DELE A2 and CCSE: the two exams for Spanish nationality
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What nobody tells you when you start the process
You've been living in Spain for years. You've got your residency, your job, your life here. And then you find out that applying for citizenship isn't just about paperwork — you also have to pass two exams.
That throws a lot of people off. Nobody gives you a heads-up. And the worst part is, if you don't prepare well or don't sign up in time, you can delay your application by months.
In this article we'll walk you through everything you need to know about the DELE A2 and the CCSE: what they are, how they work, what they cost, and how to pass them.
What are the DELE A2 and the CCSE?
These are two different tests, run by the Instituto Cervantes, that measure two different things:
- DELE A2: proves you have a basic level of Spanish good enough to communicate in everyday situations.
- CCSE: checks that you know the Spanish Constitution, the country's institutions, and Spanish culture and society.
Both are mandatory if you're applying for citizenship by residency. You can't submit your application if you're missing either one.
If you're a national by origin of a country where Spanish is an official language (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, or Venezuela) — what counts is your nationality of origin, not your native language — you're exempt from the DELE A2. No nationality exempts you from the CCSE. But “everyone” is not accurate either: art. 10.6 of Order JUS/1625/2016 exempts under-18s and people whose legal capacity has been judicially modified from both exams, and the waiver in art. 10.5 — see below — also covers both.
The most expensive mistake: signing up late (or not at all)
The most common trap is this: people wait until they have all their citizenship documents ready, and only then remember the exams.
Big mistake. DELE A2 spots fill up weeks before the exam date. If you miss the May session, the next one isn't until October. That's a 5-month delay on your file.
What you should do instead: sign up for the exams while you're preparing the rest of your paperwork, not after.
The CCSE exam: format and scoring
25 multiple-choice questions. 45 minutes. To pass you need to get 15 out of 25 right (60%).
Questions are either multiple choice (one correct answer out of three) or true/false. They're split into five topic areas:
- Government, legislation, and civic participation
- Fundamental rights and duties
- Spain's territorial organization
- Spanish culture and history
- Spanish society
Cost: €85. That fee covers two attempts — if you fail the first time, you get a second shot without paying again.
The CCSE is offered almost every month (except August and December), in the afternoon.
The DELE A2 exam: format and scoring
More involved than the CCSE. It has four parts grouped into two sessions:
| Section | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Reading comprehension | 60 min | Short texts, everyday vocabulary |
| Written expression and interaction | 50 min | Writing simple texts |
| Listening comprehension | 35 min | Audio clips played twice |
| Oral expression and interaction | 12 min | Conversation with the examiner |
The written and listening sections happen on the same day. The oral section is held on a different date (before or after), assigned by the exam center.
Cost in Spain: €138 in 2026. That's up from 2025 (€134). Keep that in mind if you're on a tight budget.
2026 exam dates
| Exam | 2026 sessions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| CCSE | Monthly (Jan–Nov, no August) | Last Thursday of each month |
| DELE A2 | Feb 13 / Apr 17 / May 23 / Oct 17 / Nov 13 | 5 sessions a year |
For the May DELE A2, registration closes on April 8. For October, it's September 2. For November, September 30.
Sign up at examenes.cervantes.es. First you'll need to create a user account. Don't lose your password — that's the account you'll use to download your certificates once you pass.
Do these diplomas expire?
No. The DELE diploma you earn never expires — you can use it whenever you're ready to apply for citizenship, even years down the line.
The CCSE certificate does expire, and this catches a lot of people out: art. 10.4 of Order JUS/1625/2016 states that “the CCSE certificate of having passed this test shall be valid for 4 years from the date of the certificate”. If you passed more than four years ago and have not yet filed your application, you will have to sit it again. The DELE, on the other hand, does not expire.
How to prepare: free, official resources
Here's something nobody tells you: all the prep material is free on the Instituto Cervantes website. You don't need to pay for expensive courses if you organize yourself well.
For the CCSE:
- Download the CCSE 2026 Manual (the official PDF with all the questions that can come up) at examenes.cervantes.es/es/ccse/preparar-prueba
- Install the official Instituto Cervantes app (free, on the App Store and Google Play). Make sure it's updated to the 2026 version — the questions change every year, and in 2026, 25% of the question bank was refreshed.
- Practice with 25-question mock exams. Put in 20 minutes a day for 3–4 weeks and most people pass on the first try.
For the DELE A2:
- Download official practice exams from the Instituto Cervantes website.
- Pay special attention to listening comprehension — it's where most candidates struggle. Practice with the official audio clips and listen to Spanish radio or podcasts.
- On the writing section, always stick to the word count given in the prompt. If they ask for 60–80 words and you write 40, you lose points automatically.
What's it going to cost you in total?
- CCSE: €85 (includes 2 attempts)
- DELE A2: €138 (one attempt; if you fail, you pay again)
- Minimum total: €223
Exam fees are set by the Instituto Cervantes and paid through its shop; check them before you register, as they change without notice. Last checked on 4 September 2026.
On top of that, there's the citizenship application fee: €104.05 (official 2026 figures). Don't mix these up — the exams are paid to the Instituto Cervantes, while the citizenship fee goes to the Ministry of Justice.
Who's exempt from each exam
| Profile | Exempt from DELE A2? | Exempt from CCSE? |
|---|---|---|
| Native Spanish speaker (Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, etc.) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Under 18 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Academic degree in Spanish (mid or higher level) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Already holds a DELE A2 diploma or higher | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| EOI certificate level A2, B1, or B2 | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
If you're not sure whether you're exempt, check directly with the Ministry of Justice before signing up. That way you avoid paying for exams you don't actually need.
Do you have difficulty reading or writing, or learning difficulties? You can request a waiver of the exams from the Ministry of Justice (not from the Instituto Cervantes). Art. 10.5 of Order JUS/1625/2016 says it will decide “with reasons given”, and that the decision may waive both exams, refuse the waiver, or authorise adapted exams.
And there is a third route almost nobody mentions: anyone who was schooled in Spain and passed secondary education (ESO) can file the citizenship application directly, attaching the paperwork, without requesting a waiver.
Watch the order — this is where files get lost: the waiver is requested first, and “no application for Spanish citizenship by residence may be started until the waiver request has been decided, expressly or by silence”. If you file both at the same time, the citizenship application is shelved. The waiver must be decided within 6 months; if that passes with no answer, it counts as refused. The ESO route is the exception and does not need this step.
Your next step
Do this tomorrow:
- Go to examenes.cervantes.es and create your user account if you don't already have one.
- Download the CCSE 2026 Manual PDF and install the official app on your phone.
- Pick a CCSE exam date for the next available month and a DELE A2 date (if you need it), and sign up today. Don't wait — spots fill up fast.
Once your exams are booked, you've got a real date to prepare for. That changes everything.