5.1 Oral Test Structure, 12-Minute Preparation & Official Scales
Key Takeaways
Prueba 4 is 12 minutes long, after 12 minutes of preparation that cover all three tasks; you may consult your notes but not read them in detail.
The interviewer gives global marks for the whole test (40%); the silent calificador marks each task (60%: Tarea 1 25%, Tarea 2 25%, Tarea 3 50%).
Every score uses Uso de la lengua (66%) and Cumplimiento de la tarea (34%) on bands 0–3; the result converts to 25 points in Grupo 2.
Tareas 1 and 2 are uninterrupted monologues; needing the interviewer's facilitating questions counts against you.
Quick Focus: Prueba 4 lasts 12 minutes and follows 12 minutes of preparation for all three tasks. During preparation you may take notes and write an outline, and you may consult your notes during the test but not read them out. Two examiners are in the room. The entrevistador (interviewer) talks to you and gives a global mark worth 40%. The calificador (rater) stays silent and marks each task, worth 60%. Both rate Uso de la lengua and Cumplimiento de la tarea on bands 0–3.
How the Oral Test Runs
| Stage | Official description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | You prepare Tareas 1, 2 and 3, choosing one of two topic sheets for Tarea 1 and one of two photos for Tareas 2 and 3. You may take notes and write an outline | 12 min |
| Contact questions | A few ice-breaker questions to help you relax | brief |
| Tarea 1 – Presentation | Short monologue on the chosen topic, following the points on the sheet | 2–3 min |
| Tarea 2 – Photo description | Short monologue describing the chosen photo, following the questions given | 2–3 min |
| Tarea 3 – Conversation | Simulated conversation with the interviewer in a situation linked to the photo from Tarea 2 | 3–4 min |
A few rules from the official material are worth knowing before the day:
- The oral test is in person at the exam centre; it can't be taken online.
- Your centre sets the appointment. It may be on the written exam day or on days before or after.
- In Tareas 1 and 2 the interviewer gives instructions but does not intervene, because these are monologues. When you finish, the interviewer moves on to the next task.
- In Tarea 3 the interviewer follows a question plan, chooses questions according to how much you say, and may improvise using the information you give.
What "don't read your notes" means
The model exam instructions say: Durante la prueba, puede consultar sus notas, pero no leerlas detenidamente. In other words, you may glance at your notes but not read them in detail. Write key words, verbs and connectors, not full sentences. For example:
- viaje: Granada, verano pasado, con mi hermana
- tren, 4 horas, hotel pequeño centro
- Alhambra, tapas, perdí el móvil (historia)
- próximo: Portugal, agosto, con amigos
The Two Examiners and How Their Marks Combine
| Examiner | Role | What they score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrevistador | Interlocutor: gives instructions, manages the interaction, plays the other role in Tarea 3 | Two global scores for the whole test: Uso de la lengua and Cumplimiento de la tarea | 40% |
| Calificador | Does not take part in the tasks | Two scores for each task, using one scale for Tareas 1–2 and another for Tarea 3 | 60%: Tarea 1 = 25%, Tarea 2 = 25%, Tarea 3 = 50% of this share |
In each score, Uso de la lengua counts 66% and Cumplimiento de la tarea 34%. The final weighted result (maximum 3) is converted to 25 points (score × 25 ÷ 3), and those 25 points join your listening score in Grupo 2.
Direct your eyes and voice accordingly: speak to the entrevistador, who is your conversation partner, while the calificador listens and marks.
