What is SIELE?
The exam (International Service for the Evaluation of the Spanish Language) is a certificate that accredits the degree of proficiency in the Spanish language. Said certificate is issued once the candidate has taken the corresponding official exam.
Many Spanish universities require their students to be in possession of an official Spanish certificate to access or obtain undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Depending on the university, the required level is different, with the most requested levels being B1 and B2.
If you need to prove your level of Spanish in a short term, this is the best option for you.
The SIELE exam is the best option to prove your level of Spanish in a short space of time.
Academia Puerta Real is an authorized center for registration and examination.
These are the score levels of the SIELE tests according to their correlation with the levels of the CEFR. Click “here” to download it.
Aimed at professionals and students from the five continents, SIELE is recognized by leading international organizations in education and languages.
SIELE is promoted by the Cervantes Institute, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the University of Salamanca and the University of Buenos Aires. This guarantees quality standards and good practices in the preparation of the tests. And also the use of different linguistic varieties of the Hispanic world.
SIELE exam tests
The SIELE exam consists of four tests, which correspond to the four skills of the Spanish language:
- Reading Comprehension (CL)
- Listening comprehension (CA)
- Written Expression and Interaction (EIE)
- Oral expression and interaction (OIE)
The qualifications of each test have as reference the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) of the Council of Europe.
What is the difference between SIELE and DELE?
In order to help you choose which of the two options best suits your needs, we show you a comparative table with the differences between the two, as well as their advantages and disadvantages:
| DELE | SIELE | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Spanish proficiency diploma at CEFR level (A1-C2) | Certificate of knowledge of Spanish on a point scale with equivalences to levels A1-C1 of the CEFR |
| Ownership | Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Spain. The Instituto Cervantes has held the academic, economic and administrative direction since 2002 | Cervantes Institute, UniversityNational Autonomous of Mexico, University of Salamanca, University of Buenos Aires |
| Managed from | 1989 | 2016 |
| Origin | Spain | Spain, Mexico and Argentina |
| Validity | Indefinite | Five years |
| International recognition | international recognition inregulated educational systems (for example, Brazil, France, Italy), institutions, companies, universities... In Spain: Spanish nationality, MIR, FIR, etc. | International recognition of SIELE higher education institutions |
| Head of administrative managementand commercial | Cervantes Institute | Technological and marketing company awarded: Telefónica Educación Digital |
| Recipients | ELE and L2, schoolchildren, youth and adults | ELE, L2 and L1, young people and adults |
| Method of administration | In exam centers, on paper, through international calls | In exam centers, on the computer,and through an appointment system. Progressively some tests will have an adaptive character (CL and CA). |
| Network of centers ofexam | More than a thousand exam centers in more than a hundred countries on five continents | The network currently has about a thousand examination centers around the world. The incorporation of new centers is continuous, so it is advisable to visit the portalsiele.org |
| Integration of varietiesfrom Spanish | Yes, especially from B1 | Yes, compulsorily, throughout the exam from its conception |
| No. of exams andlevels | Six exams for adult audiences: A1 - C2. Two school exams: A1-A2/B1 | An exam for an adult audience that includes tasks from A1 to C1 |
| Tests of the exam | Reading comprehension. Auditive comprehension. Written expression and interaction. Oral expression and interaction. | Reading comprehension. Auditive comprehension. Written expression and interaction. Oral expression and interaction. |
| Information about the result | Pass or fail on the mastery of the level of which the candidate is examined | Result of knowledge of Spanish expressed on a thousand-point scale with equivalence to CEFR levels |
| Type of certificate that is issued | Electronic qualification certification with official validity Official diploma for suitable candidates | Certificate (complete exam) or Report (only some test/s) of results, depending on the contracted modality |
| Communication ofresults | about two months | maximum three weeks |
What are the SIELE exams like?
GLOBAL SIELE
It is the most complete to certify your level of Spanish, it is a single exam, it consists of four tests with a fixed order (CL,CA,EIE,EIO) and lasts 3 hours with a 15-minute break.
This certificate includes:
- The score obtained in each of the tests, with a maximum score of 250 points in each of them and its equivalence with the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (MERC)
- The overall score of the complete exam with a score from 0 to 1000, this being the sum of the four tests.
| Reading comprehension | listening comprehension | Written expression and interaction | Oral expression and interaction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of tasks and questions | 5 tasks with a total of 38 questions | 6 tasks with a total of 38 questions | 2 tasks | 5 tasks |
| Type of questions | Questions formulated with texts that must be answered by selecting the correct options | Questions voiced and answered by selecting the correct options | Questions formulated through texts and answered in writing | Questions formulated through text and locution, and answered orally through a recording system |
| Duration | 60 minutes | 55 minutes | 50 minutes | 15 minutes |
| rating type | automatic | automatic | Manual by SIELE linguistic experts | Manual by SIELE linguistic experts |
| Maximum score | 250 points | 250 points | 250 points | 250 points |
| Results | In relation In relation to CEFR levels | In relation to CEFR levels | In relation to CEFR levels | In relation to CEFR levels |
Independent exams
In addition to the SIELE Global, there are four other exam modalities that combine the different specific tests.
How to prepare SIELE?
The SIELE exam can be prepared independently or through official online courses, where the exam system and the different tests that comprise it are disclosed.
You can then consult the contents to prepare for the SIELE exam at the following links:
If you need more information, access the following link: www.siele.org
SIELE exam dates
Whenever there is availability, our students will be able to choose the date on which they want to take their SIELE exam, for this, we only need to notify us three days in advance.
Price of SIELE exams
Our long-term courses include the SIELE GLOBAL exam fee at the end of them, so we recommend that you find out in the sections What is included? and What is not included? thereof.
The price of the SIELE exam does not vary depending on the level at which you take the exam, since you will obtain a certificate or a report of the level you have obtained.
Global SIELE: €155
ONLINE preparation course €50
Independent modalities:
- S1 exam: €55. Online preparation course: €35
- S2 exam: €75. Online preparation course: €35
- S3 exam: €100. Online preparation course: €35
- S4 exam: €75. Online preparation course: €35
- S5 exam: €100. Online preparation course: €35
Inscription
You can register in person or electronically:
- In person: you must bring your valid identity document, choose the type of exam and pay for it in cash, by credit/debit card or by bank transfer.
- Telematically: in this case, prior attention by phone (958 26 11 59 – 615 83 43 65) or email (info@academiapuertareal.es), you will have to send us your valid identity document, as well as the selected exam and supporting document payment by transfer to our account number.
These are our Spanish teachers
At Academia Puerta Real we have a team of professional native teachers who are passionate about teaching. They have many years of experience helping our students to improve their Spanish.
