DELE level A oral test

If you have just started to learn Spanish or your level is basic, this post will be of great interest to you. As you know, there is an official Spanish exam, called DELE, which accredits your level of the language and is a guarantee for both your professional and personal future. In this post, I show you what the DELE level A oral test is like.

STRUCTURE OF THE DELE EXAM

This test consists of 4 tests which assess the 4 basic skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing. The structure of the test is as follows:

Test 1: READING COMPREHENSION 

Test 2: HEARING COMPREHENSION 

Test 3: WRITTEN EXPRESSION AND INTERACTION

Test 4: ORAL EXPRESSION AND INTERACTION 

In most cases, the main concern of Spanish students, whatever their level, is the dele oral test. So in this post I will focus on explaining in detail what this test is like.

WHAT THE ORAL TEST IS LIKE

The DELE oral test consists of 3 tasks with a total duration of 10 minutes plus 10 minutes of preparation time.

Task 1: This is a short personal presentation where you will include information about your name, age or nationality. In this task you will be given a sheet of paper with instructions to help you to complete it successfully. This is the shortest task, lasting 1-2 minutes.

Task 2: You will have to provide information about your environment such as your daily life, your friends, places, preferences, studies or work, etc. In this task you will also have a sheet with instructions to follow in the task. It lasts 2-3 minutes.

Task 3: Try to have a conversation with the interviewer about a piece of information that you will be given beforehand. You will be given a sheet with instructions and the interviewer’s questions. This task is the longest with a duration of about 3-4 minutes.

You can prepare all the tasks in the 10 minutes before the DELE oral test.

WHAT YOU WILL BE TESTED FOR IN THE DELE EXAM

There will be 2 examiners in the examination room. One of them will be out of your field of vision and the other is the one who will talk to you and conduct the oral test.

Each of them, the interviewer and the rater, will have different rating scales. 

The 2 examiners will assess 2 aspects:  

1. Use of language, i.e. whether you use structures appropriate to your level, whether your comprehension is good, linguistic repertoire, etc.

2. Task accomplishment, in other words, whether you respond to what is asked of you in each task. 

However, the rater’s rating is more exhaustive, therefore, it will have a weight of 60%. The interviewer’s rating, on the other hand, will have the remaining 40% weight.

Note that the rater does not interact with you and may look more closely at details.

On the contrary, the interviewer is talking to you without taking notes and this means that he/she is only left with an overview of your speech.

Now that you know what the test is like and how it is assessed, I will give you some very useful and important tips.

TIPS FOR THE ORAL EXAM DELE LEVEL A

If you follow the advice I give you, you will find it much easier and more efficient to prepare for the exam and to take it on the day of the exam.

Adjust to the time of the task!

It is true that time is relative and it is OK if your speech lasts 2.5 minutes instead of 2 minutes. If you go too long or too short, it can have a negative impact on your grade.. 

Prepare your task!

You have 10 minutes to prepare for the 3 tasks. Make the most of it and prepare an outline with structures of your level and vocabulary you don’t want to forget. You have to know that it has to be a short outline, you can NOT read what you have prepared, it is just a guide for your speech.

Follow the instructions!

As I explained before, in the 3 tasks you will be given a sheet with instructions for the development of each task. Answer everything that is asked of you as one of the aspects that you will be assessed on is the completion of the task.

Relax!

Oral exams, especially if they are in a language you don’t master, can make you very nervous. If you are well prepared and know the test, these nerves will diminish considerably. And so that everything goes smoothly and you pass the exam, you may ask yourself, with whom do I prepare for the exam? I’ll tell you about it below.

WITH WHOM TO PREPARE FOR THE DELE LEVEL EXAM A

It is very important that you choose the right person to prepare for the exam with. It must always be a certified native Spanish teacher. In addition, she must be an Official Examiner accredited by the Instituto Cervantes.

I say this because it is essential that the trainer has a good knowledge of the structure of the tests in order for your preparation to be effective and successful.

Prepare yourself with me, with Paula Ribas, a 100% online Spanish school with a certified native teacher and official DELE examiner. Your programme will also be 100% personalised and adapted to your objectives. 

Book a free 30-minute trial lesson and let’s get started as soon as possible – let’s try the DELE together!