What the Scales Reward
Tareas 1 and 2 (calificador's scale)
| Band | Uso de la lengua (summary) | Cumplimiento de la tarea |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Clear, fairly confident speech that expresses preference, interest, opinion, probability or wishes (prefiero, me interesa, me parece, quizás) in fairly continuous discourse linked with usual connectors (es que, por eso, además). Reasonable control of the future and frequent periphrases. Clearly intelligible pronunciation | Covers all the points and adds a relevant detail, comment, opinion or reason |
| 2 | Enough language to get by and make the meaning clear: facts, wishes, preferences, moods (me gusta, quiero, creo que). Reasonably continuous speech with elementary links (porque, adverbs, demonstratives). Control of basic grammar (present and past indicative, agreement, articles, possessives, basic periphrases), with some errors or pauses. Easy to understand despite an obvious foreign accent | Gives most of the information: at most one point unanswered, or two answered incompletely |
| 1 | Short utterances with limited information, discontinuous or minimally linked (y, también, pero). A few simple constructions with pauses or errors; understanding may take effort | Two points unanswered, or more than half answered incompletely |
| 0 | A few loose words or disconnected utterances, long silences, many errors or words from other languages | Only one point covered satisfactorily |
Tarea 3 and the interviewer's global scale
- Band 2 in Tarea 3: you answer the interviewer's questions with the information requested, comprehensibly, using simple language for everyday topics. You may need some help from the interviewer.
- Band 2 on the interviewer's global scale: you complete all three tasks and get your messages across, even if one task is only partly completed. Band 1 means only two tasks were completed (fully or partly), or only one fully.
The official band-1 samples show a common failure pattern. The candidate's monologue was much shorter than required and skipped points, so the interviewer had to ask facilitating questions to keep it going. Needing that help counts against you. Prepare enough content to speak for the full 2–3 minutes without prompting.
Pronunciation: What an A2 Speaker Needs
The band-2 descriptor accepts an obvious foreign accent and occasional articulation slips, as long as you are easy to understand. Focus on the features that affect understanding:
- Five clear vowels (a, e, i, o, u), never reduced: comido, not "cuh-mee-duh".
- Word stress and written accents: hablo (I speak) vs habló (he spoke); esta vs está.
- r vs rr: pero (but) vs perro (dog); caro vs carro.
- Silent h (hola, hacer); b and v sound the same.
- Question intonation: a rising end for yes/no questions (¿Vienes mañana?).
- Regional variants are valid: seseo (pronouncing z/c as s) and yeísmo (ll = y) are normal Hispanic norms and are accepted.
Using the 12 Minutes
- Minute 0–1: choose the Tarea 1 topic and the photo where you know the most concrete vocabulary. Remember that the photo also sets the Tarea 3 situation, so read the Tarea 3 instructions before you choose.
- Minutes 1–5: Tarea 1. Write one line of key words per point, with the tense you need (past trip, present habits, future plans).
- Minutes 5–9: Tarea 2. Answer each guideline question on the sheet in key words: people, clothes, place, objects, actions, relationships, feelings, before and after.
- Minutes 9–12: Tarea 3. Read your role and the list of things you must do in the conversation. Note a question and a proposal for each (¿Qué te parece si…? / Yo puedo…).
Repair Strategies
| Problem | What to say |
|---|---|
| You didn't understand | Perdón, ¿puede repetir, por favor? |
| Too fast | ¿Puede hablar un poco más despacio? |
| You need a moment | A ver…, pues…, déjeme pensar… |
| You don't know a word | No sé cómo se dice, es una cosa que sirve para… |
| You made a mistake | Perdón, quiero decir… |
Which tasks do candidates prepare during the 12 minutes before the DELE A2 oral test?
Only Tarea 1, because the other tasks are spontaneous.
Tareas 1 and 2 only; Tarea 3 is handed out in the exam room with no preparation.
None; the 12 minutes are for filling in personal details.
All three tasks: the presentation, the photo description and the conversation linked to the photo.
How are the two oral examiners' marks combined?
The interviewer gives global marks for the whole test (40%) and the silent rater marks each task (60%); both rate use of language and task fulfilment.
The interviewer gives a single holistic mark worth one third; the rater scores fluency, accuracy, range and pronunciation, worth two thirds.
Only the rater marks; the interviewer just asks questions.
The two examiners agree on one final mark at the end of the interview.
What do the official rules say about using your preparation notes during the oral test?
Notes must stay in the preparation room.
You may read your notes aloud word for word.
You may consult your notes during the test, but not read them in detail.
Notes are allowed only in Tarea 3.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.