Public exams in Hong Kong for students that learn Spanish
A lot of parents with kids and teenagers that learn Spanish in Hong Kong usually face a common problem, how can I know my kid’s proficiency in the Spanish language? What exams are available and are appropriate to test my kids knowledge after taking a Spanish course in Hong Kong?
There are a not many options available. If you have been learning Spanish for some time and your age is between 11-18 you can take:
DELE (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language) awarded by the Spanish ministry of education. Is a public exam that takes place 2 times a year, one in November and one in May and it takes place in Cityu. Spanish Tutors Hong Kong can help you enroll for that exam through our office reception staff directly. The DELE has a specific exam for teenagers with 2 levels:
- A1, for students who learned Spanish for around 100-200 hours.
- A2/B1 for students who learned Spanish for 300-400 hours.
IGCSE Spanish (International General Certificate of Secondary Education). This exam has only one level and would be the equivalent of A2/B1 of the DELE. IGCSE has different exam boards, the most common are Cambridge and Edexcel. We can also help you to register for the exam or you can register by yourself through the Hong Kong Education Bureau Website (http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/en/ipe/gce_gcse_igcse_ial/igcse/) and please note that the exam registration closes 5 months before the exam date! Although the exam syllabus is the same for both exam boards the Cambridge is more difficult than the Edexcel.
If you are an adult there is only one choice:
DELE (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language) awarded by the Spanish ministry of education. It has many levels up to native speaker 90% of the students who usually start learning Spanish in HK make it to the A1, 50% make it further into the A2, and only 20% typically continue until B1 level.
A1 beginner level, for adults who learned Spanish for around 80-100 hours.
A2 upper beginner/lower intermediate, for adults who learned Spanish for around 180- 220 hours.
B1 intermediate, for students who learned Spanish for 350-400 hours.
For kids below 10 years old there is no public exam they can take unfortunately because the ones available are too lengthy and a kid of a young age will not have time to finish it within the given time (younger kids read and write slower than teenagers and adults) and therefore won’t be able to pass.
Finally remember if you want to take a Spanish course and you want to get certified keep in mind the exam dates to match them with your Spanish course!
