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What is the difference between LILATE and DELE?

Below is a summary table comparing the attributes of LILATE and DELE to help you compare them:

Criteria	LILATE®	DELE
Objective	Certify a non-native speaker's ability to work in Spanish.	Certify the level of proficiency and mastery in Spanish for non-native speakers.
Flexibility	Available in almost all foreign languages. Adaptable to specific sectors.	Primarily limited to Spanish. Less customization.
Skills assessed	Conversation, reading comprehension, written expression, listening comprehension, and oral expression in a professional context.	Reading comprehension, written expression, listening comprehension, oral expression, and interactions.
Levels assessed	All levels (A1 to C2)	All levels (A1 to C2)
Target level(s)	Certified from level B1	All levels (A1 to C2)
Test organization	Organized year-round on weekdays and weekends (examiner availability).	Organized between April and November. These dates are common to all DELE exam centers worldwide.
Evaluation mode	Assessment of skills by level. Evaluation conducted by native-language examiners throughout the session.	Test scored out of 100 points, each part rated out of 25, and a minimum of 33 points is required to pass.
Eligible for CPF	YES	YES

Conclusion

The LILATE certification and DELE are two exams aimed at assessing Spanish language skills. Although they share the common goal of measuring proficiency in Spanish, these two certifications present significant differences that may influence your choice based on your specific needs.

First, LILATE stands out for its approach focused on the ability to learn a foreign language in a professional context. Unlike DELE, which focuses more on general mastery of language skills, LILATE assesses a future professional's ability to use Spanish effectively.

Furthermore, LILATE tends to offer a much more individualized assessment aligned with the candidate's level, thereby promoting a deeper understanding of the candidate's language skills. Regarding DELE, its standardized test with a point system may sometimes fail to capture the unique nuances of each candidate's language abilities.

In conclusion, the choice between LILATE and DELE certification largely depends on your individual objectives. If professional recognition and personalized assessment of language skills are priorities, then LILATE is the ideal choice.

The elements of this page are the result of human research based on the certifiers' websites at the date of publication indicated below. This information may have evolved since the date of posting; if you identify any inaccurate information, please contact us so that we can update this page.

Updated on: 11/09/2025

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