About the CIPLE Exam — Structure, Scoring and Everything You Need to Know

The CIPLE (Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira) is the A2-level proficiency exam administered by CAPLE (Centro de Avaliação e Certificação de Português Língua Estrangeira) at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon. It is the language certificate required by the Portuguese government for nationality by naturalisation applications.

A2

CEFR Level

3

Components

55%

Passing grade

85 €

Registration fee

Exam structure

The CIPLE is divided into three components, each with a different weight in the final score.

1. Reading Comprehension and Written Expression

45% of the grade1h15

This is the longest and highest-weighted component. It combines reading and writing in a single test.

Reading: Short everyday texts — ads, messages, notices, e-mails — followed by comprehension questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching).
Writing: Two texts — one short (25–35 words, e.g. a message) and one longer (60–80 words, e.g. an e-mail or informal letter).

2. Listening Comprehension

30% of the grade~30 min

You listen to audio recordings with dialogues and monologues at normal speed and answer questions about what you heard.

Audio recordings are played twice.
Includes everyday dialogues: phone conversations, public announcements, instructions.
Often considered the hardest component — the natural speed of the audio can catch you off guard.

3. Oral Production and Interaction

25% of the grade~15 min

A face-to-face conversation with an examiner (and usually another candidate). It assesses your ability to communicate in Portuguese in practical situations.

Part 1: Personal introduction — talk about yourself, your family, your work or daily routine.
Part 2: Interaction with the other candidate — simulate a situation (arrange a meeting, ask for information, make plans).
Part 3: Conversation with the examiner about an everyday topic.

Scoring and passing grade

To pass

You must meet two requirements simultaneously:

1. Score at least 55% overall on the exam.

2. Score at least 25% in each individual component (minimum 11 points per section).

If you fail the 25% minimum in any single section, the result is "Failed" — even if your total is above 55%.

How scoring works

Each component has a maximum score proportional to its weight:

Reading and Writing: up to 45 points

Listening Comprehension: up to 30 points

Oral Production: up to 25 points

Maximum total: 100 points. Pass: ≥ 55 points, with ≥ 11 in each section.

Final classifications

Very Good

80–100%

Good

65–79%

Sufficient

55–64%

Who needs the CIPLE?

For Portuguese nationality

The CIPLE is the language certificate required by the Portuguese Nationality Regulation for all naturalisation applicants who do not have Portuguese as a native language. Even citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries who were not born in Portugal may need to present it, although exemptions exist for citizens of countries where Portuguese is an official language.

What about the TNIC?

The Portuguese government is developing the TNIC (Teste Nacional de Integração e Cidadania), a new civic integration test for nationality applicants. The TNIC is an additional test — it does not replace the CIPLE. Just as in other EU countries (for example, Denmark's civic exam is separate from its language test), the TNIC will assess knowledge about Portuguese society, while the CIPLE remains the mandatory language exam.

Learn more about the TNIC →

What is the CIPLE exam?