CELI certification overview
CELI is an official title that declares the degree of communicative competence in Italian as a foreign language.
To obtain a residence permit, it is necessary to take the CELI 1 exam.
CELI level 2 is required to obtain Italian citizenship University in Italy.
The Ministry of Education, University, and Research (MIUR) recognizes CELI 3 as proof of proficiency in the Italian language and is valid for purposes of enrollment in an Italian University in Italy.
CELI 4 and CELI 5 are valid qualifications for certifying proficiency in the Italian language on equal terms as native-speaking Italians.
What are the CELI Levels
CELI is divided into 6 proficiency levels based on the model of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). They are recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each level attests to a specific communicative ability that can be applied to different situations and contexts.
CELI certification is for those who study Italian and simply want to measure their competence, for those who want to enter the world of work, for non-European students who want to enroll in a university course in Italy, and for migrants who want to apply for a long-term residence permit.
CELI Impatto
CELI Impatto (CELI Impact) is the lowest level among the six CELI certificates. It is comparable to Level A1 of the CEFR.
The exam is divided into three parts:
- Reading comprehension 25%;
- Written production and interaction 25%;
- Listening comprehension, and production; Oral interaction 50%.
The duration of the CELI Impatto exam is 1 hour and 15 minutes for the reading and writing part and 5-6 minutes for the oral part.
» Check your Italian language level, take our A1 Italian test
CELI 1
CELI 1 (Level A2 of the CEFR) testifies to an elementary level of understanding of the Italian language and the possibility of elaborating simple sentences, but not complete speech.
The exam consists of four parts:
- Comprehension of written texts 25%;
- Production of written texts 15%;
- Comprehension of oral texts 30%;
- Oral production 15%.
The duration of the CELI 1 exam is: 2 hours for the written part, 20 minutes for the comprehension of oral texts, and 10 minutes for the oral production.
» Check your Italian language level, take our A2 Italian test
CELI 2
CELI 2 (Level B1 of the CEFR) refers to an intermediate level that is valid for citizenship.
The exam is divided as follows:
- Comprehension of written texts 25%;
- Production of written texts 25%;
- Comprehension of oral texts 25%;
- Oral production 25%.
The CELI 2 exam lasts 2 hours for the written part, 20 minutes for the comprehension of oral texts, and 15 minutes for oral production.
» Check your Italian language level, take our B1 Italian test
CELI 3
CELI 3 (Level B2 of the CEFR) is also called an upper-intermediate level and it is valid for Italian university admission in Italy.
In this case, the exam is divided into five parts:
- Comprehension of written texts 20%;
- Production of written texts 20%;
- Linguistic competence 10%;
- Comprehension of oral texts 20%;
- Oral production 30%.
The CELI 3 exam lasts more than 3 hours, with 2 hours and 15 minutes for the written part, 1 hour and 10 minutes for linguistic competence and comprehension of oral texts, then, finally, 15 minutes for oral production.
» Check your Italian language level, take our B2 Italian test
CELI 4
CELI 4 (Level C1 of the CEFR) is the first of the two advanced levels and indicates the ability to understand and produce long and complex sentences.
Again, the exam is divided into five parts:
- Comprehension of written texts 20%;
- Production of written texts 30%;
- Linguistic competence 10%;
- Comprehension of oral texts 15%;
- Oral production 25%.
The duration of the CELI 4 exam is 2 hours and 45 minutes for the written part, 1 hour and 40 minutes for linguistic competence and comprehension of oral texts, and 20 minutes for oral production.
» Check your Italian language level, take our C1 Italian test
CELI 5
CELI 5 (Level C2 of the CEFR) is the highest level attainable and indicates linguistic abilities comparable, or almost, to those of a native speaker.
The exam is divided into these parts:
- Comprehension of written texts 20%;
- Production of written texts 30%;
- Linguistic competence 10%;
- Comprehension of oral texts 15%;
- Oral production 25%.
The duration of the CELI 5 exam is almost five hours: 2 hours and 45 minutes for the written part, 1 hour and 40 minutes for linguistic competence and comprehension of oral texts, and 20 minutes for oral production.
The results
In order to take the CELI exam, strict deadlines must be met, and long wait times endured. The correction of the exams takes up to 3 months and the sending of the certificate can take up to 4 months.
CELI exams are considered “a pass” only if the minimum required score has been achieved in both parts (oral and written).
When one of the two parts is insufficient, the partial result obtained can be applied for one year (70% of the total fee must be paid at the second exam session).
For the CELI Impatto and CELI 1 levels, there are two possible outcomes (positive or negative).
For every other level, there are five degrees of judgment:
Positives:
A: excellent;
B: good;
C: sufficient;
Negatives:
D: insufficient;
E: seriously insufficient.
NOTE: CELI certificates do not expire.
Costs, dates, and CELI centers
Registrations must be made at least one month before the start of the exam. The CELI exam sessions for general Italian, scheduled throughout the year, are as follows:
- spring session in March for the first 4 levels (A1-B2)
- summer session in June for all 6 levels (A1-C2)
- autumn session in November for all 6 levels (A1-C2)
The exact dates of the examination sessions are established and published by the CVCL on the University website unistrapg.it
The CELI exam can be taken at an exam center closest to you. Our school in Florence is one of the accredited centers.
Here, at Europass, it costs 120€ for all those that attended one of our courses, and 190€ for all those who didn’t.
CELI exam preparation
To pass the CELI exams it is not necessary to have followed a specific course, with specific content or a specific method, but it is important to be well prepared with respect to the level you want to achieve in both writing and speaking.
Since it is necessary to do well on both parts in order to pass the exam, training (or simply a review) may be necessary, focusing more on some aspects 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 CELI exam.
- Group Online Italian Courses
Join 2 live lessons of 100 minutes each week with students of your level. - Online One-on-One Italian Lessons
Let our experienced trainers guide you in the preparation of your CELI exam. - Group Italian Courses in Florence
Attend 4 Italian lessons each day with a small group of classmates. - Private Italian Courses in Florence
Prepare your CELI exam with the support of an experienced trainers.
During the preparation for the CELI exam, exam sessions can also be simulated, using old CELI exam papers.
This will help you get used to what to expect on the exam, the sequence, and the necessary time needed to succeed. Furthermore, you can easily check your obtained score.
