Italian Language Certifications: Differences and Characteristics

Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.
Alexander Graham Bell

When I help my students preparing for an Italian Language Certification exam, I always tell them that the very first thing to do is becoming familiar with the structure and the characteristics of the exam itself.

Being nervous before and during an exam is normal. However, there are some precautions we can take to reduce anxiety. Of course, we have to study and practice, but this alone is not sufficient.

I have noticed that many people don’t pay proper attention to the structure and the characteristics of the examination they have to take. And when the time comes they find themselves a bit lost and insecure.

Therefore, I have decided to create a series of contents dedicated to the Italian Language Certifications, so to allow you to get the big picture and to give you all the information you need in order to decide and be prepared. And succeed, of course!

This first article wants to be an introduction to all the existent Italian Language Certifications – CELI, CILS, PLIDA and cert.it.

CELI, CILS, Cert.it, PLIDA: A General Overview

Together, the University for Foreigners of Perugia (CELI), the University for Foreigners of Siena (CLIS), the University of Roma Tre (Cert.it) and the Dante Alighieri Society (PLIDA) form the CLIQ – Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità (Quality Italian Language Certification).

* Levels:

The University for Foreigners of Perugia has come up with three examination variants:

The ‘standard’ CELI (from A1 up to C2).
The CELI a: Certificate of Italian Language for Adolescents (12-18 years old), for levels A2, B1 and B2.
The CELI i (Certificate of Italian Language for Immigrants), for levels A1, A2, B1.

This differentiation, in essence, was made to adapt the content and input of the examination to the specific needs of those taking it.

The University for Foreigners of Siena (CILS) has chosen to make a division between examination modules:

for adults: A1 to C2,
for children (8-11 years old): A1 and A2,
for adolescents (12-16 years old): A1 to B1,
and for immigrants (A1 to B1).

Finally, the Dante Alighieri Society (PLIDA) has chosen to divide the examination modules simply between:

adults: all levels,
and juniors (13-18 years old): PLIDA Juoniores, up to level B2.

* Examination Centres:

“Capitalisation” of examinations:

All certifications divide the examination into sections corresponding to the four language skills:

written part: reading, writing (plus linguistic competence starting from B1/B2 levels);
oral part: listening and speaking.

The only certification that does not provide for the ‘capitalisation’ of individual parts of the examination papers is the Cert.it of the University of Roma Tre.

On the other hand, CELI, CILS and PLIDA allow candidates who fail one or more parts to ‘freeze’ the parts they have passed and make up the others within a specified period of time. Let’s look at them one by one:

CELI: Each CELI examination is considered passed if the candidate has achieved, in both the written as well as in the oral part, the minimum mark set. Candidates who have not passed the written part (consisting of the following components: Reading Comprehension, Written Production, Linguistic Competence -CELI 3 and above- and Listening Comprehension) and who have passed the oral part instead, or vice versa, may capitalise for one year on the partial result obtained by retaking the test which they have failed within the above-mentioned timeframe, paying 70% of the total fee.
CILS: To obtain CILS certification, the candidate must pass all the skills. If the candidate passes only some skills, the result obtained is capitalised: in a subsequent examination the candidate may only take the tests relating to the skill or skills not passed. Capitalised skills are valid for one year from the date of the first exam taken. N.B. Capitalisation is not provided for the B1-citizenship examination.
PLIDA: An average of 18/30ths in each competency is required to obtain the diploma. Overall, the minimum mark to pass is 72/120, while the maximum mark is 120/120. A candidate who obtains an average of 18/30ths in only one, two or three of the four skills acquires a credit that will enable him/her to revise the skill(s) he/she lacks within 365 days, i.e. no more than two consecutive sessions. In order to register for the remedial sessions, candidates will be required to register partially. The marks obtained in the test(s) passed will be merged with the mark(s) deemed valid in the previous session.

Italian Language Certifications: Levels Required for University, Citizenship and Residence Permit

Studying at Italian universities – B2 Level:

Italian Language Certifications - B2 Level

Foreign students wishing to come to study at an Italian university must necessarily prove that they have a knowledge of Italian equal to or higher than level B2 of the CEFR.

