DELE B2 Writing Guide
Task types, scoring criteria, and strategies to excel in the writing section.
Writing Overview
Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE) are official certificates issued by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of Spain's Ministry of Education. DELE B2 proves upper-intermediate Spanish ability, required for many Spanish university programs and professional contexts.
Writing Tasks
Texto argumentativo (Essay)
150-word opinion essay on a given social topic.
Tips for this task
- ✓Introducción: state your position clearly
- ✓Desarrollo: 2 arguments with evidence/examples
- ✓Conclusión: reinforce position with a broader implication
- ✓Use B2 vocabulary: sin embargo, a pesar de ello, cabe destacar que...
Carta formal
Formal letter or email to an organization or authority.
Tips for this task
- ✓Opening: Estimado/a Sr./Sra. (Dear Mr/Ms)
- ✓State the purpose in the first paragraph
- ✓Use usted (not tú) throughout
- ✓Close: En espera de su respuesta, le saluda atentamente
High-Score Strategies
- 1.Subjunctive is the make-or-break grammar point for DELE B2 — master all triggers systematically.
- 2.Official DELE practice exams are available free at delecert.com and institutocervantes.es.
- 3.Writing: learn 10–15 connectors cold and use at least 4–5 per essay.
- 4.Speaking section: prepare a template for photo description (En esta imagen se puede ver... En el fondo... Esto me hace pensar que...).
- 5.Listening: listen to Spanish radio (Radio Nacional de España) and podcasts at natural speed.
- 6.Vocabulary: focus on false friends (actualmente = currently NOT actually) and register-appropriate synonyms.