Italian B1 test for citizenship: which exam and how to prepare

The Italian B1 test for citizenship is a language certificate at level B1 of the CEFR, the six-level European scale, issued by one of four bodies recognised by the Italian state. You need it if you apply for citizenship by marriage or by residence, unless you fall into one of the exemptions listed below.

B1 is the "independent user" level: you can handle everyday situations, follow the main points of clear speech and write a simple text on a familiar topic. This guide is based on the official public documents of the exam bodies and the Prefettura, read on 7 November 2026. Rules change, so confirm with your consulate or Prefettura before you pay. For other Italian goals and exams, see our Italian language hub.

Who needs the B1 Italian language certificate for citizenship?

Applicants by marriage (article 5 of law 91/1992) and by residence (article 9) need the B1 Italian language certificate. The requirement comes from article 9.1 of that law, added by decree-law 113 of 2018, and it applies to applications filed since December 2018. You upload the certificate with your online application to the Ministry of the Interior.

The Prefettura's declaration form lists the situations that replace the certificate. You don't need to sit the exam if you:

• signed an integration agreement (accordo di integrazione) under article 4-bis of the immigration law
• hold an EU long-term residence permit (permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo); other permits don't count
• have a middle or high school diploma from an Italian school, in Italy or in the Italian school system abroad
• completed a B1 course or a diploma at a CPIA, the state adult education centres
• study or studied at an Italian university, or did a master's or doctorate in Italy
• have serious limits on learning a language because of age, illness or disability, certified by a public health facility

Citizenship by descent is a separate procedure, and the B1 rule in article 9.1 names only articles 5 and 9. A December 2025 bill by former senator Ricardo Merlo, reported by We the Italians, would tie descent claims beyond the grandparents to a B1 exam. It was a proposal, not law, when we checked.

Which Italian B1 exams are accepted for citizenship?

Four certificates are accepted for Italian citizenship: CILS from the Università per Stranieri di Siena, CELI from the Università per Stranieri di Perugia, Cert.IT from Roma Tre, and PLIDA from the Società Dante Alighieri. The Prefettura form names these four bodies and their network of authorised centres. A certificate from a private school outside that network isn't valid.

Verdict: pick the body that has a centre near you with a date that fits your filing plan, because the four certificates carry the same legal value.

Availability decides more than the exam's reputation. Outside Italy, sessions are often run by an Istituto Italiano di Cultura or a local Dante Alighieri committee, and a given centre rarely offers all four exams, so check your nearest one first.

Is the CILS B1 Cittadinanza different from the standard B1 test?

The CILS B1 Cittadinanza is shorter than the standard CILS B1 and tests the same level, but it works only for citizenship. A University of Padua language centre document (2025) sets the two side by side. The citizenship version has 6 tasks instead of 14, and results come faster.

Verdict: take the Cittadinanza version for a faster, lighter exam if citizenship is your only goal, and the standard B1 if you might need the certificate for a job or a university.

The retake rule is the trap. Siena's own page states that "capitalizzazione" (keeping the parts you passed) isn't allowed at this level. A strong reader who freezes in the speaking test pays again and resits all four parts.

How much does the Italian B1 citizenship exam cost, and when can you take it?

The CILS B1 Cittadinanza costs €100 on Siena's page, though centres can charge more: the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Stuttgart asks €120 for its 2026 sessions. Europass, a school in Florence, lists CELI 2 Cittadinanza at €120. Fees are non-refundable once you register, at least in Stuttgart's notice.

Dates are set per centre, and registration closes well before the exam. Stuttgart's two autumn 2026 sessions show the usual gap:

Verdict: count about three months from registration to result, so book the session before you start gathering the rest of your citizenship documents.

How long does it take to prepare for the Italian B1 test?

Preparing for the Italian B1 test takes a few weeks if you already speak everyday Italian, and more than a year from zero. Cambridge estimates 350 to 400 guided hours for B1, a figure written for English learners. At 5 hours a week, that's 16 to 18 months, as our guide to language timelines by weekly hours works out.

The US Foreign Service Institute's archived list puts Italian at 24 weeks and 600 class hours of full-time study for English speakers aiming at professional level, among the shortest on its list. B1 is well below that target. If you already understand Italian well but struggle to answer out loud, most of your preparation belongs on the speaking and writing tasks.

How do you prepare for the B1 citizenship exam with a tutor?

Prepare for the B1 citizenship exam by training each of its parts under exam conditions, with most of the time on your weakest skill. A tutor helps most with the speaking and writing tasks, because those need someone to correct you. Listening and reading you can drill alone with Siena's free past papers.

1. Download the past B1 Cittadinanza papers, audio and answer keys from Siena's CILS site, and sit one full paper with a timer.
2. Mark your score per section and pick the weakest one. With no partial credit, that section decides the result.
3. Book a trial with a tutor who lists CILS or CELI preparation, and ask for one mock speaking task in the first lesson.
4. Write one short text a week on an everyday topic (a letter, a complaint, a description of your town) and have the tutor correct it.
5. Sit a second full paper two weeks before the exam, then spend the last lessons on the section that is still weakest.

On Preply, the average rate for Italian tutors from Italy was $30 an hour, with 4,091 Italian tutors listed, when we checked on 7 November 2026. Our Preply review covers the trial rules and the 28-day billing. If you live in Italy, a B1 title from a CPIA course is itself accepted on the Prefettura form, so ask your local centre what it offers.

Skip paid lessons if you already pass Siena's past papers comfortably in every section. Book the exam instead.

Which Italian B1 exam should you choose for citizenship?

Choose the Italian B1 exam by where you live and what else you need the certificate for. Because every recognised certificate carries the same legal weight, the deciding factors are the nearest centre, the next date and the retake rule.

If you're moving rather than applying yet, our list of first Italian words for daily life covers the first weeks in Italy.