CILS and CELI both certify Italian from A1 to C2, but they are scored differently: Siena gives every ability its own score, while Perugia adds a written and an oral part into one total. This page sets out the sections and scoring of each exam as the two universities publish them, with the two B1 citizenship exams in full detail. If B1 Cittadinanza is your target, the Myndaq CILS B1 Cittadinanza course lets you practise all four abilities it tests. If you are still deciding between the two certificates, start with our CILS and CELI guide.
How Siena builds a CILS exam
The Università per Stranieri di Siena says every CILS exam uses tasks drawn from real-life situations and measures five abilities: listening, reading comprehension, written production, spoken production and the ability to handle the structures of communication in Italian. All papers, including the recorded oral tests, are marked centrally at the CILS Centre in Siena.
On scoring, Siena's evaluation page states that the overall score is 60 points at A1 and A2 and 100 points at B1, B2, C1 and C2, and that each ability receives its own score. To be certified you must reach the sufficiency threshold in every ability. A candidate who misses an ability receives a capitalisation certificate and, within 18 months, can resit only the failed abilities, even at a different centre. Results reach centres and candidates about three months after the exam.
The written tests run in a fixed order (listening, reading, communication structures, writing), and the oral, a conversation plus a monologue, usually follows the same day. The standard levels are CILS A1, A2, UNO-B1, DUE-B2, TRE-C1 and QUATTRO-C2, with separate versions such as A1 and A2 for children, teenagers and integration in Italy, and each has its own sample-paper page.
Standard CILS UNO-B1 as an example
The scoring criteria published with the UNO-B1 sample paper (a June 2017 paper) show how the 100 points are split:
- Listening - three tasks, 20 points
- Reading - three tasks, 20 points
- Communication structures - four completion and multiple-choice tasks with a raw maximum of 24, rescaled to 20
- Writing - two tasks of 100-120 words and 50-80 words, 10 points each, 20 in total
- Speaking - a face-to-face interaction and a one-way monologue, 10 points each, 20 in total
That document gives maximum scores only, not per-ability minimums.
CILS B1 Cittadinanza in detail
B1 Cittadinanza, listed as B1 C in the calendars, is built more simply than UNO-B1. It has four tests instead of five: grammar is folded into the reading test rather than tested on its own. Each test is worth 12 points, so the maximum is 48. The details below come from Siena's current criteria document and the sample booklet, writing sheet and oral prompts on the B1 Cittadinanza page.
Listening - 12 points
- Two tasks, 30 minutes in the sample booklet
- Task 1: multiple choice, 6 items, 1 point each
- Task 2: true/false, 12 items, 0.5 points each
Reading and grammar reflection - 12 points
- Two tasks, 40 minutes in the sample booklet
- Task 1: true/false, 12 items, 0.5 points each
- Task 2: text completion with multiple-choice options, 6 items, 1 point each
In all four objective tasks a wrong or blank answer simply scores zero.
Writing - 12 points
One task, 40 minutes in the sample booklet. You choose one of two topics and write 80 to 120 words. The 12 points are split as follows:
- communicative effectiveness - up to 3
- stylistic appropriateness - up to 1
- morphosyntactic accuracy - up to 4
- lexical range and appropriateness - up to 3
- spelling and punctuation - up to 1
Speaking - 12 points
The oral is individual and recorded. The sample prompts open with a short personal introduction of about one minute, then two tasks. The first is a face-to-face conversation of about two to three minutes on a topic you pick from a list, one of which in the sample is the documents needed for citizenship. The 12 points are split as follows:
- communicative effectiveness - up to 4
- morphosyntactic accuracy - up to 4
- lexical range and appropriateness - up to 3
- pronunciation and intonation - up to 1
What the official documents say about passing
Siena's B1 Cittadinanza criteria document gives the maximum for every task but no minimum per ability and no overall pass mark. The scores section of Siena's evaluation page, checked on 20 September 2026, states only the general rule that the sufficiency threshold must be reached in every ability, without numbers for this 48-point exam.
Two rules are stated plainly: B1 Cittadinanza does not allow capitalisation, so failing any ability means sitting the whole exam again, and the fee is 100 euros in Italy and abroad. If you see a numeric pass mark for this exam elsewhere, confirm it with your exam centre or the CILS Centre.
