Spanish nationality test: the CCSE mock exam

Practising and sitting an exam are not the same

Practising is learning: you answer, you get it wrong, you read the explanation and you carry on. A mock exam is measuring: 25 questions in a row, clock running, nothing to consult.

You need both, but they answer different questions. Practice tells you what you don't know. The mock exam tells you whether you'd pass today.

• 25 questions per exam.
• 45 minutes to answer them.
• You pass with 15 correct answers, 60% of the exam.
• Neither wrong nor blank answers cost you marks.
• Multiple choice with three answers, except for one true-or-false task.
• The questions are taken from a bank published by the Instituto Cervantes.

How the mock exam works

The mock exam doesn't draw questions at random from the whole bank: it takes from each task exactly the number of questions that task contributes to the real exam, so its difficulty resembles the exam's rather than that of any old batch.

When you finish you see your score against the 15 correct you need, the breakdown by task, and a review of every question with its explanation, so the result isn't just a number.

When it's worth doing

Sitting a mock exam on day one usually discourages without telling you anything: you'll get wrong what you haven't studied yet. Doing it once you've practised the main tasks is useful, because it measures something real.

And it's worth doing before the exam, not the night before: confirming that 45 minutes is more than enough for 25 questions takes a lot of pressure off on the day.

How to sit a CCSE mock exam under exam conditions

1. 1Create a free account. Access to practice and to the mock exam requires an account. You create it with your email or with Google, no password.
2. 2Practise by task first. Start with the tasks that contribute the most questions to the exam, so the mock exam measures something real.
3. 3Sit the whole mock exam without interruptions. 25 questions in a row in 45 minutes, consulting nothing and leaving none blank: wrong answers don't cost marks.
4. 4Review every mistake with its explanation. Look at the breakdown by task, read the explanation for what you got wrong, and practise only those tasks again.

What to do with the result

The value of the mock exam is in what comes after. The breakdown by task points to where you're losing marks, and that's where it's worth practising again; the rest is repeating what you already know.

If the result lands just above the pass mark, it isn't done yet. Reaching the exam with room to spare is what saves you from sitting it twice.

Frequently asked questions

Is the nationality test free?

Creating an account and practising with the official questions is free, and it includes one full mock exam at no cost. Premium removes the daily limit and adds the tracking.

How long does the mock exam take?

45 minutes, the same as the real CCSE exam, with 25 questions.

Is it like the real exam?

It uses the official questions published by the Instituto Cervantes and the same distribution by task, the same duration and the same pass mark as the exam. It is not the official exam and does not replace it.

What score do I need in the mock exam to feel safe?

The pass mark is 15 out of 25. Landing exactly on that figure leaves little room for a bad day, so it's worth repeating until you clear it comfortably.