There are parts of the DELE exam that aren’t complicated, but they are explained in a rather unfriendly way. The terms and conditions are one of them.
They’re there, they’re important, but let’s be honest: hardly anyone reads them willingly. And, on top of that, they’re often written in language that’s hard to understand. That’s why I wanted to gather the most important points here and explain them to you in a much clearer way.
Because, at the end of the day, I get a lot of questions about this. What exactly you’re buying when you sign up for the exam. What happens if you don’t show up. Whether or not you get your money back. Whether you can change your convocatoria (exam session), your exam center or your level. How special arrangements work. When the results come out. What you can do if you don’t agree with your grade.
So let’s go through it calmly and in plain language.
What you’re actually buying when you register for the DELE
When you pay for your DELE inscripción (registration), you’re not buying several attempts or some kind of open ticket to sit the exam whenever you like. What you’re buying is one single convocatoria, at a specific level and at a specific exam center.
In other words, you’re registering to take one specific exam, on one specific date and at one specific level.
That payment includes both the right to take the exam and the issuing of the diploma, but only if you pass. There’s no extra fee to pay for the diploma afterwards. That’s included from the start.
It’s also important to understand something else: if you fail, that registration doesn’t give you the right to sit the exam again later without paying again. Each convocatoria works independently. If you take an exam, don’t pass it and want to try again in the future, you have to register again just like the first time.
And this also means that if you sit the same level twice, each convocatoria counts separately. If you pass one and fail a later one, the earlier pass is still valid. They don’t take a diploma away from you for having failed afterwards.
They won’t give you a higher or lower level
This also causes quite a bit of confusion, so I’d rather say it very clearly.
When you sign up for a level, you’re examined at that level. No more, no less.
If you sit, for example, the DELE B2 and turn in a brilliant exam, they don’t automatically give you a C1. And if you sit a level and your result falls short, they don’t grant you the level below either.
The final result is apto (pass) or no apto (fail) at the level you registered for.
That’s why it’s so important to choose your level carefully before paying.
Check your personal details with a magnifying glass
It may seem trivial, but it isn’t at all.
Before completing your registration, check your first name, your surnames, your date of birth, your email address, the level, the exam center and the convocatoria you’ve selected very carefully.
If there are mistakes, they can often be corrected, yes, but that can delay paperwork and complicate things quite a bit for you later on. So it’s worth taking two extra minutes to double-check everything.
My advice is to enter your details exactly as they appear on your ID card, NIE (the foreigner identity document in Spain) or passport. They should match word for word.
Watch out for the speaking test: it won’t always be on the same day
Here’s another important detail that sometimes gets overlooked.
The official date of the convocatoria corresponds to the written tests, but the speaking test isn’t always held on that exact day. Depending on the center, they may schedule it for that same day, before it or after it.
That’s why you should keep a close eye on the email your exam center sends you, because that’s where they’ll confirm the specific details about your speaking test.
And if you know from the start that you have constraints because of work, because of travel, or because you need to organize a trip and accommodation, I recommend letting the center know as soon as possible. They won’t always be able to accommodate you, but it’s much better to say it early than to find out too late.
If you change your mind, a refund is possible
One of the most frequent questions is this: I’ve registered, but now I don’t want to take the exam — do I get my money back?
In general, yes, but only within 14 calendar days of registering.
If you’re within that period, you can request a refund and they’ll withdraw you from the convocatoria. If you let it slip by, you no longer can.
So my advice here is very simple: if you have serious doubts, don’t put it off thinking you’ll look into it later. Check your registration date and act within the deadline.
Changing convocatoria, level or exam center: yes, but with conditions
This doesn’t work freely or automatically. It can be done in some cases, but it depends on several things.
The first is that your current convocatoria is still open. The second, that the new convocatoria you want to switch to is also still open. And the third, that there are places available.
In other words, you can’t switch once the deadlines have closed or when there’s no room left.
In some cases you can also request a change of exam center, but this doesn’t always apply in the same way and there are limits. For example, you can’t just switch to a center in another country as if it were nothing. Here it’s best to ask directly about your specific case to find out what options you have.
