SIELE exam what it is and how to do it. We tell you! Today's globalized world demands solid and certified language skills, and the Spanish language has become a valuable language for communication and the labor market. For this reason, the SIELE (International Evaluation Service
Today's globalized world demands solid and certified language skills, and the spanish language has become a valuable language for communication and the labor market.
Therefore, the SIELE (International Spanish Language Assessment Service) emerges as a fundamental tool for those who wish to demonstrate their command of the Spanish language and obtain a globally recognized accreditation.
In this article, we will explain in detail What does the SIELE exam consist of?, how it is structured and how foreign students can prepare and carry out this evaluation successfully.
The article will be divided into the following points:
As you see, you are going to know all the characteristics and advantages of the SIELE exam. Additionally, we will give you some practical tips to maximize the chances of achieving the best results.
Are you interested in obtaining official recognition of your Spanish level?
Yeah? Then pay attention to this complete guide on the SIELE exam and discover everything you need to get a outstanding result 😉.
This exam was officially launched in the year 2016.
The SIELE was developed by the Cervantes Institute, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the University of Salamanca and the University of Buenos Aires.
This is an exam that evaluates the level of Spanish proficiency through digital tests.
Unlike DELE, SIELE is done entirely by computer, guaranteeing the same quality and officialdom around the world.
The SIELE is defined as an exam adaptable because the candidate can choose between certifying their overall competence in the Spanish language or in the different skills separately: reading, writing, listening, etc.
Being coordinated by partner institutions from 3 different countries (Mexico, Argentina and Spain) the exam always incorporates different varieties of Spanish, making it a very international.
The SIELE adapts to the different levels of competition established by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, what are they going from level A1 up to level C1.
This allows candidates get a certification according to their current level of Spanish proficiency, according to the CEFR and its equivalences.
Remember that the DELE is also another official exam to accredit your Spanish.
Don't you know what the differences are between DELE and SIELE?
We have a wonderful article that discusses in depth the fundamental differences between DELE and SIELE exams.
¿What advantages does SIELE have? How to get your Spanish certificate?
Well, the truth is that it has many.
The first and more importantly, as we have commented before, the entire management of SIELE is done virtually.
Registration, taking the exam, reporting results and sending the certificate are done online. In this way, you will avoid many trips and you will save time.
But there are other advantages, let's see them!
Another great advantage is that the exam is very agile.
As it is an exam that is carried out by computer, its administration is quite simple and does not require teachers, so there are normally many calls monthly that are carried out in approved centers.
The official SIELE exam has a network of almost a few thousand accreditation centers, but it is becoming more and more popular and the number of centers that join this exam format is continually growing.
The great advantage of SIELE is that there is no waiting, any time is good In order to take the test, there is no maximum period.
You just have to talk to your accredited center and agree on the day and time, since SIELE allows a permanent call through individual appointments.
Our beloved school Hispania, Spanish school is an official SIELE exam center.
Here we offer a official preparation course for the SIELE exam that will help you a lot to pass the exam thanks to a methodological system for teaching Spanish that has been received dozens of awards for years.
Do you prefer to prepare for the SIELE exam at home?
We also have a official online preparation course for the SIELE exam.
Take advantage of them!
The exam cannot be suspended, There is a single test for all levels and you will get a grade and a level according to how well you get the answers right.
The exam has questions of different levels of difficulty and specific criteria are established for the evaluation of each level.
This gives candidates the opportunity to obtain a certification according to your level current of language proficiency, regardless of whether they are in the initial or advanced stages of their learning.
The ownership obtained with this exam is international and official, It is recognized throughout the world.
another great advantage of the SIELE exam is that you can examine yourself in all tests or only in some specific ones.
Imagine that, for example, you are going to join a company that wants you to have a very good oral command of Spanish, but they don't care about reading or writing.
In this case, it may help if you present a advanced level of oral and auditory communication.
With SIELE you could do only those two tests, without having to spend more time and money preparing the rest.
Furthermore, the exam results They happen very quickly, in a maximum of 3 weeks You will already know your grade.
Another interesting thing is that the result will be score obtained on a scale of one thousand points equivalent to the CEFR levels.
This way you will be able to see your level of competence in the Spanish language in each of the skills.
It's wonderful! Don't you think?
Of course, you should know that the SIELE exam has a validity of 5 years. After 5 years the title expires and if you want your official Spanish certificate you would have to take the exam again.
¿What is the SIELE exam like?? How many tests are there?
Like the DELE, the SIELE exam uses 4 tests to evaluate your language level.
These four tests correspond to the communication skills necessary to master a language:
Let's see its characteristics separately. We are going to analyze them according to the general exam, which is the SIELE Global.
Later we will talk about the other modalities separately.
In the SIELE Global, the reading and comprehension test consists of 5 tasks with a total of 38 questions.
Hard 60 minutes and has a maximum score of 250 points.
The questions are asked based on the understanding of texts that are answered through multiple choice selection.
The texts can be of different genres and styles, such as newspaper articles, book extracts, reports, emails, among others.
To pass this test it is ideal that read a lot of texts. This will expand your vocabulary and improve your reading speed and ability to extract relevant information from a text.
And of course, practice with some SIELE mock exam real.
