Format, the four papers, the group pass rules, and the 2026 dates are on the DELE A2 page.
Quick Answer
Expect grades in about two months after the written tests, except after May and November sittings, which usually need about three months. Cervantes notifies the email you used at registration, publishes your official score certificate in the private candidate area (electronically signed, with a Código Seguro de Verificación), and if you pass sends the diploma digitally with that certificate — you do not need to wait on a paper diploma as your only proof.
Below: which inbox to watch, where the score certificate sits, how long May and November take, and what No apto means for the next booking.
Rough timeline by sitting (Cervantes)
Instituto Cervantes states results appear in about two months after the written exams for most sittings, while May and November papers typically need about three months because of the volume of candidates. Use the table as a planning guide, not a promise — check the notice in your private area if a session runs late.
| Written sitting month | Rough wait until grades | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| March, April, July, September, October | ~2 months | Instituto Cervantes benchmark |
| May | ~3 months | Higher candidate volume |
| November | ~3 months | Higher candidate volume |
Speaking sometimes sits outside the written weekend, so “after the written tests” is your mental anchor, not the exact calendar day you travelled home. If your centre splits oral slots across two weeks, watch the official message — it defines when the marking window starts for your cohort.
Silence during week five does not mean your file vanished. Log in to the private area before you panic-post in forums: status lines move from “processing” to “published” without resending every marketing email. Save PDFs the day they appear; browsers that clear cookies aggressively can slow a second download.
Email, private area, and diploma
Cervantes sends the announcement to the same address you verified at registration. If you changed jobs or stopped using that inbox, fix forwarding now — institutes rarely resend to a new address without a formal request.
Whitelist or filter the cervantes.es sender today; results week is not when you want Gmail learning a new “important” rule. If two people share an inbox, decide who actually clicks the portal link so duplicate password resets do not lock the account before you download proofs.
Your official score certificate lives in the private candidate portal. It is electronically signed and includes a Código Seguro de Verificación so third parties can check authenticity. Treat that download as your working academic record until any HR office states otherwise.
If your global outcome is Apto, you receive the diploma digitally together with the score certificate and can download copies from the personal area. You may still get postal copies depending on centre logistics, but digital delivery is the path Cervantes documents for successful candidates — do not assume you must wait six months for a paper letter before you can move a file forward.
Lawyers and HR desks increasingly accept signed PDFs if the verification code resolves. Carry both the diploma extract and the score sheet until your caseworker confirms their preferred bundle, and keep hashes or emails that prove download time if a naturalisation file stalls.
Pass rule in one sentence
Apto needs at least 30/50 in Grupo 1 (Reading + Writing) and 30/50 in Grupo 2 (Listening + Speaking), out of 100, and there is no separate per-test floor. For section-by-section traps, read DELE A2 passing score and paired scoring.
If you receive No apto
Instituto Cervantes does not carry a passed Grupo into a later session — your next attempt is the full exam again. When you are ready to rebuild, follow retake planning after a fail, then line up a fresh sitting using the dates and registration guide rather than guessing a month from memory.
Review requests
If you believe there is a marking error, you can file a review within one month of publication starting from the private candidate area. Keep evidence narrow and factual — requests are administrative, not a second attempt at the oral.
Validity vs other certificates
The DELE diploma does not expire. There is no rolling five- or ten-year clock on the certificate itself. Keep the PDF and the verification code; they are what you show later.
Nationals of countries where Spanish is an official language are exempt from DELE but must still pass CCSE for most citizenship routes — see DELE, CCSE, and Spanish citizenship for how the exams fit together. CCSE is a separate certificate from DELE and can expire under its own rules; check the institute that issues it, not this diploma page.
Results-week checklist
- Which inbox is tied to registration, including spam rules for the Cervantes domain.
- Where the private area stores the signed score certificate and verification code.
- What Apto bundles: digital diploma plus downloadable certificate copies for your files.
- On No apto: note the review deadline, then schedule a full retake using the dates article — no partial carry-over.
While you wait
If you are pausing before another sitting, replay the DELE A2 mock preview so the next attempt starts from calm habits, not last-minute panic.