B2 Italian Language Exam for University Admission

Most universities in Italy require a CELI 3 or CILS B2 certificate for admission.

Level B2 is usually demonstrated by the ability to carry out conversations on known, as well as unknown topics, and to easily understand the main elements of a discussion.

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Which exams are valid for university admission?

In order to obtain admission to an Italian university it is necessary to obtain an official certification attesting to the passing of a B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(CEFR).

CELI and CILS, offered by the University for Foreigners of Perugia and of the University of Foreigners of Siena, are official qualifications recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Level B2 – intermediate – of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(CEFR) is equivalent to level CELI 3 and level CILS B2

Equivalence of CELI and CILS Certifications with the Common Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):

LEVEL CELI CILS Test your Italian
A1 – basic CELI IMPATTO CILS A1 Italian Test A1
A2 – elementary CELI 1 CILS A2 Italian Test A2
B1 – intermediate CELI 2 CILS B1 / CILS B1 Italian Test B1
B2 – upper intermediate CELI 3 CILS B2 Italian Test B2
C1 – advanced CELI 4 CILS C1 Italian Test C1
C2 – mastery CELI 5 CILS C2 Complete Italian Test

CELI 3 and CILS B2 exams

CELI 3

Structure:

  • Reading comprehension (20%)
  • Writing (20%)
  • Linguistic accuracy (10%)
  • Listening comprehension (20%)
  • Speaking (30%)

CELI 3 exam duration: 3 hours 40 minutes

Please note: If one of the two parts, either written or oral, is not passed, you can retake the unsuccessful part within one year after your exam, paying only 70% of the initial price.

CILS B2

Structure:

  • Listening comprehension (20%)
  • Reading comprehension (20%)
  • Analysis of communication structures (20%)
  • Writing (20%)
  • Speaking (20%)

CILS B2 exam duration: 3 hours 40 minutes

Please note: To obtain the CILS certification, the candidate must obtain a passing score on all parts.
The candidate has the right to retake one or more parts of the exam within 18 months of the original exam session, paying only for the part(s) to be retaken.

Costs, Dates, and CELI/CILS centers

CELI

There are three sessions per year, taking place in March, June, and November. You can take the CELI exam at the center closest to you, or in Florence, at our school!

Important: To take the CELI exam, strict deadlines and long waiting times are imposed. Marking the exams can take up to 3 months, while sending the certificate, up to 4 months.

Here, at Europass, it costs 120€.

CILS

CILS exams take place various times a year, simultaneously all over the world.

Important: To take the CILS exam it is necessary to respect strict deadlines, for example, the application must be registered at least 45 days before the exam.

It costs 105€, both in Italy and abroad.

Note: Neither CELI nor CILS can be taken online.

CELI/CILS exam preparation

To pass the language exams for university admission, it is not necessary to follow a specific course, with imposed content or a determined method. What is important is to be well-prepared in both writing and speaking.

Since all parts must be completed successfully in order to pass the exam, training (or simply a review) may be necessary, focusing on certain aspects more than others.

For this reason, we offer a free 15-minute online consultation where one of our instructors can help you choose the learning path that best suits your needs in preparing for the exam.

By taking practice exams, you will get used to the exam structure and the time provided to complete it.
Furthermore, by practicing, you can easily check your expected score.

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I took the grammar course during my summer vacation in Florence. I had never learned the Italian language before, but after a month, I can understand many things in daily conversations in Italian. Our professor teaches and speaks to us only in Italian which can help students get used to the language. The school organizes many excursions outside of the class. You can meet many students from various countries.

Amino

I studied Italian at Europass for 11 weeks and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. When I arrived in Florence, I knew very little Italian, and within 11 weeks I reached a good level, I could communicate with Italians proficiently. The lessons were always fun and engaging. They organized excellent afternoon tours of Florence. To sum up, it was an excellent experience, choose Europass!

Joe

I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude for the welcome they give to each student and to appreciate enough the human warmth and professionalism of the teachers working there. The school environment is great, and I really recommend Europass to anyone who wants to learn Italian and feel comfortable while being here.

Maria C.

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