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Leggi il cartello e scegli il significato corretto. "VIETATO FUMARE" (Read the sign and choose the correct meaning. "NO SMOKING")

È vietato entrare. (Entry is forbidden.)

Si può fumare qui. (You can smoke here.)

Non si può fumare qui. (You cannot smoke here.)

È vietato parcheggiare. (Parking is forbidden.)

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Key Facts: CELI 1 (A2) Exam

CELI 1 is the A2-level Italian certificate from the Università per Stranieri di Perugia (CVCL), testing elementary reading, listening, writing, and speaking; this free set covers the objective reading and listening questions.

Sample CELI 1 (A2) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your CELI 1 (A2) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Leggi il cartello e scegli il significato corretto. "VIETATO FUMARE" (Read the sign and choose the correct meaning. "NO SMOKING")

A.Non si può fumare qui. (You cannot smoke here.)

B.Si può fumare qui. (You can smoke here.)

C.È vietato entrare. (Entry is forbidden.)

D.È vietato parcheggiare. (Parking is forbidden.)

Explanation: "Vietato" means 'forbidden/prohibited' and "fumare" means 'to smoke', so the sign tells you that smoking is not allowed in that place. Public-notice comprehension is a core A2 reading task on the CELI 1.

2Leggi l'avviso in un negozio. "ORARIO: lunedì-sabato 9:00-13:00 / 16:00-19:30. Domenica chiuso." Quando è chiuso il negozio tutto il giorno? (Read the notice in a shop. "HOURS: Monday-Saturday 9:00-13:00 / 16:00-19:30. Sunday closed." When is the shop closed all day?)

A.Il sabato (On Saturday)

B.La domenica (On Sunday)

C.Il lunedì (On Monday)

D.Il venerdì (On Friday)

Explanation: The notice says "Domenica chiuso" (Sunday closed), so the shop is closed all day only on Sunday. Reading practical materials such as opening-hours notices is a typical A2 information-retrieval task.

3Completa la frase con la parola giusta. "Ieri ___ andato al cinema con Marco." (Complete the sentence with the correct word. "Yesterday I ___ gone to the cinema with Marco.")

A.ho (I have)

B.sono (I am)

C.hai (you have)

D.è (he/she is)

Explanation: The verb "andare" (to go) forms the passato prossimo with the auxiliary "essere", so the correct form is "sono andato". Movement verbs like andare, venire, and arrivare take essere, and the past participle agrees with the subject. This past-tense usage is central at A2.

4Leggi il messaggio. "Ciao Anna, non posso venire alla festa stasera perché sono malata. Ci vediamo domani. Giulia" Perché Giulia non viene alla festa? (Read the message. "Hi Anna, I can't come to the party tonight because I'm sick. See you tomorrow. Giulia" Why isn't Giulia coming to the party?)

A.Perché lavora (Because she works)

B.Perché è malata (Because she is sick)

C.Perché è in vacanza (Because she is on holiday)

D.Perché non le piace Anna (Because she doesn't like Anna)

Explanation: The message states "perché sono malata" (because I'm sick), giving the clear reason for not attending. Understanding short informal messages and identifying the reason for an action is a key A2 reading skill.

5Scegli la preposizione corretta. "Vado ___ supermercato a comprare il pane." (Choose the correct preposition. "I'm going ___ the supermarket to buy bread.")

A.al (to the)

B.del (of the)

C.dal (from the)

D.nel (in the)

Explanation: To express going to a place you use "a" combined with the article: a + il = "al". So "vado al supermercato" means 'I go to the supermarket'. Mastering the articulated prepositions of movement is a key A2 grammar point.

6Leggi l'annuncio. "Cercasi cameriere per ristorante. Esperienza necessaria. Telefonare al 06 1234567 dalle 15:00 alle 18:00." Che cosa cerca il ristorante? (Read the ad. "Waiter wanted for restaurant. Experience required. Call 06 1234567 from 15:00 to 18:00." What is the restaurant looking for?)