CELI levels and how Perugia scores them
The CVCL at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia runs the general CELI series: CELI Impatto (A1), CELI 1 (A2), CELI 2 (B1), CELI 3 (B2), CELI 4 (C1) and CELI 5 (C2). Perugia notes that the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) recognises CELI 3 for enrolment at Italian universities within the quota each university reserves for non-Italian-speaking students. Each level page links its own structure and scoring documents and two sample papers. Separate series exist for adult migrants (CELI Impatto i, CELI 1 i, CELI 2 i cittadinanza) and for teenagers aged 12 to 18 (CELI 1 a, CELI 2 a, CELI 3 a).
CELI 2 at B1 as the general pattern
- Booklet 1, 2 hours - Part A reading (five tasks, 37 items) and Part B writing (a nine-item questionnaire, a short notice of about 50 words, and a letter or email of 90 to 100 words)
- Booklet 2, 20 minutes - Part C listening (three tasks, 33 items)
- Oral, about 10 to 12 minutes - an interview, a photo description and a role play
Parts A and C are converted to 40 points each, Part B is scored out of 40 (5 + 15 + 20), and the oral is marked out of 20 and doubled to 40, so the written part totals 120 and the exam 160. You need at least 72 in the written part and 22 in the oral. Results are graded A (138-160), B (115-137), C (94-114), D (60-93) and E (0-59), and the exam is passed from 94. If you pass only the written or only the oral part, you can keep that result for one year (two sessions) and resit the other part.
CELI 2 i cittadinanza in detail
Perugia lists CELI 2 i cittadinanza as a B1 exam that it describes as valid for meeting the legal requirements under "DLeg. 113/2018", and its oral refers to social and civic life in Italy. The exam lasts 2 hours 30 minutes in total: booklet 1 (reading and writing) has 2 hours, booklet 2 (listening) 20 minutes, and the oral about 10 to 12 minutes, with each of the four parts weighted at 25 per cent.
Reading - Part A, 40 points
- A1: five short informative texts, multiple choice with three options, 5 items, up to 2 points each
- A2: one regulatory text, finding information, 10 items, up to 1.5 points each
- A3: a narrative text to complete with three-option choices, 10 items, up to 1 point each
- A4: sentences in text messages to complete in your own words, 5 items, up to 1 point each
Writing - Part B, 47 points converted to 40
- B1: a blog post with four open questions, answered in 8 to 15 words each, 0 to 3 points per answer (12 in total)
- B2: a formal email of 40 to 50 words, 0 to 15 points, rated on the general CELI 2 scales
- B3: an informal message of 80 to 90 words, 0 to 20 points, rated on the same scales
Listening - Part C, 40 points
- C1 and C2: short informative recordings, multiple choice, 4 items each, 2 points each
- C3: phonetic discrimination, whether each statement appears in the recording in the same words, 12 items, 1 point each
- C4: an interview, whether each statement is said in different words, 8 items, 1.5 points each
Speaking - 40 points
Five tasks: introduce yourself, describe images in detail, make an intercultural comparison, give short explanations on civics topics, and take part in a dialogue. The oral is marked from 4 to 20 and the mark is doubled, giving 8 to 40.
Pass marks
- Written part - passed with 72 or more out of 120
- Oral part - the criteria sheet says it is passed with a score of 11 or more; since the sheet shows both a 20-point and a doubled 40-point scale, ask your exam centre which one the 11 applies to
- Whole exam - passed with 92 or more out of 160, slightly below the 94 needed for general CELI 2
The CELI 2 i criteria sheet does not restate a capitalisation rule, so ask your centre before counting on keeping a partial result.
How often the citizenship formats are tested
Both citizenship exams run on a repeating annual pattern rather than a fixed calendar:
- CILS B1 Cittadinanza - Siena schedules it several times a year, more often than most CILS levels, with enrolment closing roughly a month before each session.
- CELI 2 i cittadinanza - Perugia runs the immigrant series three times a year, in February, May and September, again with enrolment closing about a month ahead. Perugia notes that centres may close enrolment earlier than the published deadline.
Because the exact days move each year, check the current sessions and deadlines on CILS and CELI exam dates and confirm with your centre before you book.
Quick answers
How many points is CILS B1 Cittadinanza out of?
48 points: 12 each for listening, reading with grammar, writing and speaking.
What is the CILS B1 Cittadinanza pass mark?
Siena's criteria document does not print one. The official rule is that you must reach the sufficiency threshold in every ability, and a single failed ability means resitting the whole exam.
What score do I need in CELI 2 i cittadinanza?
At least 72 of 120 in the written part, the oral minimum stated on the criteria sheet, and at least 92 of 160 overall.
Can I keep a part I passed?
In standard CILS, yes, for 18 months. In general CELI 2, for one year (two sessions). In CILS B1 Cittadinanza, no.