There are two ways to prove this knowledge: taking the language test at the university, or being in possession of an official certificate, issued as part of the CLIQ (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità) quality system, which brings together the current certifying bodies:

University for Foreigners of Perugia (CELI)
University for Foreigners of Siena (CILS)
University of Roma Tre (Cert.it)
Dante Alighieri Society (PLIDA)

Italian Citizenship – B1 Level:

Italian Language Certifications - B1 Level

All B1-level certifications mentioned here are valid for applying for Italian citizenship. Specifically: CELI B1 Cittadinanza, CILS B1 Cittadinanza, Cert.it B1, PLIDA B1.

Long-term Residence Permit – A2 Level:

Italian Language Certifications - A2 Level

In order to obtain a long-term residence permit in Italy, immigrants are required, in addition to other requirements, to prove their knowledge of Italian at least at A2 level.

You can choose between one of the institutions mentioned in this article. CELI 1 i, CILS A2 Integrazione, Cert.it A2, PLIDA A2: all these certifications are valid for the purpose of applying for a long-term residence permit.

CELI (Certificato di conoscenza della lingua italiana)

CELI (Certificate of knowledge of the Italian language) is an official certification issued by the Centre for Language Evaluation and Certification (CVCL) of the University for Foreigners of Perugia.

It is recognised by the Italian Government, accepted worldwide and has no expiry date.

CELI Levels (with facsimiles of the written parts):

CELI Impatto – A1 Level
CELI Impatto i (immigrants) – A1 Level
CELI 1 – A2 Level
CELI 1a (Adolescents) – A2 Level
CELI 1i (immigrants) – A2 Level – required for a long-term residence permit
CELI 2 – B1 Level
CELI 2a (adolescents) – B1 Level
CELI B1 Cittadinanza (immigrants) – B1 level
CELI 3 – B2 Level
CELI 3a (adolescents) – B2 Level
CELI C1
CELI C2

CILS (Certificazione di Italiano Come Lingua Straniera)

CILS (Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language) is an official certification issued by the CILS Centre, a Research and Service Centre of the University for Foreigners of Siena, independent of the Centres where languages are taught.

It is recognised by the Italian Government, accepted worldwide and has no expiry date.

CILS Levels (with facsimiles of the written parts)

CILS A1
CILS A1 Children
CILS A1 Adolescents
CILS A1 Integration (immigrants)
CILS A2
CILS A2 Children
CILS A2 Adolescents
CILS A2 Integration (immigrants) – required for a long-term residence permit
CILS A2 Integration for non-literate candidates (just oral parts)
CILS UNO – B1
CILS B1 Adolescents
CILS B1 Cittadinanza (immigrants)
CILS DUE – B2
CILS TRE – C1
CILS QUATTRO – C2

Cert.it (Certificazione dell’italiano come Lingua Straniera)

Cert.it (Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language) is an official certification issued by the University of Roma Tre.

It is recognised by the Italian Government, accepted worldwide and has no expiry date.

Cert.it Levels (with facsimiles of the written parts)

Although there is no differentiation of tests for immigrant candidates, they can still choose to take Cert.it A2 and Cert.it B1 to apply for a long-term residence permit and Italian citizenship respectively.

PLIDA (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri)

PLIDA (Dante Alighieri Italian Language Project), is a certification officially recognized by the Italian government, issued by the Dante Alighieri Society.

It is recognised by the Italian Government, accepted worldwide and has no expiry date.

N.B. In order to register for the PLIDA examinations, it is mandatory to become a member of the Dante Alighieri Society.

PLIDA Levels (with facsimiles of the written parts)

Although there is no differentiation of tests for immigrant candidates, they can still choose to take PLIDA A2 and PLIDA B1 to apply for a long-term residence permit and Italian citizenship respectively.

Italian Language Certifications: To Be Continued in Future Articles

As promised, I plan to create a series of articles exclusively dedicated to official Italian language examinations.

Today we have seen all the Italian Language Certifications, their main features and differences. I will soon publish more specific articles explaining each of these certifications in more detail.

In addition, I will try to create even more specific content and we will see examples of exam papers together and I will give you tips on how to practise at home by doing exam simulations.

Tell me yours! Which level, or which exam test would you like me to go into?

Italian Language Certifications – CELI, CILS, Cert.it, PLIDA – Differences and Characteristics