More than 37.000 candidates took part in the May exam session in 96 different countries and at 500 examination centers.

The successful participation rate in school-level DELE tests, with an increase of 50% in candidates, is motivation for the Cervantes Institute to work to increase availability for school students to sit exams at other levels of Spanish, as well as A1 and B1, which were the levels on offer in this case.

Besides school goers sitting the Spanish exams, it’s worth noting that the most noticeable rise in candidates has happened at level A2 Spanish, with more than a 26% increase in students passing the level.

As well as this, the increasing importance of Spanish on the international landscape is very clear; the Cervantes Institute has recently reached an agreement with the Santa Sede to give Spanish classes to workers and members of the Vatican state, which is in large part due to the fact that the native language of Pope Francisco is Spanish.

The next exam session will take place in July, which is a month earlier than usual. Keeping the examination dates within the University academic year is a move to attract more university students to the DELE. The exam on the 18^th July, for which the inscription closes on the 13^th June, exclusively offers levels B1, B2 and C1; these levels can also be examined in the November exam session. To be examined in any other Spanish levels, candidates must wait until the session on the 22^nd November, inscription for which closes on the 17^th October.