The British School of Barcelona is celebrating a new milestone in its DELE programme, with a record number of candidates registered for the 2026 examination session at BSB Castelldefels.

Since becoming an Examination Centre for DELE Spanish Diploma in 2022, BSB has offered the official DELE A1 Escolar and A2/B1 Escolar examinations, certified by the Instituto Cervantes and aimed at students aged eleven to seventeen who wish to obtain formal recognition of their Spanish language skills.

Alongside BSB students, each examination session also welcomes external candidates, reinforcing the school’s role as a recognised centre for Spanish language certification.

What is the DELE?
The DELE (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera or Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language) is an internationally recognised qualification administered by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education. It certifies proficiency in Spanish and is widely valued for academic admissions, career progression and personal achievement.

The qualification aligns with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and assesses reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. One of its greatest benefits is that the diploma is valid for life, providing students with a lasting recognition of their language abilities.

Building on Success
The first DELE examination session at BSB took place in May 2023 and attracted sixty-four candidates. Results were highly encouraging from the outset, with an 80% pass rate in A1 Escolar. In the combined A2/B1 examination, nearly half of the candidates achieved the higher B1 level, with 52% achieving A2.

The positive trend continued in 2024. The A1 pass rate rose to 90%, while thirty-two students achieved an official certification at A2 level or above. In 2025, almost every candidate taking the combined A2/B1 examination obtained an official qualification, with the majority achieving A2 and several students progressing directly to B1.

2026: A Record Year
This year marked an important milestone for the programme. A total of sixty-eight candidates registered for the May 2026 examination session, making it the largest cohort to date. Of these, eight students took the A1 Escolar examination and sixty sat the combined A2/B1 Escolar examination.

According to Ms Trillo, Head of Spanish at BSB Castelldefels, ‘The continued growth of the programme reflects the enthusiasm of our students for learning Spanish and the increasing value of internationally recognised language qualifications in both academic and personal development.’

As interest in the DELE examinations continues to grow, we hope to expand our provision by offering additional levels in future examination sessions. This will provide even more opportunities for students to gain official certification and celebrate their progress in Spanish.