What exam should I choose?

There are a dizzying number of exams available to you, and it might be somewhat daunting. 

Here, we hope to help you identify what will be the best for you. It all very much depends on what you need your language certificate for. 

After the introduction of Plan Bolonia, to be awarded a degree in Spain, students

need to have a certificate (minimum B1) of a second language. Follow this link to see which certificates are currently accepted by the CRUE From this you can see that a great number of options are available to you.


If you’re planning on take part in ERASMUS, each university will have established the minimum language requirements for each course. In many  cases you will need a minimum of a certificate in B2, obviously depending on where and what you are going to study.

You will need to check with language requirements of each university. For this programme, it would seem that any of the certificates contemplated in the Certificates of English accepted by CRUE or ACLES (Asociación de Examinadores de Idiomas en Europa) would be valid.

However, if you plan is to study the complete degree in the UK or Ireland, you will need to make sure that you are fully aware of all the language requirements of each university. In this case IELTS would probably be the better option.

This would very much depend on what the language requirements of the prospective employer. However, any of the generally accepted language certificates would be suitable.

This would very much depend first on visa requirements for the country and
also each employer. It is advisable to carefully research the country and
potential employers. 

For example, to obtain a work visa for the United Kingdom you will be required
to demonstrate your language abilities, and only certain exams are accepted, for example Trinity College London & IELTS.

These exams must be taken in the UK, or in the case of IELTS there is a possibility of taking the IELTS UKVI exam in Madrid.

Which one should you choose?

If your objective is to obtain the B1, you should
choose the option which is more convenient / easier for you, for example, you should consider the courses and / or exams available in your area.
You need to bear in mind the amount of time between enrolling for the exam and when you get the results to when the certificate will come through. In some cases this can take up to 16 weeks from enrolling to getting the certificate.

If your objective is to get onto a Master’s programme, many universities require that you have a B2 certificate prior to starting the master’s degree. You should check entry requirements with each university.

Do language certificates expire?

In most cases the simple answer is no, however each educational institution or prospective employer may only accept certificates earned within a certain time frame.

You also need to take into account that you need to at least maintain your level after you have achieved a certain level. It’s no good putting in all that effort to get the level and then not using it.  Many employers will conduct an interview in English

Here at Rondalingua, we work with the following exam options

Trinity College London/Cambridge/Linguaskills/IELTS

Before you enrol on any course or for any exam, you need to check the entry dates for any applications to make sure that  you will have the certificate on time

Table: Exams Available/ equivalent levels

MCER GSE ISE Cambridge Linguaskills IELTS
Pre-A1 1 Pre A1 Starters 82-99 N/A
A1 2 A1 Movers 100-119
A2.1 3 Foundation A2 Flyers A2 Key for Schools 120-139
A2.2 4
B1.1 5 ISE I B1 PET for Schools 140-159 4-5
B1.2 6
B2.1 7 ISE II B2 First for Schools 160-179 5.5-6.5
B2.2 8
B2.3 9
C1.1 10 ISE III C1 Advanced 180+ 7-8
C1.2 11
C2 12 ISE IV C1 Proficiency 9