Costa Rica - Passing the Test?

Only Time Will Tell
I'd been studying for the DELE Spanish exam for months.  The DELE is a diploma given by the Spanish government certifying your Spanish competency.  Due to happenstance, I was to be in Costa Rica during the spring exam period, so I signed up to take it in San Jose.  I was to take the B1 test, which is the 3rd of 6 levels and considered intermediate.

I'd been focusing on this test with my teacher for months and when I arrived in Costa Rica two weeks ago I told everyone to stop speaking English to me and I ceased speaking and writing in English, in preparation for the exam.  This morning, earlier than necessary, I made the drive to the test site in Coronado, a small town 10 kilometers northeast of San Jose.  I got to Coronado early so I decided to take a drive around the mountains.  I drove around a bit too long.  I was supposed to arrive at the testing site by 8:30 but at 8:48 I was still driving around in circles trying to find it.  The GPS on my phone kept pointing me to a church parking lot.  I was in a bit of a panic and having a hard time.  Finally, out of desperation, I drove down a narrow driveway 100 yards from the church, hoping for the best.

I waited until the gate opened and drove through, relieved to see the name of the school where I was to take the test: La Academia Tica. Everyone was waiting for me at the door.  They rushed me in, checked my application and passport and I quickly sat at my assigned desk.  There were five of us in total.  I was joined by a Japanese lady living on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and three French kids who'd spent their final year of college on an exchange program in Costa Rica.  We weren't allowed to bring anything in.  They supplied the test, pencil, eraser and pencil sharpener.

Our proctor was a middle aged lady with glasses, her hair pulled tightly into a bun.  She explained the rules in Spanish.  Don't look around, don't talk, take your time, make sure you mark all your answers carefully, etc.  She was extremely professional but to my surprise later unwrapped and ate a granola bar so loudly that I could barely concentrate.  I wanted to get up and smack it out of her hands.  The exam consists of four parts.  The first is a test of reading ability that lasts 70 minutes.  You have to read texts and answer multiple choice questions. As soon as I opened the test booklet, I realized I'd forgotten my reading glasses.  I squinted so hard that I became dizzy.  The second is an aural comprehension test in which you listen to pre-recorded materials and answer multiple choice questions for 45 minutes.

After a 15 minute break, you spend the next hour writing two essays, each about a page long.  The first essay required that you answer an email from a friend who is living in Rome and has invited you to visit.  You have to explain why you cannot come.  The second essay asked you to describe the worst trip of your life and give all the details.  After a one hour lunch break, the final test - speaking.  They take you to a room and let you choose one of two topics.  You have 15 minutes to think and prepare.  By a stroke of luck, I got to pick a topic concerning mobile phone use and whether you think it has gotten out of control - a topic about which I have a lot to say.

After your 15 minutes of prep are up, you're escorted to the exam room where you sit at a desk in front of a examiner while another examiner sits behind you.  After introductions, you have to speak for 3 minutes, uninterrupted, on your chosen topic.  After that, the examiner asks follow up questions about what you've said.  Then, they show you a photo and you have to describe what you see for 2-3 minutes.  The photo was a picture of a family eating dinner.  The final 3 minute part consists of a simulated back and forth dialogue.  I pretended to be looking for a place to hold my parents wedding anniversary party and the examiner played a restaurateur, answering my questions.  I was so relieved when it was over.  I stopped at the first roadside eatery I could find.  I was starving.

I chatted with the owner about the football game on television, the weather and a variety of other things.  It seemed so much easier chatting with this man while I ate.  There's no pressure.  I think I passed the exam, but you never know.  I will find out in about two months.  I wonder how long it will take me to pass the B2, the next level up.....