NAATI CCL Spanish mistakes: what Spanish candidates miss most
In 176 real Spanish–English practice segments marked on naaticcl.com between 15 August 2026 and 21 October 2026, Spanish candidates most often lost words that set the order of events, such as before, after and until: 60.7% of these information points were left out or changed, against 51.8% across all Spanish information points.
- Spanish learners lost 58.7% of information points when interpreting English into Spanish, against 44.8% Spanish into English.
- Next most often lost: numbers and quantities (57.6%) and conditions such as if and unless (55.6%).
- Across all languages on the site, 50.3% of information points were lost.
Last updated 21 October 2026 · 176 Spanish segments · 16 learners · How we counted
Which information Spanish learners lose
The 5 types lost most, with examples
Each example is an original segment from our own Spanish dialogues, the detail to keep and the model interpretation. No learner's answer is shown.
Order of events
60.7% of these information points were left out or changed (84 points in Spanish practice).
Example from our dialogue Acute Infective Conjunctivitis Consultation · segment 6
Entendido, doctora. Le pondré la gota cuatro veces al día durante cinco días y me lavaré las manos antes y después, como usted dice.
Detail to keep: will wash hands before and after
Model interpretation: Understood, doctor. I'll put the drop in four times a day for five days, and I'll wash my hands before and after, as you say.
Note from the model answer: The parent is doing the application ('I'll put the drop in'), not the child; keep both numbers.
How not to miss it: Keep before, after, until and then, and give the steps in the order the speaker gave them.
Numbers and quantities
57.6% of these information points were left out or changed (33 points in Spanish practice).
Example from our dialogue Recovering an Unpaid Uniform Invoice · segment 2
Buenos días, joven. Hice sesenta uniformes para un restaurante aquí en Burwood y me deben tres mil doscientos dólares. Ya pasaron cuatro meses y estoy cansada de llamar.
Detail to keep: 60 uniforms
Model interpretation: Good morning, young man. I made sixty uniforms for a restaurant here in Burwood and they owe me three thousand two hundred dollars. Four months have already gone by and I'm tired of calling.
Note from the model answer: Three numbers in one breath: 60 uniforms, $3,200 and 4 months; don't swap or drop any of them.
How not to miss it: Write the figure down the moment you hear it and say it back with its unit: two sprays, 118 over 76, forty members.
Conditions
55.6% of these information points were left out or changed (36 points in Spanish practice).
Example from our dialogue Maternity Check-up: Glucose Test Scheduling · segment 7
Thursday's visit is only for the blood test, not a full check-up. If your glucose results are normal, we won't need to see you again until thirty-two weeks.
Detail to keep: condition: if glucose results are normal
Model interpretation: La visita del jueves es solo para el análisis de sangre, no es una revisión completa. Si los resultados de glucosa salen normales, no haremos falta verla otra vez hasta las treinta y dos semanas.
Note from the model answer: The conditional 'if results are normal' governs the thirty-two-week follow-up; don't turn it into a certainty.
How not to miss it: Keep the if or unless part attached to the action it controls. Do not turn a condition into a plain statement.
Dates and times
53.5% of these information points were left out or changed (101 points in Spanish practice).
Example from our dialogue Acute Infective Conjunctivitis Consultation · segment 2
Buenos días, doctora. Empezó hace tres días, primero solo picaba, pero ayer amaneció con los párpados pegados por una secreción amarilla espesa.
Detail to keep: yesterday: woke up with eyelids stuck together
Model interpretation: Good morning, doctor. It started three days ago. At first it was just itchy, but yesterday she woke up with her eyelids stuck together from a thick yellow discharge.
Note from the model answer: 'Amaneció con los párpados pegados' means she woke up with her eyelids stuck together, not that the eyes were glued shut all day; keep 'thick'.
How not to miss it: Note day, date and time as one block and keep them as said: next Monday stays next Monday, in two weeks is not soon.
Negatives
50.6% of these information points were left out or changed (77 points in Spanish practice).
Example from our dialogue Acute Infective Conjunctivitis Consultation · segment 1
Take a seat, please. Can you tell me when your right eye first became red, itchy, and started producing that yellow discharge?
Detail to keep: right eye (not left)
Model interpretation: Siéntese, por favor. ¿Me puede decir cuándo empezó a ponerse rojo el ojo derecho, a picarle y a producir esa secreción amarilla?
Note from the model answer: Keep all three symptoms (red, itchy, yellow discharge) and the side: the right eye.
How not to miss it: Check the polarity before you speak. One missed not or no reverses the message.
More
All languages: what NAATI CCL candidates miss most · NAATI CCL Spanish practice · All Spanish dialogues · Common mistakes guide
Practice on naaticcl.com, marked by our AI marker. Not NAATI results.