Spanish exam preparation
Spanish exam preparation, from GCSE to DELE C2.
School examinations graded against a UK specification, and Instituto Cervantes qualifications graded against the CEFR. They are different papers with different demands, and we prepare for them differently.
Which route are you on?
DELE or SIELE — a diploma or a score?
Both are official Spanish qualifications and both are recognised, but they behave differently, and the choice usually comes down to the deadline and what the institution asks for.
- DELE
- Diplomas awarded by Spain's Ministry of Education and administered by the Instituto Cervantes. Sat at one fixed level from A1 to C2, pass or fail, valid indefinitely, on fixed examination dates through the year.
- SIELE
- A multilevel electronic test that returns a score and a CEFR placement rather than a pass at one level. Sat on demand at accredited centres and time-limited, which suits candidates who need a result quickly.
- School examinations
- GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level and IB Spanish are graded against a specification and a mark scheme. Native and heritage speakers still need this preparation — the marks are in the technique.
The examinations
Spanish examinations we prepare candidates for.
School and academic Spanish
The school and academic route. Preparation is built around the board and specification the school actually follows, because the assessment objectives differ between them.
- GCSE Spanish
- AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas and others: listening, speaking, reading and writing, with translation in both directions and tier decisions taken deliberately.
- IGCSE Spanish
- Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel specifications, including their own speaking arrangements.
- AS and A-Level Spanish
- Literature and film essays, translation, the independent research project and the speaking examination.
- IB Spanish
- Language B at SL and HL and Language ab initio, including the individual oral.
- Common Entrance and scholarship Spanish
- ISEB syllabus work and individual schools' scholarship papers.
DELE and SIELE
The Instituto Cervantes qualifications, prepared for against their published descriptors and marking criteria.
DELE has fixed examination dates each year and registration deadlines that close well in advance. Plan the preparation around the sitting you can actually register for.
- DELE A1 and A2
- Short papers with a very specific structure — technique matters more than range at this level.
- DELE B1 and B2
- Argued writing, structured oral tasks and reading under time. B2 in particular rewards planning discipline.
- DELE C1 and C2
- Integrated skills tasks, synthesis across sources and long-form production.
- SIELE
- Global or modular versions, prepared for by module and target score band.
Spanish nationality route
The language element of the Spanish nationality process, prepared for as a threshold rather than as general improvement.
Nationality requirements, exemptions and accepted qualifications are set by the Spanish authorities and change. Confirm what your procedure requires before booking preparation.
- DELE A2
- A short paper, but one candidates fail on format rather than on Spanish. Prepared for as an exam technique problem.
- CCSE
- Not a language examination. We can support the Spanish-language reading and comprehension around it; the content itself is set and published by the Instituto Cervantes.
Preparation
What Spanish exam preparation actually involves.
Spanish attracts more heritage and near-native candidates than any other language we prepare, and they are the candidates most often surprised by their mark. The examination does not reward speaking Spanish; it rewards answering the question in the form the criteria describe.
The specialist is matched from our network for that examination and that candidate, with a chemistry call before you commit, a review at week six, and oversight through to the exam date.
- Translation both ways, marked to the specification's criteria
- Literature and film essay structure for A-Level
- Photo cards, role plays and the independent research project
- Register and formality — a frequent quiet loss for heritage speakers
- DELE production tasks against the published descriptors
- SIELE module practice to a target score
Two ways to prepare
Private Spanish preparation, or a small exam cohort.
One candidate, one paper, one date.
A Spanish specialist matched from our network for your examination, a programme written around your actual gaps, and scheduling that fits around school or work.
From £89/hr
See the investmentSpanish exam terms currently scheduled
GCSE Spanish preparation
Ten-week term, Saturdays, online — Autumn 2026 and Winter 2027.
DELE B2 Spanish preparation
Ten-week term, Thursdays, online — Autumn 2026 and Winter 2027.
£950 for a ten-week term
See dates and reserveThe evidence
What Spanish exam candidates and their parents say.
Verified Google reviews from Learn&Co candidates and families who prepared for Spanish examinations with us.
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“My child jumped from a predicted grade 4 to achieve grade 8 in GCSE Spanish under the tutorship of Learn&Co. The tutor was a great match for my child and enthused and motivated them to achieve, employing equal measures of encouragement and…”
Who we prepare
Trusted by families, schools and organisations.
Spanish candidates reach us from two directions: pupils in schools that expect a grade, and professionals whose next step depends on a certificate. Both are prepared by a specialist matched from our network.
Corporate clients
Professionals sitting Spanish and English tests
Employees at these organisations have prepared with us for language tests, official diplomas and the requirements attached to a move abroad.
Partner schools
Pupils preparing for school examinations
Pupils at these schools have prepared with us for Spanish language papers, against the board and specification their school actually follows.
Investment
What Spanish exam preparation costs.
Private preparation is bought as hours, used at the pace the exam date demands. The more hours you commit to, the lower the effective hourly rate — and every plan carries the identical service.
Hours of private exam preparation, delivered online and typically used at one hour a week. All prices include VAT. Face-to-face lessons in London, intensive revision courses and additional hours are quoted individually.
Flexi
4 hours
Month to month
£105/hr£420 in total
Discovery
12 hours
Up to 3 months
£100/hr£1,197 in total
Momentum
24 hours
Up to 6 months
£95/hr£2,268 in total
Mastery
48 hours
Up to 12 months
£89/hr£4,284 in total
Every private plan, whichever you choose, includes
Bespoke programmes — not lesson bundles.
- Exam and board diagnostic
- Specialist matched for that qualification
- Chemistry call before you commit
- Programme dated to the exam
- Marked past-paper practice
- Monthly progress reports
- Week-six review
- Timed mocks in the run-in
£950 for a ten-week term
Per learner, 10 × 90-minute sessions — 15 teaching hours. Including VAT. Maximum six candidates, one exam objective, one level.
Before you book
Spanish exam preparation — your questions, answered.
- My child speaks Spanish at home. Do they still need preparation?
- Usually yes, and often more than parents expect. Heritage speakers lose marks on register, accuracy under time and the specific shape the examination asks for, not on communication. The diagnostic shows exactly where that is happening.
- DELE or SIELE?
- If the institution accepts either, DELE gives a permanent diploma at a fixed level and SIELE gives a faster, time-limited score. If they name one, take the one they name.
- Do you prepare candidates for Latin American Spanish?
- Yes. Examinations are set in standard Spanish, but tutors are matched thoughtfully, and where a candidate has grown up with Latin American Spanish we prepare them for the variety the paper expects without unlearning their own.
- Which boards do you cover at GCSE and A-Level?
- AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas, Cambridge and the IB. The board is confirmed first and the whole programme is written against its specification.
- Is there a group Spanish exam course?
- GCSE and DELE B2 terms are scheduled online. Other levels run when a cohort fills — register interest and we will tell you when one is timetabled.
Ready to work backwards from the exam date?
Schedule a chat with Maria.
Tell us which Spanish examination, which board or level, and when it is sat. You will get an honest view of the gap and which specialist we would match you with.
Maria Toubbe
- 20 minutes
- A conversation, not a sales call.
- With Maria
- Our founder, every time — not a call centre.
- No obligation
- Advice you can use even if you never book.
20 min · video call · free
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