1.3 Scoring System: The 30/50 Group Rules & Pass Criteria
Key Takeaways
Grupo 1 (reading + writing) and Grupo 2 (listening + speaking) must each reach at least 30.00 of 50; 60 overall is not enough on its own.
Reading and listening score 1 point per correct item with no penalty for wrong answers.
Writing and speaking are rated 0–3 on Uso de la lengua (66%) and Cumplimiento de la tarea (34%); band 2 is the A2 standard.
A direct score converts to 25 points as score × 25 ÷ 3, so band 2 equals 16.67 points.
Results arrive in about one to three months; you have one month to request a review, and a failed exam must be retaken in full.
Quick Summary: DELE A2 is scored out of 100 points (25 per prueba), and the result is Apto or No apto. The four pruebas form two groups: Grupo 1 (reading + writing) and Grupo 2 (listening + speaking). You pass only if you score at least 30.00 of 50 in each group. A strong group cannot compensate for a weak one, but the two pruebas inside the same group do compensate for each other.
The Two Scoring Groups
| Group | Pruebas | Maximum | Minimum to pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grupo 1 | Comprensión de lectura (25) + Expresión e interacción escritas (25) | 50.00 | 30.00 |
| Grupo 2 | Comprensión auditiva (25) + Expresión e interacción orales (25) | 50.00 | 30.00 |
The Instituto Cervantes' FAQ is explicit: 60 points overall is not enough if one group is below 30. There is also no minimum for an individual prueba. What matters is the group total.
Worked examples
| Candidate | Reading | Writing | Grupo 1 | Listening | Speaking | Grupo 2 | Total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 24.00 | 22.00 | 46.00 | 16.00 | 12.50 | 28.50 | 74.50 | No apto |
| B | 16.00 | 14.50 | 30.50 | 15.50 | 15.00 | 30.50 | 61.00 | Apto |
| C | 12.00 | 18.50 | 30.50 | 11.00 | 19.00 | 30.00 | 60.50 | Apto |
Candidate A has 74.50 points but fails because Grupo 2 is 1.50 points short. Candidate C reaches exactly 30.00 in Grupo 2, and because the rule is "equal to or higher than 30.00", that group passes.
The practical lesson: don't neglect listening and speaking. Many candidates prepare reading and grammar well but lose the diploma in Grupo 2.
Reading and Listening: One Point per Correct Answer
The comprehension tests contain only closed items with one correct answer, and they are scored automatically:
- correct answer = 1 point; wrong or blank answer = 0 points;
- no negative marking, so a wrong answer costs nothing;
- your score equals your number of correct items, out of 25.
The guide's own example: 20 correct answers in reading gives 20 points. Never leave an item blank, because a guess among three options can only help.
Writing and Speaking: How the Rating Scales Work
The productive tests are graded by trained, accredited examiners using rating scales with two categories:
- Uso de la lengua (use of language): range and control of grammar, vocabulary, connectors, spelling or pronunciation;
- Cumplimiento de la tarea (task fulfilment): whether you give the information requested for each prompt point.
Each category is scored in four bands, 0 to 3:
| Band | Meaning in the official scales |
|---|---|
| 3 | Clearly above A2 (consecución sobrada del nivel) |
| 2 | Equivalent to the A2 description, the passing standard |
| 1 | A2 not reached on the evidence of the answer |
| 0 | Blank, irrelevant, off the prompt, illegible or almost incomprehensible |
Uso de la lengua weighs 66% and Cumplimiento de la tarea weighs 34% in both productive tests.
Prueba 3 (writing)
- Two independent raters each score both tasks in both categories.
- Each task is worth 50% of the prueba, and the final mark is the average of the two raters.
- Weight of each rating: Uso de la lengua 16.50% and Cumplimiento 8.50% per task, per rater.
Prueba 4 (speaking)
- The calificador (rater) does not speak and scores each task separately, using one scale for Tareas 1–2 and another for Tarea 3. The calificador's scores count for 60%: Tarea 1 = 25%, Tarea 2 = 25% and Tarea 3 = 50% of that share.
- The entrevistador (interviewer) talks with you and gives two global scores for the whole test, one per category. These count for 40%.
Converting to the 25-point scale
The weighted "direct score" (maximum 3) is converted with the official formula:
The guide's example: a direct score of 2 in writing gives 2 × 25 ÷ 3 = 16.67 points.
This gives you a useful planning number. If you reach a solid band 2 everywhere in writing (16.67), you need 14 correct reading answers to pass Grupo 1 (16.67 + 14 = 30.67). With 13 you would have 29.67 and fail. The same logic applies to Grupo 2: a band-2 oral performance (16.67) plus 14 listening items passes.
Results, Certificates and Reviews
- When: the FAQ says results are available in approximately three months; the exam guide says one to three months, depending on the session. You are notified by email, and results appear in your private area of the exam portal.
- What you receive: every candidate can download a certificación de calificaciones (grade certificate) with official validity. Candidates who pass also receive the diploma in digital format by email, and it can be downloaded from the portal.
- Verification: the grade certificate includes a secure verification code, so a paper copy can be used in a nationality file. The Ministry of Justice can consult your result directly only if you give permission.
- Review: if you disagree with your mark, you have one month to request a review (revisión de calificaciones) through your private area. The legal deadline to resolve it is three months after the request period closes.
- Failing: there is no second chance within a session. You must register again, pay again and retake all four pruebas, even any you passed before.
A candidate scores Reading 23.00, Writing 21.00, Listening 16.00 and Speaking 12.00. What is the result and why?
Apto, because the total of 72.00 is above 60.
Apto, because three of the four pruebas are above 15 points.
No apto, because Grupo 2 totals 28.00, below the 30.00 minimum, even though Grupo 1 totals 44.00.
No apto, because Listening is below 17 points.
What happens to your reading score if you choose a wrong option on an item?
You lose 0.25 points on that item.
You lose one third of a point to discourage guessing.
The whole task is marked zero.
Nothing is deducted: a wrong answer scores 0 and does not reduce points already earned.
In the writing and speaking rating scales, which band corresponds to the A2 standard?
Band 1.
Band 2.
Band 3.
Band 0.
A candidate's weighted direct score in Prueba 3 (writing) is exactly 2. Using the official conversion formula, what is the writing score out of 25?
16.67 points.
20.00 points.
12.50 points.
15.00 points.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.