According to the legislation in force, for foreign citizens applying for the Italian citizenship it is necessary to present a certificate of knowledge of the Italian language at minimum level B1 of the CEFR, issued by an institution officially recognized by the Italian government (such as CILS B1 or CELI Certifications 2) after passing a corresponding exam.

HOW THE B1-CITIZENSHIP EXAM IS CARRIED OUT?

Normally * the CILS B1-Citizenship exam consists of four phases:

• a listening test (The candidate is able to understand the global meaning and the main information present in spoken texts of everyday and general content. time: 30 min.)
• an understanding of reading and grammatical reflection (The candidate knows how to understand the global meaning and the main information present in written texts of everyday and general topics. time: 40 min.)
• a written test (time: 40 min.)
• an oral conversation (The candidate knows how to use Italian spoken appropriately on everyday subjects and familiar topics. time: 15 min.)

* Due to the COVID19 situation, in some recent sessions the exam was limited to only one oral exam.

WHEN YOU CAN’ TAKE THE EXAM?

The dates of the CILS exams are established by the University of Siena. At the ESI headquarters in Den Haag it is possible to take the CILS B1-Citizenship exam normally in the months of February, April, June, October and December. IMPORTANT: you must register at least 30 days before the exam.

HOW MUCH THE EXAM COST?

At the Den Haag headquarters, the registration fee for the CILS B1-Citizenship exams is:

• 120 euro for external candidates

• 100 euro for students of ESI courses

HOW CAN I SIGN UP FOR THE EXAM?

To register for the exam, follow the instructions indicated in the following link: Registration

WHEN I WILL HAVE’ THE RESULTS OF MY EXAMINATION?

The results of the CILS exams are published on a reserved page on the website of the University of Siena after approx 45 days, together with the corresponding certificate in pdf format. The original paper certificates are sent by post to the ESI headquarters after at least 4 months. The pdf certificates are however valid for the citizenship request to the Italian Consular Authorities.

YOU CAN’ REPEAT THE EXAM?

Citizenship exams do not provide for capitalization. If you do not pass the exam, it is necessary to repeat all the tests and pay the exam registration fee again.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAM?

To pass the language exams for citizenship it is not necessary to have followed a specific course, but it is important to have a good preparation both in writing and in speaking. A teacher-assisted preparation can therefore be useful to improve certain aspects.

For this reason, ESI offers potential candidates a online meeting of a few minutes with a teacher, who will freely evaluate the level of preparation and possibly suggest the most suitable path to follow in order to be prepared for the exam. That is, the teacher will help to understand whether or not a review is needed or if it is necessary to follow a more structured course.

Practical examples of exam tests are shown at the link: Examples of CILS exam tests

EXAM PREPARATION COURSES for citizenship

For those who do not have urgency to take the exam for the application for Italian citizenship, ESI offers the usual annual courses collectives of all levels (in particular: Absolute beginners, A1, A2, B1). These courses consist of 30 lessons of 1,5 ore (online or in person) from the end of September to the end of May, for a total duration of 45 ore. Individual cost of the course: 300 € (excluding the book).

For those who already have the basic knowledge of the Italian language and wishes to prepare for the B1-Citizenship exam in a shorter time, ESI offers a course with a total duration of 11 weeks (14 ore). Cost (excluding the book):

• – individual course: 675 €;
• – course of 2 students: 375 €;
• – course of 3 students: 300 €.

For those who are beginners in the Italian language and wishes to prepare for the B1-Citizenship exam, ESI offers two consecutive courses of 11 lessons each (27,5 ore). Cost (excluding the book):

• – individual course: 1250 €;
• – course of 2 students: 700 €;
• – course of 3 students: 600 €.

For the April exam 2023, the next preparation course will start in the week of 9 JANUARY 2023.

For faster courses, ESI proposes various formulas to be agreed on a case by case basis

For any information please contact ESI secretariat (segreteria@scuolaitaliana.nl).