Updated in June 2026

10 Common Mistakes in DELE A1 and How to Avoid Them

These are the mistakes that DELE A1 candidates make most often. All are absolute beginner errors, the kind of mistakes you make when you've only been studying Spanish for a few weeks. The good news: they are predictable and easy to correct with practice.

1. Confusing the gender of nouns

In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. Those ending in -o are usually masculine (el libro, el gato) and those ending in -a are usually feminine (la mesa, la casa). But there are exceptions that you must memorize.

Common exceptions in A1:

• "El problema" (masculine even though it ends in -a)
• "El día" (masculine)
• "La mano" (feminine even though it ends in -o)
• "La foto" (feminine, abbreviation of "fotografía")

Solution: Learn each noun always with its article. Don’t memorize "casa", memorize "la casa".

2. Forgetting article-noun agreement

The article must match in gender and number with the noun. "El casa" is incorrect. "La casas" is incorrect. It must be "la casa" or "las casas".

Typical mistakes:

• "El mesa" → "La mesa"
• "Los personas" → "Las personas"
• "Una libro" → "Un libro"

Solution: When writing, check each article by asking yourself: Is the noun masculine or feminine? Singular or plural?

3. Confusing ser and estar (basic)

In A1, the distinction is simple. Use "ser" for permanent identity (name, nationality, profession, physical description). Use "estar" for location and temporary states.

• "Soy profesor" (identity) → correct
• "Estoy en Madrid" (location) → correct
• "Soy en Madrid" → incorrect
• "Estoy español" → incorrect

Quick rule for A1: if you can point to the place on a map, use "estar". If you define who you are, use "ser".

4. Not conjugating verbs

A very common mistake among beginners: using the infinitive where you need a conjugated form. "Yo trabajar en un banco" instead of "Yo trabajo en un banco".

In A1, you only need the present indicative. Learn the conjugations of regular verbs (-ar, -er, -ir) and the most common irregulars: ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer, poder, querer.

Solution: Practice conjugating 5 verbs every day out loud. Repeat: "yo hablo, tú hablas, él habla, nosotros hablamos..." until it becomes automatic.

5. Confusing hay and está/están

"Hay" indicates existence (something exists in a place). "Está/están" indicates the position of something specific that we already know.

• "Hay un banco en la calle" (I report that it exists)
• "El banco está en la calle Mayor" (I say where a specific one is)
• "Hay tres libros en la mesa" → correct
• "Están tres libros en la mesa" → incorrect

Rule: if you use "un/una/unos/unas" or a number, you probably need "hay".

6. Problems with the verb gustar

"Gustar" works differently than "like" in English or "aimer" in French. In Spanish, what you like is the grammatical subject.

• "Yo gusto el café" → incorrect
• "Me gusta el café" → correct
• "Me gustan los gatos" → correct (plural)

In A1, memorize these forms: "me gusta" + singular noun or infinitive. "Me gustan" + plural noun. You don’t need more.

7. Pronouncing the H

The H in Spanish is silent. Always. "Hola" is pronounced "ola". "Hospital" is pronounced "ospital". Many candidates from Germanic or Slavic languages pronounce the H as in their language.

Solution: When you see an H, completely ignore it when speaking. Practice with common words: hoy, hora, hermano, hijo, hacer.

8. Not understanding the exam instructions

The exam instructions are in Spanish. If you don’t understand words like "elija", "marque", "relacione", "complete" or "señale", you may waste valuable time or complete the task incorrectly.

Vocabulary of instructions you should know:

• "Elija la opción correcta" = choose the correct answer
• "Marque con una X" = put an X
• "Relacione" = connect each element with its pair
• "Complete" = fill in the blanks
• "Señale verdadero o falso" = say if it is T or F

Solution: Familiarize yourself with these verbs before the exam by doing official models.

9. Confusing similar numbers

In the listening test, confusing numbers is a very common mistake. The problematic pairs:

• 15 (quince) vs. 50 (cincuenta)
• 16 (dieciséis) vs. 60 (sesenta)
• 17 (diecisiete) vs. 70 (setenta)
• 18 (dieciocho) vs. 80 (ochenta)

Solution: Practice dictation of numbers. Ask someone to say random numbers and you write them down. You can also use listening practice apps with number exercises.

10. Poor time management

The DELE A1 has fixed times for each test. Many candidates spend too much time on the first questions and run out of time at the end.

Reference times:

• Reading comprehension: 45 minutes for 4 tasks (~11 min per task)
• Listening comprehension: 20 minutes (the audio sets the pace)
• Written expression: 25 minutes for 2 tasks (~10 min form + ~15 min message)

Solution: Always practice with a timer. If a question blocks you, mark it and move on. Come back at the end if there’s time left.

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