What A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 mean in Spanish, how the DELE and SIELE exams test them, and how many words each level takes.
Spanish levels follow the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the six-step scale schools, universities and employers use for every European language: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user), C1 and C2 (proficient user). The scale describes what you can do with the language, not which words you know, so a B1 in Spanish means the same as a B1 in French or English.
For Spanish, the Instituto Cervantes turned the CEFR into a detailed curriculum, the Plan Curricular (PCIC), and runs the DELE diplomas, the official certificates of each level.
| Level | What it certifies | Words you need | In Lock&Learn Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | You can introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions about where you live and what you have, and get by in familiar situations when people speak slowly. | up to about 1,500 words | Beginner pack, 672 words |
| A2 | You can handle routine exchanges on familiar matters, such as shopping, work, family and directions, and describe your background in simple terms. | about 2,000 to 2,500 words | Elementary pack, 913 words |
| B1 | You can deal with most situations while travelling, talk about experiences, plans and opinions, and follow the main points of clear speech on familiar topics. | about 3,000 words | Intermediate pack, 1,778 words |
| B2 | You can follow complex texts and talk with native speakers fluently and spontaneously on a wide range of subjects. | about 3,500 to 4,000 words | Upper Intermediate pack, 2,109 words |
| C1 | You can understand demanding, longer texts and implicit meaning, and use Spanish flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes. | about 4,000 to 4,500 words | Advanced pack, 1,361 words |
| C2 | You understand virtually everything you read or hear and express yourself precisely, with fine shades of meaning. | about 5,000 words and beyond | Mastery pack, 721 words |
DELE. The Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera are issued by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of Spain's Ministry of Education. There is one exam per level, A1 to C2, and each tests reading, listening, writing and speaking. A DELE is pass or fail: you earn the diploma for the level you sat or nothing, and the diploma never expires.
SIELE. The Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española, run by the Instituto Cervantes with universities in Spain, Mexico and Argentina, is one computer-based exam for all levels. It scores each skill and reports a CEFR level from A1 to C1, cannot be failed, returns results within weeks, and its certificate is valid for five years.
Sittings. DELE exams run several times a year at Cervantes centres and partner schools around the world, though not every level at every sitting; SIELE can be booked at test centres most weeks. Dates and fees vary by country and change by year, so check the official sites before planning.
The CEFR sets no word counts, and the Instituto Cervantes curriculum lists notions rather than numbered words. Vocabulary research on European learners gives a rough guide: up to about 1,500 words at A1, around 2,500 by the end of A2, about 3,000 at B1, 3,500 to 4,000 at B2 and 4,500 to 5,000 at the C levels, counted as word families. The Lock&Learn Spanish levels are calibrated against learner word profiles and count only the words new at each level: 672 for Spanish A1, 913 for Spanish A2, 1,778 for Spanish B1, 2,109 for Spanish B2, 1,361 for Spanish C1, 721 for Spanish C2.
As for time, schools commonly quote cumulative ranges of roughly 90 to 120 guided hours for A1, 180 to 200 for A2, 350 to 400 for B1, 500 to 600 for B2, 700 to 800 for C1 and 1,000 or more for C2. They are rules of thumb, not official figures; an English speaker, who shares thousands of related words with Spanish, usually moves through the A levels faster than that.
B2 is where most learners start to feel fluent: you follow native speakers and hold a conversation without strain, and it is the level many universities and employers ask for. C1 and C2 add precision, idiom and the written register.
Schools commonly quote around 350 to 400 hours of guided study from zero, a year or so of steady classes plus practice. English speakers share thousands of related words with Spanish (familia, hospital, importante), which makes the early levels faster than in most languages.
Only when someone asks for a certificate: universities in Spain, some employers, and Spanish nationality applications, which ask for DELE A2 alongside the CCSE culture test. For your own study the CEFR descriptions are enough to place yourself; the topic pages on this site show the words each level starts with.
A DELE certifies one level you choose in advance, pass or fail, and never expires. SIELE is a single exam that places you anywhere from A1 to C1, cannot be failed and is valid for five years. Choose DELE for a permanent diploma and SIELE for a quick, flexible result.
The CEFR publishes no counts; research estimates put A1 at up to about 1,500 words and the C levels at 4,500 to 5,000 word families. The six Lock&Learn Spanish levels hold about 7,500 words in all, each level counting the words new at that level, and the A1 words are free in the app.
Yes. The app is free on iOS: Beginner is free in full, and every other pack opens with a free preview. Lock&Learn+ is an optional upgrade that opens every pack at once, offered as a yearly plan (with a 3-day free trial) or a monthly plan.