If you have a high and fluent level of Spanish but you are hesitant and don't know which of the two exams to take, we will analyze their main characteristics and which one you should choose.

Surely after this comparison you will have a clearer idea to make the decision.

Level C of the DELE exam is the highest and has two sub-levels, C1, also known as “Effective Operating Level”, which is closer to Level B2 although more complex, and Level C2, even higher and also called “Mastery Level”.

Both levels require a great deal of effort, since they are highly complex and you must decide which one is right for you according to your needs and your times, characteristics that we will analyze below:

Focus

The DELE C1 is much more communicative and practical than the DELE C2, which is focused on improving the language, not only in a formal or informal context, but also in a professional context.

Recipients

Although with effort and preparation very well all people with a fluent level of Spanish can sign up for DELE C1 or C2, in general, C2 is usually presented by journalists, diplomats, Spanish teachers, translators and philologists who are not natives, that is, perfectionists who correct the errors of natives.

At level C1, meanwhile, people usually present themselves with a fairly fluent level of Spanish, with a very deep command of the language and a very high grammatical correction.

The vocabulary, the key

The main difference isn't in the grammar. For any Level C exam, you must have impeccable grammar. However, the biggest difference is in what we examiners call “Scope”, that is, vocabulary.

When you take a Level C2 exam, you must be very clear about any semantic nuance that may be presented to you and also the varieties of Spanish that exist and not mix them up, but at the same time you require a certain literary sensitivity, because in Level C2, more philosophical or literary texts appear.

Really very few Spanish natives could have an Apt at the C2 level of the DELE. It is an exam for which you must prepare really well, very calmly and with the objective of presenting yourself once you are used to any accent and intonation, and to capture ironies, very deep nuances of meaning and especially when you need it in a professional environment.

Is the DELE C1 suitable for the professional field?

Although the DELE C2 exam is more focused on the professional segment, of course if you apply to Level C1 you can also use it in that area, since this proves that you have a fairly fluent level of Spanish and can handle yourself in specific and advanced professional situations.

Little information about C2

There is less online information available and books published on Level C2, mainly because it is an exam with very little demand.

Normally there are fewer calls for DELE C2 and even many academies do not prepare anyone for this level because they really need very deep knowledge of philology, a high capacity for analysis and a good understanding of how to comment on a text for specific and even literary purposes.

STRUCTURE AND TIMES

All DELE exams have 4 tests, but the DELE C2 is the only one with only 3, since in this case the skills have been integrated and different skills have been combined in the same test.

In addition, time is a very important factor. And in general terms, which we will expand below, for the DELE C2 exam it will be necessary to “run” much more than in the C2 exam, which can be done in a more relaxed way.

Test 1

For DELE C1 Test 1, called “Reading Comprehension and Language Use”, which is performed together with the next one, “Listening Comprehension” and which includes 5 tasks, you will have 90 minutes. In this case, it covers literary texts, papers, scientific and opinion articles, among others.

Meanwhile, Test 1 of the DELE C2 integrates “Reading Comprehension”, with 3 tasks, and “Listening Comprehension”, with 3 other tasks.

In the first, in addition to the types of texts mentioned above in level C1, you can find theses, bibliographic sheets, popular scientific or educational articles, travel books or specific blogs and more literary texts. You will have 60 minutes to perform all 3 tasks.

The DELE C2 “Listening Comprehension” test includes longer audios than level C1 on debates, conferences, news broadcast on radio or television, speeches, political presentations, interviews and professional meetings, with 3 tasks to be performed in 45 minutes.

Test 2

In Test 2 of the DELE C1, “Listening Comprehension”, you will have 50 minutes to do it. It consists of 4 tasks that include audios about informal conversations, speeches, conferences, radio and television commercials, although with more well-known topics than at level C2, where you will find more surprising topics with less practical conversations.

In Test 2 of the DELE C2, meanwhile, you will have 150 minutes (there will be a break between this and the previous test) to do 3 tasks of “Listening Comprehension”, “Reading Comprehension” and “Written Expression”. In all of them, we must write a text based on a sound or visual stimulus (graphics, statistics or photographs). We will find this same content in a similar way in the third test of C1, with the exception of Task 2.

For Task 2 of DELE C2 you will receive a text, such as drafts or transcripts, that will have grammatical, lexical, punctuation and coherence errors. You must correct and rewrite the text correctly and taking into account a good style.

Test 3

DELE C1 Test 3 includes 2 tasks of “Listening Comprehension”, “Reading Comprehension” and “Written Expression”, and you will have 80 minutes to perform them. In the first you will hear an audio and then you must write a text, while in the second you will receive a written or graphic stimulus, and you must write a text that answers or integrates it.

Oral tests

In the DELE C1 Oral Test you will have 20 minutes to prepare the first 2 tasks and another 20 minutes in which you will be with the interviewer taking the exam. In the DELE C2 Oral Test you will have 30 minutes to prepare for the first task and you will be in the examination room for another 20 minutes.

For both exams you can prepare for Task 1, because you will receive a text in DELEC1 and two texts plus a graphic stimulus in DELE C2, to think of a monologue that you must give to the interviewer.

Then, Task 2 of both exams consists of answering questions that expand on the topic covered in the previous assignment.

Finally, Task 3 of DELE C1 consists of a negotiation based on a stimulus that is usually photographic. In this step, you will receive photographs and you must talk to the interviewer to agree, for example, on what is the best image.

On the other hand, in Task 3 of DELE C2 you will receive some written stimuli on the same topic, such as newspaper headlines, on the basis of which you must hold a dialogue with the interviewer.

My final recommendation:

To clarify your doubts, I recommend that you take a look at both exams, the GIVE IT C1And the GIVE IT C2. Try doing them to see which one you feel most comfortable with.

Given the complexity of both exams, there are two possible paths: if you need the degree quickly, I suggest that you prepare for Level C1. But if you think that the DELE C2 exam will serve you more in your professional field, then I do recommend that you go for this exam and practice a lot before taking the exam.

If you are thinking about taking the DELE C1 or C2 exam and you need a push to prepare well and have all the tools to pass it, contact me and I will help you obtain the Apt: (https://aporeldele.com/cursos) Cheer up and go for the DELE!