CILS exams at the Italian Institute of Culture – Edinburgh
CILS is a certification of proficiency in Italian as a foreign language offered by the Università per Stranieri di Siena (more info on the CILS website).
The Italian Institute of Culture in Edinburgh is a recognized centre of CILS exams. More information on how to enrol and exam dates are available below.
Next exam date: 9 April 2025 (levels A2, B1, B2, C1 – only for aspiring medical residents)
Deadline for registrations: 5 March 2025, 11:00 a.m.
Students of Italian, people working with Italy or want to obtain a long-stay permit, people who want to have their competence in Italian assessed can take a CILS certification exam. The CILS Certification tests are not linked to particular methods or types of language courses: each candidate can prepare for the CILS certification exams in the way they consider most appropriate and most suitable.
The CILS certification system covers six levels of linguistic-communicative competence as per the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Each CILS level is autonomous, the levels assess progressively higher linguistic-communicative competence.
Each CILS exam assesses five language skills: listening skills, reading comprehension, written production, oral production, analysis of the structures of communication in Italian. To obtain the certificate it is necessary to reach a sufficiency level in each skill.
It is not necessary to have any particular qualifications to take the CILS exam, but only a knowledge of the Italian language corresponding to the parameters indicated for each CILS level.
How to enrol
Candidates may enrol directly in the exam of their choice, according to their level and without conditions.
Please email corsi.iicedimburgo@esteri.it to request the CILS application form. The CILS application form must be filled in and sent with a legible photocopy of ID (passport, ID card). An application fee is required in order to take the exam. More information will be provided by email.
It is recommended to indicate whether the candidate has already taken CILS examinations. In this case, the matriculation number already held should be used for registration.