A.Un cuoco (A cook)

B.Un cameriere (A waiter)

C.Un cliente (A customer)

D.Un cassiere (A cashier)

Explanation: "Cercasi cameriere" means 'waiter wanted', so the restaurant is looking for a waiter. Reading job advertisements and identifying the role is a practical A2 reading task related to work life.

7Completa con il verbo al futuro. "Domani ___ a trovare i miei genitori." (Complete with the verb in the future tense. "Tomorrow I ___ to visit my parents.")

A.andrò (I will go)

B.sono andato (I went)

C.vado adesso (I go now)

D.andavo (I used to go)

Explanation: "Domani" (tomorrow) signals a future action, so the simple future "andrò" (I will go) is correct. The future of "andare" is irregular: andrò, andrai, andrà. Recognizing and forming the simple future is an A2 grammar objective.

8Leggi la ricetta breve. "Per fare la pasta: metti l'acqua in una pentola, aggiungi il sale e aspetta che bolle. Poi metti la pasta." Quando metti la pasta? (Read the short recipe. "To make pasta: put the water in a pot, add the salt and wait for it to boil. Then put in the pasta." When do you put in the pasta?)

A.Prima del sale (Before the salt)

B.Quando l'acqua bolle (When the water boils)

C.Prima dell'acqua (Before the water)

D.Dopo dieci ore (After ten hours)

Explanation: The recipe says to wait "che bolle" (for it to boil) and "Poi metti la pasta" (then put in the pasta), so the pasta goes in once the water is boiling. Following a sequence of simple instructions is a typical A2 reading task.

9Scegli l'articolo corretto. "___ studentessa parla con il professore." (Choose the correct article. "___ student (female) is talking with the professor.")

A.Il (The, masc.)

B.La (The, fem.)

C.Lo (The, masc. special)

D.Le (The, fem. plural)

Explanation: "Studentessa" is a feminine singular noun, so it takes the feminine singular article "la". Matching articles to noun gender and number is a fundamental A2 grammar skill.

10Leggi l'orario dei treni. "Treno per Roma: partenza 8:15, arrivo 10:45." Quanto dura il viaggio? (Read the train timetable. "Train to Rome: departure 8:15, arrival 10:45." How long does the journey take?)

A.Un'ora (One hour)

B.Due ore e mezza (Two and a half hours)

C.Tre ore (Three hours)

D.Quattro ore (Four hours)

Explanation: From 8:15 to 10:45 is two hours and thirty minutes, i.e. "due ore e mezza". Reading timetables and calculating simple time differences is a practical A2 reading task.

About the CELI 1 (A2) Exam

CELI 1 is the A2-level exam in the CELI (Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana) system, issued by the Università per Stranieri di Perugia through its language-assessment centre, the CVCL. It certifies that a candidate can use Italian for simple, routine tasks and can begin to take part in everyday social and working life in an Italian-speaking environment: exchanging basic information about themselves, their family and their work, and describing situations and events in a simple way, including in the past. The exam combines objective tasks — multiple choice, matching, and completion — for reading comprehension and listening comprehension, together with a short written-production task and a brief oral interview. In the CELI scale, CELI 1 corresponds to CEFR level A2 (CELI Impatto = A1, CELI 1 = A2, CELI 2 = B1, CELI 3 = B2, CELI 4 = C1, CELI 5 = C2). Exams are offered in three sessions a year — in 2026 on 11 March, 9 June, and 11 November — at a worldwide network of authorized centres, many of them Italian Cultural Institutes. The certificate is recognised internationally as proof of elementary Italian proficiency and is useful for study, work, and integration purposes.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

Written test about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours (reading comprehension and written production) plus a listening section of roughly 15–20 minutes; the oral interview of about 8–10 minutes is held separately.

