Exam guide
CILS B1 Cittadinanza: how the exam works
CILS B1 Cittadinanza is the version of the CILS B1 exam made for people applying for Italian citizenship. It is set by the Università per Stranieri di Siena and taken in person at an authorised centre, in Italy or abroad. This guide summarises the official syllabus, the prototype paper and the scoring criteria published on the CILS website.
The four parts
| Part | Time | Tasks | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | about 30 min | Task 1: six short recordings, one 3-option question each. Task 2: twelve statements, true if the information is in the recording. | 12 |
| Reading and grammar | 40 min | Task 1: a text and twelve true/false statements. Task 2: a text with six gaps, three options per gap. | 12 |
| Writing | 40 min | One email or message of 80–120 words. You choose one of two topics. | 12 |
| Speaking | about 10 min | A one-minute introduction, then a 2–3 minute conversation with the examiner on a topic you choose from a short list. | 12 |
You must pass every part in the same session. The CILS page states that passed parts cannot be carried over at this level: if you fail one part, you sit the whole exam again. The fee listed on the official page is 100 euros, in Italy and abroad.
Listening
The recordings are everyday conversations, phone calls and short radio-style texts in standard Italian at normal speed, about 400 to 700 words in total. Each recording is played twice, and the time to answer is built into the audio. In task 2, “true” means the information is in what you heard; anything that is not said is “false”, even if it sounds likely.
Reading and grammar
Texts are notices, emails, articles and instructions, 350 to 500 words in all. The true/false task works like listening task 2. The gap-fill checks grammar and vocabulary in context: verb tenses, prepositions, agreement, and the right word for the situation.
How writing is marked
The task is a practical email: asking for information or solving a problem with a service, for example writing to a landlord, a school or an office. Twelve points are split like this:
- Communicative effectiveness3 pt
- Register and style1 pt
- Grammar4 pt
- Vocabulary3 pt
- Spelling and punctuation1 pt
Grammar carries the most points, but answering every point of the task in the right register matters too. Stay between 80 and 120 words.
How speaking is marked
After a short introduction (name, where you live, what you do), the examiner lets you pick a topic and asks follow-up questions. Topics in the official sample include city or country life, healthcare in Italy and in your country, and the documents needed for citizenship. The conversation is recorded and marked out of 12:
- Communicative effectiveness4 pt
- Grammar4 pt
- Vocabulary3 pt
- Pronunciation and intonation1 pt
What grammar to know
The official syllabus lists, among others: articles and adjective agreement, comparatives, personal and relative pronouns, possessives, articulated prepositions, and these verb forms: present, passato prossimo, imperfetto, present infinitive, imperative and present conditional.
How to prepare
- Do at least one full paper under time limits, listening to each recording only twice.
- Practise the true/false rule: mark only what is actually said or written.
- Write several practical emails of 80–120 words and check that you covered every point in the task.
- Prepare a one-minute introduction and opinions on everyday topics: city life, work, health, documents.
Try a full practice paper
Listening with audio, reading, answer explanations and feedback on one writing task. Free.
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