Imagine this — Sophie recently graduated from college, and wants to continue studying in Granada. She took Spanish throughout high school and college, but to apply for a scholarship from a Spanish institution her level of competence must be accredited. Are her AP scores enough?

Anna Alsina Naudi, Lisi Barros-Sehringer and Carmen Santa-Cruz are certified examiners for DELE, the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera, a test that validates competence in Spanish. Furthermore, DELE is recognized worldwide as an accurate indicator of Spanish language proficiency. 

Anna, Lisi, and Carmen are also the founders of the Spanish Accreditation Center of Princeton, where they prepare students, ages 11 to 17, to excel at the DELE exam. At this moment, they are offering two levels: A1 escolar and A2/B1 escolar. The reading, listening, and writing portions of the exam are graded at the Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. The fourth portion, the speaking, is graded in each center, at the moment of the exam. To get familiar with the format, the Spanish Accreditation Center of Princeton now offers a 10-week workshop. The workshop will guide prospective candidates through many examples of the exam with special attention paid to grammar and vocabulary.

“At a certain level, the students come to us already knowing the language,“ explains Anna.

“We determine which level exam they will take, according to certain descriptors, and ensure that they succeed in that level,” adds Carmen.

There is one question that always surfaces: what is the difference between the AP (Advance Placement) exam and the DELE?

“The AP exam is only valid in U.S. colleges and universities. The DELE is an international diploma recognized all over the world,” explains Lisi.

The Spanish Accreditation Center of Princeton is housed at the Waldorf School of Princeton (1062 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton). Classes begin February 27 between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., and run for 10 weeks. The exam will take place on May 20, 2016. For more information email spanishacp@gmail.com or visit www.spanishacp.org.