How much does a CEFR test cost? Every official exam's 2026 fee, and where you sit it

How much does a CEFR test cost?

Between about US$70 and US$280 for the big international English exams, and €112 to €240 for a Spanish DELE in Spain, depending on the exam and the level. The certificates most employers and universities ask for sit in the middle: Cambridge B2 First around £240 at a London centre, IELTS £220–£270 in the UK, TOEFL iBT US$270 in the United States, SIELE Global €155. The table below carries every figure with the date it was checked. Fees are set by the exam's own body or by the centre that runs the sitting, so the exact price is always the one on the booking page.

One thing the fees share: a fail costs the whole amount and gives you nothing — no refund, no certificate for the level below. That is the real argument for finding out your level before you book, which is what the free Nivelo level test is for.

Every exam's fee, in one table

Two columns matter as much as the fee. A DELE and a Cambridge certificate never expire; a SIELE certificate is valid for five years; IELTS, TOEFL and Duolingo scores are valid for two years, so a certificate you need in three years is an exam you will pay for twice. And a DELE is one level per exam — you book B2 and pass or fail B2 — while SIELE, IELTS, TOEFL and Duolingo place you on a scale from one sitting, which is cheaper when you are not sure which level you are.

Why do fees differ so much by country and centre?

Because most of these exams are delivered by local centres that pay for the rooms, the examiners and the shipping, and set a price that covers them. Cambridge publishes no global fee at all; IELTS prices every venue separately, which is why Leicester and Aberdeen are £50 apart; the DELE has one list for Spain and another for each Instituto Cervantes abroad; ETS prices the TOEFL by country. Only the Duolingo English Test has one price everywhere, because there is no centre — you take it at home.

The practical rule: the fee on a comparison site is a guide, and the fee on the centre's own booking page is the price. If two centres in your city differ by £30, that is normal, not a scam.

What does a fail cost?

The whole fee again, plus the wait. There is no refund for a fail and no lower-level certificate — a fail at DELE B2 is not a B1. Then the calendar: the DELE's main sittings are in May and November, so a May fail is a six-month wait; Cambridge centres run a handful of dates a year; IELTS and TOEFL run most weeks, and the Duolingo test any day. A learner who books one level too high pays twice and loses a season.

• Check your level before you choose the level you book — the free test takes five minutes.
• Book the sitting after the one you want, not the first one you see; a fail with no next date costs more than a late start.
• If you are not sure of your level, prefer a scaled exam (SIELE, IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo) over a pass-or-fail one (DELE, Cambridge).

Which exam is cheapest for a CEFR certificate?

For English, the Duolingo English Test at US$70 — widely accepted by universities, less so by employers and immigration offices, so check who will read it before you save the money. For Spanish, SIELE Global at €155 against the DELE's €173 to €240 at the levels most people want, with the added advantage that one SIELE sitting places you on the scale instead of passing or failing one level. The cheapest exam for the wrong purpose is the most expensive one you can buy: a certificate nobody asked for is a fee and a Saturday gone.

Where do you sit each exam?

• DELE: at an Instituto Cervantes or an accredited centre — many universities and language academies are one — booked online through the exam's own site, with the sittings fixed months ahead.
• SIELE: at any SIELE centre, on a computer, on the date you pick with the centre; the whole exam fits in one session.
• Cambridge: at an authorised centre, found through the Cambridge centre finder; paper or digital, and the centre sets both the dates and the fee.
• IELTS: at a British Council or IDP centre, on paper or on a computer; the computer sitting returns results in days, the paper one in about two weeks.
• TOEFL iBT: at an ETS test centre, or at home with the Home Edition under remote supervision.
• Duolingo English Test: at home, on your own computer with a webcam, any day of the year.

Whichever you choose, book from the exam's own site or the centre's — the fee is the same, and a third-party reseller adds nothing but a margin.

Is the Nivelo test an official certificate?

No, and it does not try to be. It is a free CEFR-aligned placement — reading and listening in five minutes, with the $4.99 full test adding writing and speaking, graded on the same rubric — that tells you which level to book, so the fee you do pay is paid once, for the right exam. It is not an official certification and no employer or university should be shown it in place of one.

How much does the DELE cost?

In Spain, from €112 for A1 to €240 for C2, with B1 at €173 and B2 at €204 (the 2026 list, checked 18 October 2026). Abroad the Instituto Cervantes of each country sets its own: Brussels charges €130 to €240, New York US$128 to $210.

How much is the SIELE?

€155 for SIELE Global, the four parts in one sitting, as published for 2026. The parts can be taken alone — S1 €55, S2 €75, S3 €100, S4 €75, S5 €100 — and a few centres charge less; the Complutense University in Madrid lists €140.

How much is IELTS in the UK?

£220 to £270 for Academic or General Training, set per venue — Leicester £220, most London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow centres £260, Aberdeen £270 — and a flat £257 for IELTS for UKVI, as the British Council venue list read on 10 October 2026.

How much does the Duolingo English Test cost?

US$70 for one test, taken online at home, the same price in every country (2026). It is the cheapest widely accepted English certificate, and its scores are valid for two years.

What to do before you pay

Take the free level test — or the Spanish one — and book the exam at the level it shows, not the level you hope for. If you are choosing between the two Spanish exams, DELE vs SIELE settles it; between the English ones, IELTS vs TOEFL vs Cambridge. And if the fee is the thing holding you back, how long Spanish takes is the honest read on when the money is worth spending.