The SIELE Exam Is the Fastest Way to Prove Your Spanish Proficiency
Do you want to prove your Spanish proficiency level in a quick and easy way?
The SIELE Exam is an online Spanish examination aimed at students and professionals to help prove their degree of Spanish proficiency through its online registration, flexible exam process and fast results. SIELE enhances candidates’ profiles internationally and helps them gain admission to training programs, universities, and selection processes within companies.
- What Is SIELE?
- Spanish Certificates: SIELE vs. DELE
- What Is SIELE?
- Why Should You Take the SIELE Exam?
- How Can You Register for the SIELE Exam?
- How much does the SIELE exam cost in 2023?
- When and where can you take part in the SIELE exam?
- What Can You Expect On the Exam Day?
- When and How Do You Receive the SIELE Results?
- How Can You Prepare for the SIELE Exam?
- SIELE Preparation at FU International Academy Tenerife
- The advantages of our SIELE Exam Preparation Course in a nutshell:
What Is SIELE?
SIELE is the Servico Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española (International Assessment Service for the Spanish Language) and is an electronic means of proving your Spanish language proficiency.
With SIELE, you will be tested on a variety of levels in Spanish, from level A1 to C1, based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The tasks increase in difficulty progressively, so you do not need to apply for a specific level.
Depending on the modality, candidates can download the certificate or results report.
What are the modalities?
1. SIELE Global
2. S1: Reading + Listening comprehension
3. S2: Reading comprehension + Written expression and interaction
4. S3: Listening comprehension + Oral expression and interaction
5. S4: Oral expression and interaction
6. S5: Written expression and interaction + Oral expression and interaction
The SIELE Global exam consists of 4 sections corresponding to the four language communication skills and is the most complete modality to certify your level of Spanish proficiency.
The independent modalities (S1 – S5) are created from five possible modules. Upon completion, you receive a report valid for five years that includes the score obtained in the section(s) taken and its correspondence with the CEFR levels.
Spanish Certificates: SIELE vs. DELE
Today, the DELE exam is the most widely known certification for students of Spanish. This test requires you to choose a level and take four sections.
Alternatively, you can take the SIELE exam on a date of your choice and the results will let you know where you stand on the CEFR, from A1 to C1.
The DELE gives you lifetime certification in Spanish proficiency, while the SIELE certificate is valid for up to 5 years.
Read our complete guide about the DELE Exam here.
What Is SIELE?
SIELE means Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española (in English, International Spanish Language Evaluation Service). It is promoted by the Cervantes Institute, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the University of Salamanca and the University of Buenos Aires.
SIELE guarantees standards of quality and good practices in the development of the tests, and the use of different linguistic varieties of the Hispanic world.
Why Should You Take the SIELE Exam?
These are the benefits of the SIELE Exam:
- Fast and easy – Everything is managed electronically, which guarantees you will receive your results within a maximum of three weeks, which you can download.
- Adaptable – You can choose between the most complete modality of SIELE Global or any of the 5 independent modalities.
- Flexible – You can decide when and in which exam centre you want to take the exam – there are no pre-established dates!
- Uniform – Because it is panhispanic, the exam includes different linguistic varieties of Spanish.
- Good business – Anyone with the verification code can check the authenticity of SIELE certificates.
- Competent training – Universities and schools of business will be able to establish objectives, tools for measurement and control of the progress of learning and training based on SIELE results.
- World Recognition – SIELE is recognized by more than 75 associated organizations and universities in more than 20 countries, including Conference of Rectors of the Spanish Universities (CRUE), the Association of Language Centers in Higher Educations (ACLES), American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the National Directory of Professional Certifications (RNCP).
Why take an independent modality?
Depending on whether you need to prove your Spanish proficiency for professional or academic reasons, it may only be necessary to take just part of the SIELE exam through one of its independent modalities.
Depending on the entity, you may need to certify your Spanish oral communication skills using the independent S4 modality, which can be done in maximum 20 minutes. In this way, you can obtain a report that supports your competence in an affordable and less time-consuming way than if you completed the SIELE Global exam.
