Italian language certification: what and how many?

Do you want to take an exam that can issue you a certificate of participation that certifies your level of Italian? I have two good news for you.

The first is that I can prepare you for the exams. The second is that there are several exams to choose from to have official Italian language certifications valid in Italy and abroad.

In Italy, there are 4 certificates recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education and based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

University for Foreigners of Perugia

The University for Foreigners of Perugia is one of the oldest Italian institutions for teaching and spreading the Italian language and culture.  This university, founded in 1921, has CELI. There are three types: a general one, one dedicated to immigrants with poor schooling and one to adolescents (between 13 and 17 years of age).

For generic certification, there are 6 exam levels, from basic A1 to advanced C2.

For the CELI immigrants certification, there are three levels: A1, A2, B1;

For the accreditation addressed to adolescents, on the other hand, levels A2, B1, B2 are available;

Furthermore, the university offers an additional type of certification called CIC which attests to the Knowledge of Business Italian and is therefore aimed at people who intend to work in business and organizational environments where knowledge of the Italian language is required. Of this, only the intermediate and advanced levels exist.

Usually, there are 2 sessions per year (in June and November) for all levels, plus 3 extra sessions per year (March, June, and November) for just a few levels.

University for Foreigners of Siena

The University for Foreigners of Siena has a very ancient history that has its roots in 1588. Starting in 1917 the first courses in Italian language and culture were organized after the Unification of Italy.

The exam called CILS proposes 6 exam levels, from A1 to C2 and also these certificates are officially recognized by law by the Italian Ministry of Education.

There are 2 sessions per year (in June and December) for all levels.

Università degli studi di Roma tre

Recently considered one of the 100 best emerging universities in the world, this institution was founded in 1992 and is the “youngest” university in Rome.

It is one of the three universities authorized by the MAE to issue the Certificate of Italian as a Foreign Language.

It offers 4 exam levels: A2, B1, B2 and C2 and the dates of the exam sessions depend on the level you choose.

Dante Alighieri Society

The Dante Alighieri Society was founded in 1889 by a group of intellectuals led by the famous poet Giosuè Carducci.

The purpose of this association has always been the promotion, conservation, and love of Italian culture and its language.

It issues a diploma, called PLIDA, which certifies the competence of Italian as a foreign language according to a scale of six levels, from A1 to C2.

The exams take place during 6 annual sessions but to find out the exact dates you need to consult the online calendar.