The University of Salamanca, having issued its own certifications in Spanish until 1991, agreed with the Ministry of Education of Spain to undertake the development, production and grading of the examinations leading eventually to the DELE Diplomas.
In 1991, the University of Salamanca, which had previously issued its own diplomas in Spanish, collaborated with the Spanish Ministry of Education to create, produce, and evaluate the tests that would eventually result in the DELE Diplomas.