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The P.L.I.D.A (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri) is an Italian exam created by the Italian Ministry of Education to test language proficiency at different levels in Italian. It’s intended for people who don’t live or study Italian outside the country, immigrants in Italy or those who apply for Italian Citizenship through marriage or residence.
There are 6 levels of the exam: A1 (beginner), A2 (lower- intermediate), B1 (intermediate), B2 (upper-intermediate), C1 (advanced), C2 (natitve).
The PLIDA exam has four parts:
The reading, listening and writing parts have different durations for each level and take a couple of hours to complete, while the speaking part of the PLDA lasts around 25 minutes.
The speaking practice for the PLIDA has three parts. In the first part, you will be asked to introduce yourself by providing information about where you live and what you do for a living and why you are learning Italian. In the second part, you will be paired with another student and you will have to hold a conversation on a given topic for about 10 minutes. The third and last part will be carried out by students individually and the student will be involved in a conversation with the exam for another 10 minutes.
Because of the current COVID-19, most Italian Language exams, including the PLIDA, are carried out in an oral form. This information has to be confirmed with your chosen examination center.
The typical preparation for every Italian language exam can be divided into two legs.
The CELI 2 is an official Language Certificate issued by the University of Perugia, Italy, to demonstrate to the Italian government, an Italian university institution or an employer in Italy a B1 (intermediate) level of competence in the Italian Language.
The CELI 2 test evaluates the student competencies in listening, reading, speaking, and writing Italian at an intermediate level.
THE CELI 2 Certification will attest that you have mastered the basics of Italian and have now practical language skills for everyday use.
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 CELI 2 exam consists of three “PROVA” and a 10 minute speaking test.
The PROVA A (reading part) consists of 5 short reading exercises with texts to read and filling the gaps exercises.
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)
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.
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:
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)
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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