ALCE | Accademia Lingue e Culture Europee

Examination courses

Officialise your level by taking an Italian language exam

EXAM COURSES : certification descriptions & ALCE courses

ALCE is an OFFICIAL Examination Centre for:

1. CILS, Authorised by UnistraSI - University for foreigners at Siena

2. CELI, Authorised by UnistraPG - University for foreigners at Perugia

3. CERT.IT, Authorised by Università Roma TRE

ALCE is also an authorised Examination Centre for:

4. AIL - ACCADEMIA ITALIANA DI LINGUA (Italian Language Certification Board), and authorised “DIPLOMA FIRENZE / AIL”

Why should we take a certification?

Avital positive influence on your educational process!
We must remember that learning is a process and you should do everything that is possible to make this process easy, uninterrupted and systematic. When you prepare for a certification exam, you do it much better and more intensively than when you do so purely for pleasure.

A stronger position on the labour market:
Whenever your resume suggests that you have certain skills or that you know programming languages – you will need to prove it CILS and CELI Certifications are officially recognized by Law by the Italian Ministry of Education and both are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Learning Teaching, Assessment of the Council of Europe) and the ALTE Framework.

Legally recognized Certifications are valid for:

- Enrolling to Italian Universities without having to pass the Proficiency Language Exam
(CILS DUE-B2/ CELI 3 exam)
- Teaching Italian in primary and secondary schools in Italy (CILS QUATTRO-C2 / CELI 5)
- Being listed in the European Language Portfolio
- Being listed in C.V. for job search as a legally recognized Certification of knowledge of the Italian language
- Being Internationally recognised by International Institutions.
- Being easily comparable with other international Language Certification, according to the ALTE Framework.

Which certification to choose?

The 3 universities exams (Siena, Perugia & Roma TRE) are recognised by Ministry of Education and Research and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (public entity), which means the certifications are officially accepted.
It does not really matter this which exam you choose and take, they have exactly the same value. People usually choose an exam according the dates that suit them the best.

IMPORTANT: the result/certificates do not have an expiry date whatever exam you choose and take.

Whereas the AIL, which is a private institution, issues The Italian Language Diplomas "Firenze".. It is though widely accepted, especially for work.


ALCE exam preparation courses

30 hours per week - 2, 4 or 6 weeks

This course will prepare you to the language examination you need. It is dense and complete and will require additional self-study! All courses include daily homework & regular test and exam simulations

The preparation course can be done in different lengths. It depends on the student’s level, past in learning Italian and competences:

6-week-course:

First 4 weeks: 20 hours minimum (4 lessons per day) of general Italian (our GI23 ) already CILS oriented
+ last 2 weeks: 20 + 10 hours (6 lessons per day): 20 hours of lessons General Italian + 10 of exam preparation

4-week-course:

First 2 weeks: 20 hours minimum (4 lessons per day) of general Italian (our GI23 ) already CILS oriented
+ last 2 weeks: 20 + 10 hours (6 lessons per day): 20 hours of lessons General Italian + 10 of exam preparation

2-week-course:

20 + 10 hours (6 lessons per day): 20 hours of lessons General Italian + 10h of exam preparation
NB: The practice part of the exam preparation itself lasts 2 weeks, so someone who already has the endorsed level could only do those last 2 weeks. Otherwise, it is strongly advised to check your level with us to determine how many weeks you would need before the exam preparation so you could pass the exam.


Course fact file:

  • 18 years old+
  • 2, 4 or 6 weeks
  • • Level: according to targeted exam
  • 30 hours: 20 hours of Italian in group in the morning + 10 hours of exam preparation specialisation
  • 9 AM-1:15 PM + 2-4 PM last 2 weeks before the exam
  • 8 maximum per class
  • • Starting dates: 2, 4 and 6 weeks before each exam date (see pricelist for details)

Dates & Fees and/or Apply now

CILS (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera)

The CILS certification is a qualification issued by the University of Siena which declares the level of linguistic and communicative competences in Italian as a foreign language. The exams are designed to assess how learners use Italian to communicate in real-life situations and is officially recognised by the Italian Ministry of Education. The CILS exams offer six levels.

CERT.IR (Certificazione italiano Università Roma TRE)

This is another officially recognised (by the Italian Ministry of Education and foreign affairs) certification of Italian as a foreign language. There is no C1 certificate!

AIL (Accademia Italiana di Lingua)

The Italian Language Diplomas "Firenze" are a qualification of Italian language offered by the Accademia Italiana di Lingua. Diploma examinations "Firenze" in written and spoken Italian for the various ability levels are held four times a year in European examination centers.
The AIL has created different levels of certification according to the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). Every level certifies the actual candidate's level of knowledge. The AIL focuses more on the practical aspects of communication and on the ability to use the language effectively and appropriately in real-life situations.

CELI Certificato di conoscenza della Lingua Italiana)

The CELI is an internationally recognised qualification of the Italian language destined for foreigners wanting to validate their relative Italian fluency, offered by the Università per Stranieri di Perugia. It is accepted as an official qualification notably by the Italian Ministry of Education and Research and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


EXAM SESSIONS:

  • CELI: March, June and November (deadline for registration : 40 days before the exam)
  • CERT.IT: May, June, July, September and November (deadline for registration : 60 days before the exam)
  • AIL: April, July, September, December + extraordinary dates available every month on demand (deadline for registration : 30 days before the exam)