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Italian Language Test: CILS, CELI and PLIDA
By Language Lab editorial team
Italian language tests explained: the four official certificates, CILS levels A1 to C2, 2026 and 2027 exam dates, scoring, results and which level you need.
Italy has four official certifications of Italian as a foreign language, grouped in the association CLIQ: CILS from the University for Foreigners of Siena, CELI from the University for Foreigners of Perugia, CERT.IT from Roma Tre University and PLIDA from the Dante Alighieri Society. All follow the levels of the Common European Framework. Taking CILS as the example, there are six levels from A1 to C2; the remaining 2026 session for all levels is 3 December, with registration by 24 October; you must reach the pass threshold in every skill; results arrive about three months after the exam; and the certificate currently has no expiry date. The Siena centre notes that B1 is the level required for Italian citizenship and B2 is valid for study and work in Italy.
The four official certificates
| Certificate | Issued by |
|---|---|
| CILS | University for Foreigners of Siena |
| CELI | University for Foreigners of Perugia |
| CERT.IT | Roma Tre University |
| PLIDA | Dante Alighieri Society |
Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that these four bodies form the association Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità, known as CLIQ, created to ensure a quality system for certifying Italian in line with the Council of Europe's framework. A table published by CLIQ shows how each body's certificates match the European levels. In practice, check which certificate the university, employer or office you are dealing with names, and take that one.
CILS levels
| CILS exam | Level | The Siena centre's guidance |
|---|---|---|
| CILS A1 | A1 | Beginner |
| CILS A2 | A2 | Beginner |
| CILS UNO-B1 | B1 | The level of autonomy; also required for Italian citizenship |
| CILS DUE-B2 | B2 | Intermediate; valid for study and work in Italy |
| CILS TRE-C1 | C1 | Advanced; for academic or professional settings |
| CILS QUATTRO-C2 | C2 | Advanced; for academic or professional settings |
CILS describes itself as a qualification issued by the University for Foreigners of Siena that attests your communicative competence in Italian as a second language. Anyone can sit it: all foreign citizens, and Italian citizens resident abroad, with no age limit. You do not need any particular qualification, and you do not have to pass a lower level first.
Exam dates
| Level (standard exam) | 2026 sessions | 2027 sessions |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 16 June, 3 December | 10 June, 2 December |
| A2 | 14 April, 16 June, 21 October, 3 December | 8 April, 10 June, 21 October, 2 December |
| B1 | 16 June, 3 December | 10 June, 2 December |
| B2 | 14 April, 16 June, 3 December | 8 April, 10 June, 2 December |
| C1 | 16 June, 3 December | 10 June, 2 December |
| C2 | 16 June, 3 December | 10 June, 2 December |
There are also dedicated versions with their own calendars, including A1 and A2 exams for children, adolescents and integration, and B1 variants labelled B1 A and B1 C, some of which run on extra dates in February, April, July and October. Registration deadlines are fixed for each session: for 3 December 2026 you must register by 24 October, and for the first 2027 session on 18 February, by 18 January. You register with the exam centre you choose, not with Siena directly.
What happens on the day
- You are identified with an identity document and sign the attendance sheet.
- The exam begins with the listening tests.
- Reading follows, then the tests on the analysis of communication structures.
- Then comes written production.
- The oral tests are usually held in the afternoon of the same day: a conversation with the examiner and a monologue. Both are recorded.
Answers go on an answer sheet, and you must write in black pen only.
Scoring, results and retakes
- Marking is done centrally at the CILS Centre, including the recorded oral tests.
- The total score is out of 60 at levels A1 and A2 and out of 100 at B1, B2, C1 and C2. Each skill is scored separately.
- To gain the certificate you must reach the pass threshold in every skill.
- If you pass some skills but not others, you receive an attestation showing which you passed. Within 18 months you can sit the same exam again and take only the skills you did not pass, even at a different centre.
- Results are communicated about 3 months after the exam date.
- The certificate currently has no expiry date.
Which level do you need?
- For Italian citizenship: B1, according to the Siena centre. Confirm the current requirement with the office handling your application.
- For study or work in Italy: B2 is described as valid for both.
- For academic or professional use at a high level: C1 or C2.
- For a first milestone: A1 or A2.
How to prepare
- Use the official sample exams published by the CILS Centre, or its online practice sessions.
- Prepare every skill, since each has its own pass threshold.
- Practise the monologue and the conversation aloud; they are a separate part of the exam.
- Test yourself instead of rereading. A 2013 review of learning research rated practice testing and distributed practice as high utility.
- Build general Italian with free courses: The Open University's Getting started with Italian 1, 2 and 3 take 8 hours each.
Language Lab's Italian course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, useful practice for the conversation part of the exam.
Frequently asked
What is the official Italian language test?
There are four official certifications grouped in the CLIQ association: CILS (Siena), CELI (Perugia), CERT.IT (Roma Tre) and PLIDA (Dante Alighieri Society).
What Italian level is needed for citizenship?
The CILS Centre in Siena describes B1 as the level required for Italian citizenship. Check the current rule with the authority handling your application.
When is the next CILS exam?
The next session for all levels is 3 December 2026, with registration by 24 October. The A2 standard exam and the B1 C variant are also held on 21 October 2026. In 2027 the main sessions are 10 June and 2 December.
Does the CILS certificate expire?
The CILS Centre says it currently has no expiry date.
How long do CILS results take?
About 3 months from the date of the exam.
What if I fail one part of the CILS exam?
You receive an attestation listing the skills you passed, and within 18 months you can retake only the skills you did not pass.
Who can take the CILS exam?
All foreign citizens and Italian citizens resident abroad, with no age limit and no need to have passed a lower level.
Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Certification; University for Foreigners of Siena, CILS Centre: FAQ, I livelli CILS, Come si svolgono gli esami CILS, La valutazione, Le date degli esami 2026 and 2027; The Open University, OpenLearn, Getting started with Italian 1–3; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Piazza del Campo, Siena, Berthold Werner / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
