General conditions for DELE exams candidates

The DELE Official Spanish Exams were established in 1989. The number of candidates in this first year was 632. In 2003 this number reached 24,609, a clear indication of the importance and interest these exams have for Spanish students throughout the world.

Candidates who wish to apply for the DELE exams must satisfy the following criteria:

• 1. Certification, in the moment of registration, of their status as citizens of a country which does not have Spanish as its official language.

• 2. Citizens of Spanish-speaking countries resident in states where Spanish is not the official language may apply if they satisfy at least two of the following conditions:

- Spanish is not the mother tongue of either of the candidate's parents.
- Spanish is not the first language the candidate learn.
- Spanish is not the candidate's habitual language of communication.
- The candidate has not studied the whole or part of their primary or secondary education in Spanish.

The candidates referred to in paragraph two above must declare in writing that they satisfy at least two of the above conditions.