Before taking the exam, consult your associated education or business institution to determine which option is best for you.
Accredit your Spanish Level B1/B2 to obtain your degree
A large number of Spanish universities require students to possess an official Spanish certificate to obtain a certification. The required level varies from each university, but the most requested levels are B1 and B2 Spanish proficiency.
The different levels of the SIELE diploma are based on CEFR. Here are the different proficiency levels from A1 to C1.
What does each level prove?
When you obtain proficiency in one of the five CEFR levels, you prove that you …
- Use common day-to-day expressions to communicate basic information.
- Have the ability to ask basic, personal questions.
- Interact in a basic fashion with natives given they talk slowly and clearly.
- Understand and use daily expressions concerning information relevant to your surroundings, including personal information, shopping and locations.
- Can address questions with reference to your immediate needs.
- Understand main ideas when listening or reading texts on topics such as studies, work or daily life, even when they may have slight variations in the language.
- Be able to handle the majority of situations that take place in these familiar contexts.
- Write simple but coherent texts on familiar topics such as experiences, plans, wishes or opinions.
- Understand complex written and spoken texts even when they are abstract or technical while grasping different variations of Spanish.
- Have the ability to interact with all types of Spanish speakers in a fluent and natural way, without hesitation.
- Write clear and detailed texts on several topics and debate your opinions.
- Process a wide variety of written and spoken text in every variation of Spanish, including implicit meanings, attitudes and intentions.
- Express yourself fluently, spontaneously and without apparent effort.
- Always find the adequate expression of every situation and context.
- Write complex texts with a coherent structure and with a flexible and efficient use of Spanish.
How Can You Register for the SIELE Exam?
Registration and payment for the SIELE exam is done online through https://siele.org/en/reservas
The registration process involves 5 steps:
- Select the country and how you would like to take the exam (in a center or remotely). Choose the type of exam you wish to take (SIELE Global or any of the 5 independent modalities).
- Choose the time, place and date of the exam.
- Then if you don’t have an account you’ll be asked to create one by filling in information about you, name and surname, email address, date of birth and city.
- Check all the information and personal details.
- The last step would be to pay for the exam.
Now print your completed registration form with all required information and bring it to the exam center along with your stated identification on the day of your SIELE exam. You will need to show this information to the examiner.
How much does the SIELE exam cost in 2023?
| Exam Type | Price |
|---|---|
| SIELE Global | 155 € |
| S1: Reading & Listening | 55 € |
| S2: Reading & Writing | 75 € |
| S3: Listening & Oral | 100 € |
| S4: Oral | 75 € |
| S5: Writing & Oral | 100 € |
When and where can you take part in the SIELE exam?
You can participate in the SIELE exam in more than 70 countries in over 300 centers around the globe – including here at FU International Academy Tenerife in Puerto de la Cruz! You can select specific dates when searching for centres on siele.org, or by contacting the center directly to set up a time and date.
At FU International Academy Tenerife, we have SIELE Global exam dates published for each month. But if another date suits you better, we flexibly open up spaces for you. Just request an exam space by phone or email by filling out our contact form and selecting SIELE as the subject.
What Can You Expect On the Exam Day?
To get a better understanding of what to expect for your SIELE Examination, click here to access the practice exam. But don’t worry! None of your results will be saved or evaluated on the demo exam, so you can practice as often as you’d like.
On the day of the exam, be sure to go to the examination centre 15 minutes before the time of your exam and bring your official documents as well as your login credentials for siele.org (email and password).
Your evaluation will be done electronically, with a maximum possible score of 250 points per module. You will be informed of the time left to finish the examination. After the time is over, each section is blocked and automatically advanced to the next one.
The basic breakdown of the exam:
Reading Comprehension (60 min.)
This section consists of 5 tasks and has a total of 38 questions about reading and comprehension texts. In this section, you can’t navigate between tasks (except in task 1), so once one is finished, it automatically passes to the next one.
