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Instituto Cervantes' Exams

The Instituto Cervantes Observatory at Harvard is an examination center for the official exams of the Instituto Cervantes: the exams needed to obtain Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE). Additionally, this section offers information about two other Instituto Cervantes exams, which are not administered at the Observatorio but may also be of interest: the CCSE (no longer administered in 2024), the SIELE, and the DADIC.

To learn more about the differences between the Instituto Cervantes' DELE and SIELE exams, see this informational video.

 

INSTITUTO CERVANTES EXAMS ADMINISTERED AT THE OBSERVATORIO:

DELE EXAMS

Each year, the Observatory offers two testing dates for the DELE exams. These tests are held on the premises at Harvard University's campus in Cambridge, MA (see address below), but all of the administrative processes are done at the Instituto Cervantes in New York.

Interested people should complete their registrations for the DELE exam with the Instituto Cervantes in New York: https://nyork.cervantes.es/en/spanish_exams/spanish_exams_info.htm

Upcoming DELE dates at the Observatory:

2024: Saturday, May 18th (registration period closes: April 3rd, 2024); Saturday, November 23rd (registration period closes: October 9th, 2024). 

More information and relevant materials:

Infographics:

 

ADDRESS AND CONTACT FOR DELE EXAMS

Location of the test center:

Observatory of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures in the United States
Instituto Cervantes at Harvard University
Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Harvard University
2 Arrow Street 4th floor #430
Cambridge, MA 02138
(BOSTON)
United States

 

Contact:

classprogram@cervantes.es
+1 212-308-7720

 

INSTITUTO CERVANTES EXAMS NOT ADMINISTERED AT THE OBSERVATORIO:

CCSE TESTS

The Conocimientos Culturales y Constitucionales de España (CCSE) tests are meant for people who wish to become Spanish citizens. Beginning in 2024, these tests will not be administered outside of Spain, so they will no longer availabe at the Observatorio at Harvard.

Interested people should complete their registrations for the CCSE test on the Instituto Cervantes website: https://examenes.cervantes.es/es/ccse/inscribirse

More information and relevant materials:

 

SIELE Remote

The SIELE (Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española [International Assessment Service for the Spanish Language]) is an electronic exam meant to certify one’s degree of proficiency in the Spanish language, developed jointly by the Instituto Cervantes, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad de Salamanca (Spain), and Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina). It is the first internationally recognized digital certification of Spanish proficiency with a pan-Hispanic perspective.

The exam consists of four parts assessing the main communicative skills: Reading Comprehension; Listening Comprehension; Written Expression and Interaction; and Oral Expression and Interaction. Candidates can take the SIELE Global, which includes all four parts, or their own combination of tests.

In addition to taking the exam at an authorized SIELE Examination Center (which the Observatorio is not), candidates may also take the SIELE remotely, from home on their own computer.

The SIELE remote exam is a supervised, reliable, and secure system, with the following features:

  • The content, format, and user experience are similar to those of the exams which are taken at a SIELE Authorized Examination Center.
  • The exam is taken on a computer by installing the application “SIELE browser,” which is provided to the candidate when they book their exam.
  • The candidate can choose the date and time of their exam from a list of available centers in their country, as well as the modality of their exam (in person or remote).
  • The exam is supervised online by the SIELE Authorized Examination Center that administers the exam.

The booking must be made online through the SIELE platform at least 48 hours in advance.

More information and relevant materials:

 

DADIC

DADIC (Diplomas de Acreditación Docente del Instituto Cervantes) is a series of diplomas that accredit the professional training of teachers of Spanish as a second language (ELE), with wide national and international recognition, as well as indefinite validity. The exams to obtain a DADIC diploma are administered at Cervantes Institute centers that have accredited examiners (the Observatory is not a testing center). Candidates should consult the exam dates at the center where they wish to take the corresponding tests.

DADIC Autónomo:

Of special interest to users of the Observatorio website is the DADIC Autónomo, which certifies that teachers with the diploma have the basic necessary skills to professionally teach Spanish as a second language (ELE). To obtain this diploma, candidates must pass two exams.

 

DADIC Autónomo certifies that the teacher:

  • Can be responsible for their own group without the need of a supervisor or mentor.
  • Is autonomous in all decision-making related to managing the teaching and learning process, as well as second language evaluation.
  • Is able to apply the techniques and models acquired during their training, while also being open to innovation.
  • Has the judgement and resources to adapt to different contexts.
  • Is able to critically review their own performance and improve it.

 

The DADIC Autónomo exam can be prepared in two different ways:

It is also posible to take the examination tests directly without having previously undergone any specific training (in any case, see the section "A quién se dirige el DADIC Autónomo"). Like other DADIC diplomas, the DADIC Autónomo exam is administered at the Instituto Cervantes centers that have accredited examiners (the Observatory is not one of them). See DADIC Autónomo - Where and when for the list of centers where the test can be taken.

 

More information and materials of interest:

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