DELE B2 explained: the papers and timing, how it is marked, fees and session dates, who needs it, and the vocabulary and phrases to learn for it.
| Paper | Time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Comprensión de lectura | 70 min | Four tasks, 36 items: a long text, short texts to match, sentences to put back, a gapped text. |
| Comprensión auditiva | 40 min | Five tasks, 30 items: conversations, an interview, speakers to match, a long talk. |
| Expresión e interacción escritas | 80 min | A letter or e-mail written from notes on an audio (150–180 words), then an opinion article on a graph or a blog article or review (150–180). |
| Expresión e interacción orales | 20 min | After 20 minutes of preparation: evaluate proposals to solve a problem, describe a situation from a photo, comment on survey data. |
Each paper, the kit sections that prepare you for it, and why.
| Paper | Kit sections | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Comprensión de lectura | Reading texts are written around the exam topics: the topic words and the connectors let you follow the argument and find the answers faster. | |
| Comprensión auditiva | Recordings use the same topic words and everyday spoken phrases; knowing them by ear, with the audio, is what makes listening easier. | |
| Expresión e interacción escritas | The writing tasks reward ready phrases for each text type, linking words, natural word combinations and accurate grammar. | |
| Expresión e interacción orales | Speaking goes more smoothly with phrases for giving opinions, agreeing, disagreeing and planning, and with linking words to structure what you say. | |
| All papers | Instructions, paper names and the words around registration and the exam itself, so nothing on the day is new. |
Two groups (reading + writing, listening + speaking): at least 30 of 50 in each and 60 of 100 overall. Fewer than 100 words in a writing task scores zero.
€204 in Spain in 2026; other countries set their own fee (for example €235 in Germany, 685 zł in Poland, CHF 358 in Switzerland).
B2 runs in several sessions a year (in 2026: May, October and November). Registration closes about six to seven weeks before each session.
examenes.cervantes.es → DELE → Centros de examen
Official information ↗
Facts last checked on 2026-09-30. Rules and fees change: confirm with the official page before you register.
DELE B2 is the level many Spanish universities, Erasmus programmes and employers ask for. Spanish nationality needs only A2 (DELE A2 plus the CCSE).
Commonly quoted estimates are about 500–600 hours of guided learning to reach B2 from scratch. If you are already one level below, expect a few months of regular study. The Spanish DELE B2 Exam Kit has 3,790 cards: at 20 new cards a day, about 16 minutes with reviews, you see every card in about 28 weeks. Enter your exam date on the kit page for your own daily number.
No. DELE diplomas are valid indefinitely. Some universities or employers still ask for a recent certificate, so check their requirements.
No. The result is given for the exam as a whole, so a resit means taking every paper again.
The Instituto Cervantes publishes results online, usually about two to three months after the exam. The diploma is issued afterwards and reaches you later.
Vocabulary for the exam topics, writing and speaking phrases, connectors, collocations, grammar in context and the words around exam day: 3,790 cards in 18 decks. The table above shows which part helps with which paper. It is our own list, not an official one, and it does not replace model tests.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Instituto Cervantes.