And there’s another important thing about the price. If you switch to a more expensive exam, you’ll have to pay the difference. But if you switch to a cheaper one, they don’t refund you the difference.
I’m not saying this because I think it’s right or wrong. I’m telling you because that’s how it is, and I’d rather you know it than be caught by surprise.
What happens if you don’t show up for the exam
If you don’t show up, you lose that convocatoria.
You can’t save that registration for later or use it on another future date. Nor are passed sections carried over to the next time. If you want to try again, you’ll have to complete a brand-new registration.
This matters because sometimes people think: well, if I don’t go, I’ll just sit the next convocatoria with the same enrollment. And it doesn’t work like that.
That’s why, before registering, try to make as sure as possible that the date works for you.
Special arrangements and special needs: don’t leave it to the last minute
If you need to take the exam with some kind of special arrangement, you have to get this moving well in advance.
Arrangements exist for certain cases, but it’s not something you can improvise a few days beforehand, let alone on exam day itself. You have to inform the center, explain what you need and provide the documentation that justifies your request.
My personal advice here is very clear: if you think you might need an arrangement, talk to the center even before signing up. Write, call or stop by if you can. Ask exactly what documentation they’ll require and what steps you need to follow in your case.
The sooner you get it moving, the better.
When the DELE results come out
The results don’t come out right away. It’s best to accept this from the start so you don’t spend every day glued to your inbox.
They normally take around two months from the written tests. In some high-volume convocatorias, like May or November, the wait can get closer to three months.
They’ll notify you by email and you’ll also be able to check them in your account on the portal if you registered online.
What you receive when the results come out
If you pass, you receive your diploma in digital format.
If you don’t pass, you don’t receive a diploma, but you can access your certificación de calificaciones (the official score certificate).
And here there’s an important point that also raises a lot of questions: in the results you see your scores, but you can’t see your corrected exam or receive personalized comments from the graders. They don’t show you the exam or send you detailed feedback on each task.
I know this is sometimes frustrating, because we’d all like to see in more detail what happened. But that’s not how the system works.
You can request a review of your grade
Yes, there is the possibility of requesting a revisión de calificaciones (an official grade review) if you’re not satisfied with your result.
That said, it’s important to understand what that review is and what it isn’t.
It’s not a personalized explanation of your exam or detailed feedback. It’s an official procedure to verify that everything was handled correctly and, where appropriate, to re-examine the grade according to the established process.
The request has a deadline, so it must be submitted within the indicated period from the publication of the results. And it may also involve a fee.
After that, it takes some time to be resolved. It’s not immediate.
So, if you’re thinking about requesting a review, do it knowing this: it exists, yes, but it requires patience and it doesn’t mean you’ll get access to the exam or to specific comments.
An important scenario worth knowing about
There’s one situation I find especially useful to know about.
Imagine you request a review of a convocatoria because you’re not satisfied with your grade. While you wait for the outcome of that review, you decide to register again for the same exam in a future convocatoria, just in case.
And then they inform you that, after the review, you had in fact passed the earlier convocatoria.
In that case, there is the possibility of requesting a refund of the registration fee for that future convocatoria you no longer need.
I mention it because not many people know this, and it can save you some grief.
The most important idea of all
If I had to sum up this whole article in a single idea, it would be this: when you register for the DELE, you’re making an investment of time, energy and money. And precisely for that reason, it’s worth understanding the exam rules well and preparing for it seriously.
Not to stress you out even more, but to avoid mistakes that can be prevented. Choosing the right level. Checking your details. Finding out about the speaking test. Requesting an arrangement in good time if you need one. Knowing what happens if you change your mind. Knowing how long the results take. Understanding how a review works.
All of that gives you more peace of mind and spares you surprises.
And then, beyond understanding the rules of the game, there’s the other part: preparing well so you arrive at your convocatoria with a real chance of passing.
Because yes, the exam is an investment. And the better you prepare for it, the more sense that investment makes.
I hope this summary has helped you understand much better the part of the DELE that tends to feel the most tedious and confusing.
If you’re preparing for your convocatoria, remember that in my courses and my books I’m by your side so that you understand each task well, practice with structure and arrive at the exam with much more clarity.
Best of luck with your preparation.
