TANDEM Madrid Examination Centre:
In September the CCSE exams start again, are you ready?
Last Thursday 29th September 2016 we started again the CCSE exams at TANDEM Madrid, which as an examination centre associated to the Instituto Cervantes, is breaking records of participation in each exam, with hundreds of candidates taking the exam with us.
Since the CCSE exam has become a prerequisite for obtaining Spanish nationalityIn October 2015, TANDEM Madrid has made a great effort to offer all those interested the means and facilities to prepare for both the CCSE and the DELE A2, so that they can take the nationality tests in the best possible place and with personalised attention for each candidate prior to the exam if they so request. This is why we have created our new division, Examination Centre TANDEM Madrid, with courses and resources for the CCSE, DELE A2 and SIELE exams.
At this point, we would like to have a short reflection with you: Is it really necessary to prepare for the CCSE, or is it too easy an exam as some people think?
Many people think that the fact of having lived in Spain for a long time is enough to have (naturally) the knowledge assessed by the CCSE. In some cases and for some people this may be true, but the easy often proves complicated if we underestimate it. As the saying goes, “it’s easy to say, it’s hard to do”.
This was the case of one who – ironically – was denied nationality because he did not know one of Spain’s most famous sayings: “En casa de herrero, cuchillo de palo” (In a blacksmith’s house, a wooden knife). This is an extreme case, and the saying was probably only one of many reasons why he was denied citizenship. But this makes us wonder to what extent we would really be prepared to pass the exam.
It should be borne in mind that the CCSE tests a wide range of knowledge, from curiosities to the Spanish political system, as well as geography, history and other aspects of Spanish culture and society. As it is quite difficult for anyone to be good in all fields, we can have a lot of knowledge in one field but ignore aspects of others. How many of us have read the Spanish Constitution? How many of us know the names of all the important personalities in the country? Would we pass the CCSE, even if we were native Spaniards?
In the short quiz at the end of this article, you can test your CCSE knowledge for a few minutes and find out. If you are taking the exam in the next few months, we will be happy to advise you on anything you need. You can contact us at: examen.nacionalidad@tandem-madrid.com.
For those of you who sat the exam yesterday, Thursday 29th September, we thank you for choosing TANDEM Madrid, and we hope you all pass.
CCSE mini test
Answer these 5 questions, taken from a CCSE exam, and find out how much you know about Spanish society and culture.
