CILS Certification

CILS is the only internationally recognised qualification in the Italian language showing competency in writing and speaking and is open to anyone. The exam can be taken at the University of Siena which is the main examining centre of this certificate. A level 2 pass in this exam is a minimum entry requirement for all non-native speakers of Italian who wish to attend university in Italy. This exam is also a prerequisite for Italian nationals living abroad who wish to come back and study in Italy. It is not necessary to have passed other exams in Italian in order to sit the paper.
his certificate can be used for work or study and each level represents specific knowledge not only in grammar but in communicative Italian for certain situations. This certificate is a necessary prerequisite for some jobs in Italy or in some Italian companies abroad.
CILS is also a passport to university admission. If you are credited with a level two you can bypass the preliminary entry test of all universities. To be awarded a place at an Italian university it is necessary to gain at least a level two, however at levels 3 and above you can be awarded extra credits on modular courses thereby lessening the number of written exams taken. Furthermore level four allows you to teach Italian abroad.
The exam can be taken twice a year, once at the beginning June and December at the same time throughout the world. At Il Mondo we begin preparation for this exam in September and March.