Passing Score

Awarded only when the candidate reaches the minimum required score in both the written test and the oral test, according to the official CVCL grading and conversion tables.

Exam Fee

Approximately €100 CVCL registration tax (2026), plus any local centre fee. Confirm the total with your authorized examination centre. (Università per Stranieri di Perugia — CVCL (Centro per la Valutazione e le Certificazioni Linguistiche))

CELI 1 (A2) Exam Content Outline

40%

Comprensione della lettura (Reading Comprehension)

Short texts such as signs, notices, instructions, advertisements, schedules, forms, and brief messages, tested through multiple choice, matching, and completion.

40%

Comprensione dell'ascolto (Listening Comprehension)

Short announcements, phone messages, and everyday dialogues about shopping, directions, services, work, and daily routine, tested with multiple-choice and matching items.

15%

Grammar and Vocabulary in use

A2 grammar and lexis embedded in the objective tasks: passato prossimo, simple future, prepositions, articles, pronouns, possessives, comparatives, and everyday vocabulary.

Produzione (Writing and Speaking)

A short written-production task and a brief oral interview; these productive sections are not multiple-choice and are not included in this practice set.

How to Pass the CELI 1 (A2) Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Awarded only when the candidate reaches the minimum required score in both the written test and the oral test, according to the official CVCL grading and conversion tables.
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: Written test about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours (reading comprehension and written production) plus a listening section of roughly 15–20 minutes; the oral interview of about 8–10 minutes is held separately.
Exam fee: Approximately €100 CVCL registration tax (2026), plus any local centre fee. Confirm the total with your authorized examination centre.

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
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CELI 1 (A2) Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the passato prossimo early: learn which verbs take 'avere' and which take 'essere', and practise the agreement of the past participle, since past-tense items appear throughout the A2 exam.

2Practise reading authentic short texts — signs, notices, menus, schedules, ads, and informal messages — because CELI 1 reading is built around these everyday materials.

3Train your listening with short dialogues and announcements about shopping, directions, times, prices, and appointments, focusing on catching key numbers, days, and locations.

4Build everyday and work-life vocabulary in themed groups (clothing, weather, health, transport, professions) so you can match the right word to a situation quickly.

5Review the core A2 grammar systematically: articulated prepositions, articles, direct- and indirect-object pronouns, possessives, comparatives, and the verb 'piacere'.

6Take timed practice tests covering both reading and listening so you get comfortable with the objective task types — multiple choice, matching, and completion — and the exam pacing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CELI 1 and who administers it?

CELI 1 is the A2-level exam in the CELI family of Italian-language certificates, issued by the Università per Stranieri di Perugia through its assessment centre, the CVCL. It certifies elementary Italian ability for simple everyday and work situations.

Which CEFR level is CELI 1?

CELI 1 corresponds to CEFR level A2. In the CELI scale the levels are CELI Impatto (A1), CELI 1 (A2), CELI 2 (B1), CELI 3 (B2), CELI 4 (C1), and CELI 5 (C2), so CELI 1 is the second-lowest level.

What does the CELI 1 (A2) exam include?

It includes a written test with reading comprehension and a short written-production task, a listening comprehension section, and a separate oral interview. Reading and listening use objective tasks: multiple choice, matching, and completion.

When is the CELI exam held in 2026?

In 2026 the CELI exams are offered in three sessions: 11 March, 9 June, and 11 November. CELI 1 (A2) is available in all three sessions. Confirm the exact date and registration deadline with your local examination centre.

How much does the CELI 1 (A2) exam cost?

The CVCL registration tax is approximately €100 (2026). Some authorized centres add a local enrolment or membership fee, so the total can be slightly higher — check directly with the centre where you plan to take the exam.

How do I pass the CELI 1 (A2) exam?

You must reach the minimum required score in both the written test and the oral test. Strong, balanced performance across reading, listening, writing, and speaking is needed, following the official CVCL grading and conversion tables.