The importance of an Official Certificate
In today’s world, education and professionalization are a constant challenge and certification of Spanish language skills is an increasingly common need. For this reason, there are two exams endorsed by prestigious institutions such as the Instituto Cervantes, SIELE and DELE.
The SIELE (Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española) can be taken electronically and in an adaptable way, choosing the language skills desired by the candidate. It is also an exam that is held throughout the year and has a fast correction period, as well as being of high quality.
There are four institutions that endorse this exam: the Instituto Cervantes (IC), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the University of Salamanca (USAL) and the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). In addition, any student from the five continents can take the exam.
It is made up of four parts: Reading Comprehension (CL), Listening Comprehension (CA), Written Expression and Interaction (EIE) and Oral Expression and Interaction (EIO), and the reference that assesses them is taken from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Thus, on a scale from 1 to 1000 and with equivalences from A1 to C1, the candidate will be able to obtain a qualification that will be valid for 5 years.
On the other hand, the DELE (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera) is an official qualification that accredits language proficiency, awarded by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.
In the case of the DELE exam, the candidate signs up for the level he/she wishes to be accredited and the results are marked with the options “pass” or “fail”. The levels that can be accredited range from A1 to C2 and its school variables A1 and A2/B1. It is valid indefinitely and the exam is more complex in terms of management, so the results usually take about 3 months.
At Avenida al Español we encourage students to take the SIELE Global exam, as we are an authorised centre for the registration and sitting of this exam. The four language skills will be practised throughout the course, always focusing on the SIELE and DELE exams, in order to certify the level achieved during the course.
We also offer you all the information you need about SIELE and DELE and the differences between them.
Both exams are quality options and are internationally accepted to certify the level and competence of the Spanish language.
Rebeca Ferreiro González,
Head of Studies and Coordination of ELE teaching
