role (colleagues, members of an association, teachers…) and a purpose. You have to agree on which of the two headlines to choose for that purpose, taking into account the criteria on the card (usually that the story allows you to explore the topic in depth, that it's relevant or eye-catching for the audience and that it opens up current issues).
- Second part (about 4 minutes): you discuss the topic of the chosen headline and give your opinions.
In the minute of reading time, read the two headlines first, then your role and the purpose of the conversation, and then the criteria. During the task, steer the conversation too: justify every opinion, ask the interviewer what they think and pick up on what they say. You can disagree or change your mind, always with arguments, but you have to end up choosing one headline.
If you want to go deeper into this task, there's a full guide (in Spanish) on Task 3 of the DELE C2 speaking test.
How is the DELE C2 speaking test marked?
The interviewer gives a holistic mark (an overall assessment of all three tasks) worth 40 %. The rater gives the analytic mark (60 %), in which each task is worth the same (20 %), across four categories:
- Fluency.
- Accuracy.
- Range.
- Task completion, with its own descriptors for each task: mediation in Task 1, interview in Task 2 and interaction in Task 3.
Each category is scored from 0 to 3, and band 2 corresponds to C2 level. To pass you need at least 60 % in each of the three tests of the exam: 20 out of 33.34 points in the speaking test. A weak speaking test can't be made up for by the other two, and passed tests aren't carried over to another session.
Nobody expects zero mistakes: what's expected is that when something goes wrong, you can rephrase and carry on without your speech falling apart.
How can you get the most out of the sample?
- Read it calmly, without a timer. Get familiar with the instructions and the materials.
- Do a full timed practice run. 30 minutes of preparation for Task 1 and then all three tasks back to back, recording yourself. Don't prepare Task 3: give yourself one minute to read and start.
- Listen back. Note where your speech breaks down, which mistakes keep coming up and which parts sound memorised.
- Repeat it a week later, with another topic or changing something. You'll notice the improvement on the second take.
In the preparation room, always use the same outline on a single sheet: a space for the introduction, one for each point in the instructions, one for the conclusion and a corner with discourse markers and an idiom or two. Keywords, not paragraphs: if you write out a text, you'll lose your place when you look up.
What are the most common mistakes in the DELE C2 speaking test?
- Summarising the texts one after another instead of mediating: you need to combine, cross-reference and prioritise the information to answer the points.
- Forgetting the charts or one of the points in the Task 1 instructions.
- Speaking in a neutral register. At C2, precise vocabulary, varied connectors and well-used idioms are expected.
- Repeating in Task 2 what you already said in the monologue instead of bringing new arguments and examples.
- Changing your mind without explaining why when the interviewer disagrees with you.
- Discussing the Task 3 headlines separately without comparing them or working towards an agreement.
- Memorising whole speeches. As soon as you're taken off script, it shows.
- Apologising every time you hesitate. Rephrase and carry on.
- Confusing mediating with translating. Mediating means reshaping the content for the person you're talking to, in your own voice and with your own organisation.
Frequently asked questions about the DELE C2 speaking test
How long is the DELE C2 speaking test?
20 minutes in the exam room, plus 30 minutes of preparation beforehand. Each task lasts 5 to 6 minutes.
How many tasks are there?
Three: a presentation based on several texts and charts (mediation), an interview on that topic and a negotiation based on two headlines.
What mark do I need to pass the speaking test?
At least 20 out of 33.34 points (60 %). You also need to reach 60 % in the other two tests of the exam. The final result is Apto (pass) or No apto (fail).
What changed in 2024?
The name of the test changed (it now includes mediation), as did the marking scales (with a different task completion category for each task) and some details of the format: Task 1 now lasts 5 to 6 minutes, not 6 to 8 as before, and Task 3 now uses two headlines and a negotiation to choose one, instead of discussing a series of headlines.
Can I take notes during the preparation time?
Yes, on a separate sheet, and you can take your outline into the exam room. In the room you're given the materials again. Bring notes, not a full text: if you read it out, it shows and you lose naturalness.
Do I need to know a lot about the topic?
No. It's a language exam, not a general knowledge test: the Task 1 materials give you enough. In Task 2 you can admit that something is outside your knowledge and still give a well-built answer.
In short
- DELE C2 Prueba 3: 20 minutes, 30 of preparation and three 5-6 minute tasks, with two examiners.
- Task 1: mediation monologue with two or three texts and one or two charts; every point, organised by ideas, in your own words.
- Task 2: interview on the same topic; give opinions, arguments and examples.
- Task 3: two headlines; you agree on which to choose for a purpose and then discuss its topic.
- Marking: 40 % holistic and 60 % analytic; you need 60 % in each of the three tests.
Download the free DELE C2 speaking test sample PDF: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/oralc2
If you're preparing for the DELE C2, my online course includes strategies for every part of the exam, examples with comments, a community, a chat for your questions and group calls: https://c2.aporeldele.com/. If you're torn between C1 and C2, take the level test first. And to get free resources and reminders before every exam session, sign up for the newsletter.
¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸
