If you wish to work or study in Portugal, you'll generally need to prove to the organization or institution that you have the required level of Portuguese before applying. You must pass the CAPLE exam in order to accomplish this. On behalf of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the University of Lisbon and the Instituto Cames (the global organization for the promotion of Portuguese language and culture) administer the CAPLE, a certificate of competency in European Portuguese. The best approach to ensure you are properly prepared for the CAPLE exam is to work on it with a Portuguese instructor who can help you learn all the abilities necessary to ace the examination.
The CAPLE exam is briefly described below.
Eligibility & How to Apply
To be eligible to take the CAPLE exam, you need to be 14 or older, and not be a native Portuguese speaker. If you are from a non-Portuguese speaking country, you automatically qualify. If not, you need to fulfill two of the following conditions:
- Your parents’ first language is not Portuguese.
- Portuguese is not your first language.
- Portuguese is not your main language of communication.
- All or part of your basic or secondary education was not in Portuguese.
Registration takes place throughout year by filling out an online form. The exam takes place in May, July, and November at all test centers, and is also offered in Lisbon only in February, March, August, September, and October.
CAPLE Exam Levels
There are six CAPLE exams you can take, which are aligned with the six CEFRL (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) proficiency levels numbered A1-C2. Each different exam certifies a different level of proficiency.
A1 - ACESSO (Access to Portuguese). Not available at some test centers. Certifies that the speaker can communicate in a basic way in a limited range of situations. Indicates a limited grasp of basic Portuguese.
A2 - CIPLE (Initial level). Certifies that the speaker can interact in situations requiring a limited level of Portuguese proficiency. Indicates an elementary understanding of Portuguese.
B1 - DEPLE (Elementary level). Certifies that the speaker can interact in a limited range of predictable everyday situations. Indicates a lower-intermediate level of Portuguese.
B2 - DIPLE (Intermediate level). Certifies that the speaker is capable of interacting in everyday work and study situations that mostly require a predictable use of Portuguese. Indicates a strong grasp of intermediate-level Portuguese.
C1 - DAPLE (Advanced level). Certifies that the speaker is capable of interacting in a varied range of less predictable situations–however, some difficulties may occur when encountering idiomatic usage or cultural references. Indicates advanced Portuguese proficiency.
C2 - DUPLE (University level). Certifies that the speaker can use Portuguese creatively and can adapt to unpredictable situations, indicating a near-native level of proficiency.
Test Format
Depending on the level, the CAPLE exam is broken into either four or five parts.
Reading Comprehension: Read and understand provided texts, and answer questions about them.
Written Production and Interaction: Fill out forms and enter personal information, and write texts such as private letters and notes.
Structural Competence (DIPLE, DAPLE, and DUPLE only): Fill in blanks in texts with appropriate words, or correct and reorganize texts containing errors.
Oral Comprehension: Listen to conversations and interactions, and answer questions based on them.
Oral Production and Interaction: Take part in conversations with the examiner, with other candidates, or both.
Scoring
The CAPLE exam is scored from 0-100%. There are three different pass levels, and if you score less than 55% you have failed the exam. The result categories are shown below.
Between 85% and 100%: Very Good
Between 70% and 84%: Good
Between 55% and 69%: Sufficient
Between 0% and 54%: Fail
More from
Languages
category
