Testing your Spanish (CEFR)
Finding the right course takes three steps; Test your language level, then find courses for your level and then choose your pathway.
Step 1: Test your language level
Important, please read
These are indicative self-checks to help you choose a course, not formal qualifications or a substitute for a recognised proficiency exam. We do not run them and are not responsible for their content. Availability, cost and accuracy change over time. Our research is a starting point, and you will likely need to do some of your own. If in doubt, get in touch.
The test/s we have found:
The Instituto Cervantes runs the official free Spanish level test, which is the most credible option since the Instituto Cervantes is the body behind the recognised Spanish qualifications.
The AVE "prueba de nivel" (level test) gives an orientative result from A1 to C1.
It is free, takes around 30 minutes, and tests grammar and reading (not speaking or writing).
It requires a quick free registration, and the result covers A1 to C1 only, so a C2-level candidate will simply show as C1.
Link: ave.cervantes.es/prueba_nivel/registro/test_de_clasificacion.php
Your result reads straight across to our course levels (B1 upwards). If you land on a boundary, take the lower level as your working level and contact us if you are unsure.
If you want a faster check with no registration, Cervantes Escuela Internacional (a private school accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, not the Institute itself) offers a free test of around 10 minutes that gives an immediate CEFR result from A1 to C1.
Please let us know if these links don’t work or you find a better test - this can help other students!
If you need formal proof
Should an employer or university ever ask for certified proof of your Spanish, the recognised qualification is the DELE (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera), awarded by Spain's Ministry of Education, organised by the Instituto Cervantes and reported in CEFR levels from A1 to C2. It is a paid, formal exam separate from choosing a course with us.
Step 2: Find courses for your level
Now that you have your CEFR level, go back and find the courses available to you: find courses for your level at linguisttraining.com/whichcourse#findcourses.
Step 3: Choose your pathway
From there, choose whether you want to qualify as a Translator, an Interpreter, or both, and follow the pathway that leads to your recognised professional qualification.
Last reviewed: June 2026
You can also enrol on one of our Translation Practices to truly test your written language level. We provide an appropriate Source Text (often an exam past paper) that you translate, then one of our LanguagePartners will proofread it and provide guidance / scoring - it’s an excellent way of ascertaining your written translation level. Find these at linguisttraining.thinkific.com/collections/translationpracticegeneral.
