Two exams on the way to a Spanish passport
If you are applying for Spanish nationality by residence, the file generally asks for two certificates from the Instituto Cervantes: the DELE A2 language exam (or a higher level) and the CCSE exam on the Constitution and society. Here is what each one is, and how we can help you prepare.
One exam of language, one of knowledge
Both are set and certified by the Instituto Cervantes and taken at its accredited exam centres. They are separate exams with separate results, so you can sit them on different days.
DELE A2
Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera- An official certificate of your level of Spanish.
- For nationality, the level generally asked for is A2 or higher.
- Four parts: reading, listening, writing and speaking.
CCSE
Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España- A test of knowledge about Spain's Constitution, institutions, culture and society.
- 25 questions, drawn from a question bank that the Instituto Cervantes publishes.
- Written in Spanish, so your A2 helps here too.
Four parts, four skills
The DELE A2 checks the Spanish of everyday life: shops, appointments, messages, your home and your routine. Each part tests one skill.
Reading
Comprensión de lecturaShort everyday texts — notices, messages, adverts, emails — with questions about what they say.
Listening
Comprensión auditivaRecorded announcements, conversations and messages, with questions about the details you heard.
Writing
Expresión e interacción escritasShort texts of your own, such as a message or an email and a brief description or account.
Speaking
Expresión e interacción oralesA short monologue on a topic and a conversation with the examiner, face to face.
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A question bank you can study
The CCSE exam is made of 25 questions taken from a public question bank that the Instituto Cervantes publishes. That is the good news: nothing on the day comes out of nowhere. The questions are grouped into five areas:
- Government, law and citizen participation
- Fundamental rights and duties
- Territorial organisation and geography
- Culture and history of Spain
- Spanish society today
Check the rules that apply to you
Not everyone has to take both exams. Nationals of countries where Spanish is an official language, for example, are exempt from the DELE A2, and there are other exemptions for particular cases. The requirements are set by Spanish law and can change.
Before you plan your studying, check the current requirements for your own situation on the websites of the Spanish Ministry of Justice and of the Instituto Cervantes. Exam dates, fees, registration and exam centres are all published by the Instituto Cervantes at examenes.cervantes.es.
Ruta nacionalidad: what it covers, and what it does not
We are a language academy. We prepare you for the two exams; we are not a law firm or an agency, and we do not handle any part of the application.
What the course covers
- How both exams are structured, part by part, with timing
- DELE A2 reading, listening, writing and speaking, each with its own strategy unit
- The CCSE question bank, studied area by area
- Five full mock exams with answer keys
- 40 recorded lessons, about 12 hours, with worksheets and audio
- Written answers to your questions by chat or email
What it does not cover
- Registering you for the exams — you book them yourself with the Instituto Cervantes
- Exam fees — they are paid to the Instituto Cervantes and are not included in our price
- The nationality application itself, its documents or its follow-up
- Legal advice of any kind about residence or nationality
- A guaranteed result: the exams are marked by the Instituto Cervantes, not by us
The units, in order
- How the nationality exams work
- DELE A2 reading: strategy and timing
- DELE A2 listening: training your ear
- DELE A2 writing: the two tasks
- DELE A2 speaking: monologue and dialogue
- CCSE: government and the Constitution
- CCSE: rights and duties
- CCSE: territory and geography
- CCSE: culture and history
- CCSE: everyday society
- Five full mock exams with answer keys
- The week before the exam
Sit both exams knowing what is coming
The two exams the Spanish nationality file asks for: DELE A2 part by part, and the CCSE question bank topic by topic, with five full mock exams.
1.365 €Taxes included · 40 lessons · access for 24 months