Listening · CILS B1 Cittadinanza
Italian B1 citizenship listening test practice
On testb1cittadinanza.com you practise the listening part of the Italian B1 citizenship exam (CILS B1 Cittadinanza) for free: 2 tasks, 18 questions, about 30 minutes, 12 points. In the exam each recording is played twice; here you can replay as often as you like, check your answers and read the transcript.
| Task | What you do | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | 6 short recordings; complete one sentence for each, choosing A, B or C | 6 × 1 = 6 |
| Task 2 | 2 longer texts and 12 statements: vero (true) if the information is in the recording, falso (false) if it is not | 12 × 0.5 = 6 |
Task 1: multiple choice
Six short everyday conversations. Complete each sentence with the right option.
Ascolta i testi. Poi completa le frasi. Scegli una delle tre proposte di completamento.
Listen to six short conversations. Complete each sentence by choosing A, B or C.
Here you can replay as often as you like. In the exam each recording is played twice.
1. La signora
2. Il signore
3. Marco propone di
4. Il signor Benali telefona per
5. Il signore
6. La signora Rossi
Task 2: true or false
Two texts, for example a radio notice and a person telling their story. "Vero" means the information is said in the recording.
Ascolta i testi. Poi leggi le informazioni. Indica se le informazioni sono presenti (vero) o non presenti (falso) nei testi che ascolti.
Listen to two short texts. Mark each statement true if the information is in the text, false if it is not.
Here you can replay as often as you like. In the exam each recording is played twice.
1. La biblioteca ha aperto da poco tempo.
2. La biblioteca è chiusa la domenica.
3. Nella biblioteca si possono vedere film il venerdì sera.
4. Ci sono attività per bambini piccoli.
5. La tessera costa dieci euro all'anno.
6. Per avere la tessera bisogna mostrare un documento.
7. Sempre più persone vanno al lavoro in bicicletta.
8. Molti scelgono la bicicletta per spendere meno.
9. Paola lavora in un negozio in periferia.
10. Prima Paola andava al lavoro in macchina.
11. Quando piove forte Paola va al lavoro a piedi.
12. Paola ha comprato una bicicletta elettrica.
Five listening tips
- Before the audio starts, read the questions and underline key words: numbers, days, times, places.
- In task 1 all three options are often mentioned. Listen to the end: the right answer is what the person decides, not the first thing you hear.
- In task 2 do not guess from common sense: if something is not said, it is false even if it sounds likely.
- Use the second listening only to check the answers you are unsure about.
- Answer every question: under the official criteria a wrong answer and a blank both score 0, so a guess costs nothing.
Listening FAQ
How many times is each recording played in the CILS B1 citizenship exam?
Twice. The official syllabus says the texts are played twice and the time to answer is included in the recording.
How long is the listening part?
About 30 minutes for 2 tasks and 18 questions. The texts are in standard Italian at medium speed, about 400–700 words in total.
How is listening scored?
Task 1: 1 point per correct answer (up to 6). Task 2: 0.5 points per correct answer (up to 6). Total 12. A wrong or blank answer scores 0.
How many points do I need in listening?
We use 7 out of 12 as the target: it is the pass mark CILS publishes for its other exams scored out of 12 per part. Confirm the current rule with your exam centre.
Sources: official CILS B1 Cittadinanza syllabus, scoring criteria (Università per Stranieri di Siena).