r/dele_exam

First question: Do folks have any recommendations for free (or near free) flash card apps? Since I have a few (well 12) spreadsheets with Spanish -> English words, I would need an app that will allow me to upload a CSV file to create the flashcards.

Second question (the main one): What are some tips that has really helped you incorporate new words into your working vocabulary? I'm currently at a B2 level, and I would like to advance to C1 at some point. Although I would like to take the C1 DELE in Nov 26, I think it might be better to take it in spring 2027. Since I am in the intermediate hump, I feel like I am at a bit of a stalemate with incorporating new terms in that:

• if I do not know a specific word (e.g., greenhouse of harvest), I can still explain the concept of the word to get my point across.
• I use words without appreciating the nuances. Lately, I found that I use obtener (especially while speaking) in way too many situations where something like conseguir, adquirir or alcanzar would be more appropriate. While writing, my vocab is a bit richer but I think that's because I have more time to think (even under timed conditions) about the appropriateness of my selected words.

I do read Spanish-language material like newspapers, magazines and books, but I feel like I'm not doing enough "homework" to really incorporate new words into my working vocabulary. For instance, I'm currently reading Animal Fam (aka Rebelión en la granja) in Spanish. Would it be advisable to take 5 words (at least) from each chapter that I don't know, create some sort of vocab list, and give myself daily drills? But then, this becomes of question of finding a balance between reading for pleasure and turning leisurely reading into a chore.

Hello everyone. I'm from Bosnia and Herzegovina and I'm intending to enroll in one of the courses at the Cervantes Institute. Since I have never attended any of the courses at any school (but I spent more than 4 months in Spain as a kid), the professor from the Cervantes Institute in Belgrade examined my oral competences. She said this is not a usual case, because I don't have any formal confirmation of my competences in Spanish language, but it is notable I spent some time in Spain, that I can tell the stories(with errors in grammar while speaking, which is nothing surprising to me). So, the professor said I need to take more exams in written form, so it can be suggested what would be the best program for me. Is there anyone with a similar experience and if yes what is likely to happen?

For those who have taken the C1 exam recently could you tell us what were the topics in the writing and speaking exams? Trying to prep by reading materials about various subjects but if I could narrow it doesn’t it’s prob better!

TIA

I just finished my A2 exam. I’m really relieved to be done with it to be honest.

I did much better on the speaking than I thought I would. I was really nervous but think I did well.

One thing I am nervous about is I switched the answers in the answer sheet for tarea 2 and 3 for the listening portion. I noticed it going into tarea 4 so I used the 30 seconds you have to read the answers to erase and change all of the answers on the answer sheet. This left me behind when tarea 4 started as well. I’m really glad I caught the mistake and think I still did well but can’t help but think maybe I messed things up a lot because of this.

How is everyone else feeling? Good luck today!!

I’m taking dele b2 in July and I have a few questions before the exam :

1. To what extent does hesitating a little, pausing and stuttering in the speaking part affect my grade ?

2. What should I do if I’m not so familiar with the topics in the open answers parts “ spoken and written” ? Any tips and tricks to speak/write regardless? Or can I admit I’m not that familiar with jt and request to change it(in the speaking part)

3.if it’s not possible, is it acceptable for me to speak/ write a bit less than I expected to do and add phrases just to make it longer?

4.can I pass just doing online free sample exams and reading other people’s reviews and learning from there experiences or do I have to pay buying booklets and booking online teachers to evaluate my work( I’m level b2 and a great speaker and I read fast, but I’m self taught I never ever joined a course or was instructed by someone)

Ik everyone’s experience is different I still want to hear what the majority of you agree on.

I see this all the time, and a lot of people think something is wrong with them.

They can understand quite a lot of Spanish. They follow conversations, videos, even podcasts sometimes. But when it’s their turn to speak… nothing comes out, or it comes out very slowly and with a lot of hesitation.

If that’s you, the issue is usually not your level. It’s how you’ve been practicing because there’s a big difference between recognizing Spanish and producing it.

Most people spend months (or years) doing things like watching videos, reading, memorizing vocabulary or doing grammar exercises. All of that builds passive knowledge. You get better at understanding, but you’re not really training your brain to create sentences in real time. Speaking is a separate skill. And if you don’t practice it directly, it just doesn’t develop.

Another common problem is that people try to speak “perfectly” from the start. So instead of saying something simple like “fui al trabajo y fue difícil”, they try to build a more complex sentence, get stuck halfway, and stop.

So what happens is:
you know more than you can say, and that gap feels frustrating. The way out of this is actually simpler than people think, but it requires a shift: Start small :) Focus on short, simple sentences you can repeat often.

Instead of learning more and more vocabulary, reuse what you already know:
talk about your day, your opinions, basic situations.

And most importantly, practice producing language regularly, not just consuming it. At some point, your brain starts to connect everything, and speaking becomes more automatic. If you’ve ever felt like “I understand Spanish but I can’t speak it”, you’re definitely not alone. I'm a Spanish language expert, but this has happened to me when learning Japanese and then I wanted to talk about it here because I'm curious to hear if others have experienced this, and what helped you get past it.