Understand the main ideas of complex texts and talk with native speakers with some fluency and spontaneity.
Reading and writing make up group 1; listening and speaking make up group 2.
Comprensión de lectura
Read a text and answer six questions with three options each.
Read four texts and decide which one each of ten statements refers to.
Put six of eight removed fragments back into a text.
Fill fourteen gaps in a text, choosing one of three options for each.
Comprensión auditiva
Listen to six short conversations and answer one question with three options about each.
Listen to a conversation and decide which speaker, if either, expresses each of six ideas.
Listen to an interview and answer six questions with three options each.
Listen to six people and match each one to one of nine statements.
Listen to a talk or lecture and answer six questions with three options each.
Expresión e interacción escritas
Listen to a recording and write a letter or email of 150 to 180 words based on it.
Choose one of two options and write 150 to 180 words, such as an article commenting on data or a review.
Expresión e interacción orales
Present and assess proposals on a topic, then discuss them with the examiner, for 6 to 7 minutes.
Describe the situation in a photo and talk about related experiences for 5 to 6 minutes.
Comment on survey results and give your opinion for 3 to 4 minutes.
Each test is marked out of 25. You need at least 30 of the 50 points in each group, in the same sitting, and a strong group cannot make up for a weak one. The result is APTO or NO APTO, and the diploma never expires.
| Reading | 18 of 25 |
|---|---|
| Listening | 16 of 25 |
| Writing | 13 of 25 |
| Speaking | 15 of 25 |
APTO
| Reading | 22 of 25 |
|---|---|
| Listening | 25 of 25 |
| Writing | 7 of 25 |
| Speaking | 20 of 25 |
NO APTO
Registration is done with the Instituto Cervantes, where you choose an exam centre and see its fee.
| Exam day | Levels | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Closed on 30 September 2026 | |
| Opens 18 November 2026, closes 10 February 2027 | |
| Opens 18 November 2026, closes 7 April 2027 | |
| Opens 18 November 2026, closes 12 May 2027 | |
| Opens 18 November 2026, closes 1 September 2027 | |
| Opens 18 November 2026, closes 29 September 2027 |
B2 is the level many universities and employers ask for when study or work takes place in Spanish. It shows that you can follow complex texts on general and professional topics and take part in a discussion with some fluency.
Reading. Seventy minutes for 36 questions. Task 4 has fourteen grammar and vocabulary gaps and is the most frequent place to lose points: drill verb government (depender de, consistir en), subjunctive triggers and connectors. In task 2, four texts and ten statements, mark the sentence in the text that supports each answer.
Listening. Five tasks, 30 questions. Task 2 asks which speaker expresses each idea; ideas are paraphrased, so listen for meaning rather than repeated words. Task 5 is a talk or lecture with six questions.
Writing. Eighty minutes for two texts of 150 to 180 words. Task 1 starts from a recording: take notes while it plays, because the letter must use what you heard. Task 2 is chosen from two options, such as an article commenting on data or a review.
Speaking. Twenty minutes to prepare tasks 1 and 2. In task 1 you assess proposals on a problem and then defend your view with the examiner. Task 2 starts from a photo of a situation; task 3 asks you to comment on survey results. Practise agreeing, disagreeing and conceding (es cierto que…, pero…).