What does the CILS B1 Cittadinanza exam look like?
Four parts: listening (about 30 minutes), reading and grammar (40 minutes), writing (40 minutes, one email of 80–120 words) and speaking (about 10 minutes). Each part is worth 12 points and you must pass all four.
The B1 Cittadinanza exam is for adults living in Italy or abroad who want Italian citizenship. It tests the Italian of everyday life, public settings, work and education.
Listening: 2 tasks (multiple choice and true/false), each recording played twice. Reading: 2 tasks (true/false and a multiple-choice gap fill). Writing: one email on one of two topics. Speaking: a short self-introduction and a dialogue with the examiner.
There is no carrying over of passed parts: if you fail even one skill, you retake the whole exam in a later session. The exam fee is 100 euros.
Sources: CILS, Sillabo B1 Cittadinanza, CILS, Criteri di valutazione B1 Cittadinanza, CILS, Prove Liv. B1 c. Updated 13 November 2026.
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More questions
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