DELE passing score: how each level is marked
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A DELE result is Apto (pass) or No apto (fail). From A1 to C1 you pass by scoring at least 30 of 50 points in each of two groups of tests. At C2 you need at least 20 points in each of the three tests. The certificate of grades can also read No presentado, which is given automatically to anyone who does not attend, or No calificado (not graded).
A1 to B2 have two groups of 50 points
Each of the four tests is worth 25 points, for 100 in all. Group 1 is reading and writing. Group 2 is listening and speaking. You need at least 30.00 points in each group, and you must pass both groups in the same sitting. You must sit every test. The only exemption is for candidates with total hearing loss, who can be excused from listening or speaking.
C1 groups test 1 with test 3 and test 2 with test 4
C1 has four tests of 25 points, and the pass rules are the same as at A1 to B2. Group 1 is test 1 (reading and use of language) and test 3 (writing, including mediation of a spoken text). Group 2 is test 2 (listening and use of language) and test 4 (speaking).
C2 needs 20 points in every test
C2 has three tests and no groups. Test 1 (reading, listening and use of language) and test 2 (writing) are worth 33.33 points each, and test 3 (speaking) is worth 33.34. You need at least 20 points (60 percent) in each test, all in the same sitting.
How reading and listening are marked
Reading and listening are marked automatically. A correct answer scores 1 point. A wrong answer scores 0, so there is no penalty for guessing. From A1 to C1, the number of correct answers is multiplied by 25 and divided by the number of items in the test.
The A1 reading test has 25 items, so 20 correct answers give 20 points. B1 reading has 30 items, and 20 correct answers give 16.67. C1 test 1 has 40 items, and 20 correct answers give 12.50 of 25.
How writing and speaking are rated
Trained, accredited examiners rate writing and speaking on scales from 0 to 3 for each category. A 2 matches the CEFR description of the level you are sitting, a 3 comfortably exceeds it and a 1 does not reach it. In writing, 0 means a blank, off-task, irrelevant or illegible answer.
A1 writing gets one holistic mark (a single overall mark) per task from each of two independent graders. A2 uses one scale with two categories (use of language and task fulfilment), and two independent graders mark both tasks. B1 and B2 give each task a holistic mark worth 40% and an analytic mark (scored category by category) worth 60%. C1 and C2 use one analytic scale, applied by two independent graders, on which coherence, range and accuracy count 22% each and task fulfilment counts 34%.
In A1 and A2 speaking, the interviewer’s marks for the whole test count 40%, and a second examiner’s marks for each task count 60%. From B1 to C2, a holistic mark counts 40% and analytic marks count 60%. At C1 and C2, the interviewer gives the holistic mark and the second examiner gives the analytic marks. The speaking test may be recorded on audio for quality control.
These weighted marks give a raw score out of 3. From A1 to C1 the raw score is converted to points out of 25, so 2 out of 3 gives 16.67. At C2 it is converted to points out of 33.33 for writing and 33.34 for speaking, so 2 out of 3 in writing gives 22.22.
A high total cannot rescue a weak group
Points never move between groups, and a total of 60 or more is not enough on its own. The table shows a hypothetical B1 result. B1 reading and listening have 30 items each.
| Test | Raw score | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Reading (group 1) | 27 of 30 correct | 22.50 |
| Writing (group 1) | 2 of 3 | 16.67 |
| Listening (group 2) | 24 of 30 correct | 20.00 |
| Speaking (group 2) | 1 of 3 | 8.33 |
Group 1 totals 39.17 and passes with 9.17 points to spare. Group 2 totals 28.33, which is 1.67 points short of 30. The overall total is 67.50, and the result is No apto.
After a fail you retake the whole exam
Partial results are not saved for another session, and there is no resit of a single test or group. You register again, pay the fee again and sit every test, including any you passed.
DELE results covers when results are published, the certificate and the diploma, and how to ask for a review.