Listening Comprehension (55 min.)
This section consists of 6 tasks and has a total of 38 questions. The audio plays twice automatically. The length of the audio determines the total time for the completion of each task, offering enough time to answer all the question. Once the audio has finished, the task is blocked and automatically goes to the next one, which means you cannot return to a previous task. You can, however, go to the next task without listening to the full audio by clicking the “Siguiente” button.
Written Expression and Interaction (50 min.)
This section consists of 2 tasks and the answers given by the candidate are saved and later evaluated by accredited SIELE qualifiers. Here you have the freedom to move between the two tasks presented.
Oral Expression and Interaction (15-20 min.)
This section consists of 5 tasks with questions formulated by text and speech which are answered orally through a recording system. Before you start, a sound recording test is performed to verify that your equipment is working properly. Your answers to each question are then recorded and later evaluated manually by expert linguists of SIELE.
SIELE Global
When and How Do You Receive the SIELE Results?
In a maximum time period of three weeks, you can download your certificate or SIELE report from “My Page” on siele.org.
When taking SIELE Global, you receive a certificate of international recognition, which includes a score related to the levels of CEFR and a numerical score of 0 to 1000 based on the results of the sum obtained in each sections.
If you do any of the SIELE independent modalities, you receive a report that includes the score obtained in the section(s) carried out and its correspondence with the CEFR levels.
In both cases, you will receive a certificate and report with a brief description of what a user of the corresponding level proficiency is capable of performing in the activity of the corresponding language. To facilitate the verification of these results, a secure verification code is provided and inserted in siele.org, providing the candidate’s exam results.
The SIELE test score levels and their correlation with the CEFR levels are as follows:
How Can You Prepare for the SIELE Exam?
Objective Online Courses by SIELE.org
The SIELE platform itself provides exam preparation courses which include explainer videos, guided activities and a final test that simulates the actual exam. Once you sign up for one of the SIELE exams you have access to the preparation material of siele.org for free!
They offer specific preparation courses for all 6 modalities. This allows you to focus exactly on what is important for you.
If you want to start preparing yourself before paying for the exam, you also have the option to buy single courses. They cost between 25€ and 50€. There is a demo version for free for each SIELE objective online course.
All courses are completely in Spanish including written explanations and videos.
SIELE Sample Exam
As mentioned above, SIELE offers free SIELE practice exams online for each exam module. It shows you exactly how the tests technically work and how the tasks look like. During the sample exam, you see how many tasks and questions there are and how much time is left. Results won’t be saved or evaluated.
It’s a great opportunity to establish a feeling for the computer-based exam!
SIELE Preparation at FU International Academy Tenerife
When there is so much free preparation material online, why should you pay for a SIELE exam preparation course?
The reason is simple: we have highly qualified teachers who can answer all of your questions!
This means you’ll receive professional tutoring while preparing for the exam. You’ll be able to ask questions and receive immediate feedback.
By combining our Intensive 20 course with 5 or 10 individual SIELE exam preparation lessons you will not only prepare for the exam, but also strengthen your current Spanish knowledge.
You will broaden your vocabulary, grammar knowledge, and communication skills during the group lessons of the Intensive 20 sessions course.
As part of the individual lessons, you will learn about the SIELE exam structure, and you will practice to build a strategy that will help you improve your performance. That is why you’ll practice with sample exams.
Together, our teachers and you will work towards a common goal: getting the best results possible!
The advantages of our SIELE Exam Preparation Course in a nutshell:
- You can prepare and take the SIELE exam at our centre.
- You will get a discount of 75€ if you take our combination course and do the exam at our Academy.
- Practice reading, writing, listening and talking in Spanish and receive instant feedback on how you are doing.
- You will be trained by native Spanish speakers who specialize in teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language.
- There are many exam dates available each month. If you let us know 48 hours in advance, we can provide you with a specific date.
So what are you waiting for? It’s never been easier to prove your Spanish proficiency, so sign up today, get your diploma and have the Spanish-speaking world right at your feet!
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