How to Become CELI 2 Certified

What exactly is CELI 2?

The University of Perugia in Italy has created the CELI 2, an official language certification, to help individuals prove their B1 (intermediate) level of proficiency in the Italian language to the Italian government, Italian academic institutions, and Italian employers.

The CELI 2 test measures a student's proficiency in intermediate-level listening, reading, speaking, and writing Italian.  

The CELI 2 Certification proves that you have mastered the fundamentals of Italian and possess usable language abilities.

How much do you need to know to pass the CELI 2 test?

You should have a solid background of the basics of Italian grammar and thus you should have already reached a B1 level (Italian level B1 is the third level of Italian in the Common European Framework of Reference).

To successfully pass the exam, you should have a solid understanding of intermediate Italian grammar and vocabulary.

Specifically, the CELI 2 focuses on

• The direct and indirect Italian pronouns (e.g. gli dico v lo dico)
• The particules ci e ne (e.g. ne parlo / ci parlo)  
• The double object pronouns (e.g. me lo, te lo, glielo..)  
• The use of most frequent Italian conjugations (anche se, perciò, siccome, quindi, etc..)
• How to use and differentiate the imperfetto from the passato prossimo.

How is the CELI 2 structured?

The CELI 2 exam consists of three “PROVA” and a 10-minute speaking test.  

1. Prova di comprensione della lettura (PROVA A) – reading comprehension (1 hour)

2. Prova di produzione di testi scritti (PROVA B) – writing comprehension (1 hour)

3. Prova di comprensione dell’ascolto (PROVA C) – listening comprehension (20 minutes)

4. Prova di produzione orale (10-12 minutes)

PROVA A

The PROVA A (reading part) consists of 5 short reading exercises with texts to read and filling the gaps exercises.  

PROVA B

The PROVA B (writing part) consists of three short writing assignments: a fictional questionnaire to complete, and two short texts/emails to write (they should be 90-100 words long).

(you will have two hours to complete both tasks)

PROVA C

The PROVA C (listening part) lasts 20 minutes and consists of three short listening prompts. After listening to the audio prompts, you will complete some multiple choices questionnaires about the audios.  

PROVA DI PRODUZIONE ORALE

La prova di produzione orale is the CELI 2 speaking part and will last about 10-12 minutes. Your Italian speaking exam will be recorded. The tested is divided into three short sections, and you will need to:  

1. briefly present yourself

2. carry out a role play with the examiner based on a visual prompt (ex. complain at a restaurant, giving a piece of advice to a friend)  

3. describe a visual prompt – the examiner might ask you questions  

Example of a writing assignment for the CELI 2

“Lei ha trovato un cane randagio. Siccome deve ritornare nel suo Paese e non può portarlo con sé, ha deciso di regalarlo. Scrive allora un annuncio su un giornale italiano”  (90-100 words)

How can I take the exam?

You can take the exam virtually worldwide at any accredited Italian Language Centers or in Italy. Every year there are three sessions in Italy and two in the rest of the world.  You should sign up and pay for the exam with at least one month’s notice.  

The cost of the exam is around 100 euros/120 dollars. It may cost slightly less or more depending on your chosen center for the exam.

You should also know that…

If you pass just two tasks in four, let’s say PARTE A AND C – on your next exam you will need to complete just the other two, and the cost of the whole exam will be reduced.

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