The Listening Comprehension part has 6 tasks with 38 questions.
Hard 55 minutes and has a maximum score of 250 points.
Here you go listen to audios and you will have to answer some questions of multiple choice related to those phrases.
The audios you will hear can be dialogues, monologues, interviews, advertisements, conversations, etc.
For prepare well for this testThe most important thing is that you listen to many audios in Spanish.
They can be podcasts, audiobooks, programs... series or movies also work.
Try to get familiar with different accents and speaking styles. You should also practice your listening comprehension with exercises from some examples of the SIELE exam.
The Written Expression and Interaction test only has 2 tasks, hard 50 minutes and has a maximum score of 250 points.
This section tests your ability to communicate in writing in Spanish.
The test may have different types of tasks, such as writing emails, letters, short essays, comments on social networks, and others.
Some of thecontexts The most common are everyday life, current events, personal opinions, debates, etc.
Some advice we can give you is that write a lot of texts similar to those usually requested at SIELE.
Learn to organize your ideas in paragraphs and use connectors to achieve better coherence and fluency in your writing.
At the end of writing, always take some time to review and correct your texts, paying attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Try to learn to write the texts every time faster, remember that you have a limited time and you can't rest on your laurels.
This Spanish level test has 5 tasks and it only lasts 15 minutes.
Like the rest, the maximum score is 250 points.
Here you will have to respond orally to questions formulated through text and speech.
Is it possible to talk to a computer?
Yes, it activates a recording system with microphone that records your responses 😊.
Some of the most common tasks in this test are simulated conversations, image descriptions, debates, or short presentations.
To do this test well, the most important thing is that you speak a lot of Spanish with people, but that you speak it well.
It is ideal that you talk to people who are confident enough to correct you when you make mistakes.
Our teachers at Hispania, Spanish schoolThey are very professional in this.
Error is one of the great teachers, don't forget it!
Until now, we have talked a lot about SIELE Global, which is the Spanish exam for foreigners that brings together all the tests.
However, this is only one of the 6 modes available.
Do you want to know the characteristics of each modality and discover which one suits you best
Then read on!
The SIELE Global is the complete exam. It always follows the same order (CL, CA, EIE, EIO).
It has a maximum duration of 3 hours and a 15 minute break.
The maximum score that can be obtained is 1000 points.
This global exam allows for an overall score that reflects the candidate's level of Spanish proficiency.
Before we have described the number of tasks, points and everything necessary about each test, so let's continue!
In this modality, only the tests of reading comprehension and listening comprehension.
This exam lasts 115 minutes. The CL 60 and the CA 55.
The maximum score that can be obtained is 500 points, 250 each.
As you can see, the duration of the tests is the same as in the global SIELE exam, so the type of tasks are also repeated.
This modality can be useful if you are going to work in a job in which you need to collect a lot of information in Spanish, both written and audio.
In this mode, you will only do the tests of Reading Comprehension and Expression written interaction.
Imagine that you work writing a blog in Spanish and you need good writing and reading skills to extract information from many sources.
Then this modality would be ideal for you.
has a duration of 110 minutes (60 + 50) and a total score of 500 points.
This modality is intended for people who need to improve their listening and conversation skills in Spanish.
through 70 minutes (55 + 15) you will take the listening comprehension and oral expression and interaction tests
Can you guess how much the maximum score is?
500 points between the two, just as in all the others.
Does the oral part Is it the only one that is complicated for you in your Spanish?
Do you want to meet Spaniards and make friends but feel like you can barely get the words out?
Then study and take only the test of the Oral expression and interaction It will help you for sure.
It is the only modality that only has one test, and it is also the shortest.
In just 15 minutes you will have taken your exam!
As expected, since it is a test, the maximum score is the same as in the previous independent modalities, 250 points.
You also have the possibility of doing the Written Expression and Interaction and the Oral Expression and Interaction in this last modality.
Imagine that for example you need write documents and then summarize them orally to an audience.
Getting a good grade on this exam would help you do this.
Hard 65 minutes (50 + 15) and has a score of 500 points.
The registration for the SIELE exam It's very simple. It is done electronically and the easiest way is through the website of the Cervantes Institute.
In the "How to register for SIELE" section you will be able to see the entire list of countries, locations and exam centers where you can request an appointment to select the day of your exam.
The most comfortable thing is to see it with map dropdown.
The day of SIELE exam It can be exciting but it can also generate some tension.
In our article Useful tips for the SIELE exam, we give you good recommendations to perform the exam well.
Also, here you have more tips on how to address it effectively:
The communication of exam results are sent within a period of three weeks. Within this period, the candidate will obtain a SIELE report and the certificate that determines your level of Spanish achieved.
The SIELE report describes the candidate skillsin each skill in Spanish and its score obtained according to the Common European Framework of Languages.
Remember that, whatever the modality, the certificate will be valid for 5 years internationally.
With all this information, we hope that you are now clearer What is the SIELE exam, what does it consist of and how to do it.
Do you have any questions that the article about the SIELE exam has not answered?
Don't hesitate to put your question in the comments.
Take care of yourself! 🙌🏻
Article written by Carlos Martinez for Hispania, Spanish school.
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