100+ Free CILS C1 Practice Questions
Pass your CILS TRE-C1 — Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language, Level C1 exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.
Ascolto. Trascrizione (intervista a un regista): «Non avrei mai immaginato che un film così piccolo, girato con pochissimi mezzi, potesse incontrare un favore tanto vasto presso il pubblico internazionale.» (Listening. Transcript of an interview with a director: "I would never have imagined that such a small film, shot on a very low budget, could meet with such wide favour among the international audience.") Che cosa esprime il regista? (What does the director express?)
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Key Facts: CILS C1 Exam
CILS TRE-C1 is the advanced (C1) level of the University for Foreigners of Siena's official Italian certificate, testing listening, reading, structures, writing, and speaking; each of the five skills is worth 20 points and needs at least 11 to pass.
Sample CILS C1 Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your CILS C1 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Ascolto. Trascrizione (intervista radiofonica): «Direttore, lei dirige il Salone del Libro da oltre dieci anni. Che cosa rappresenta oggi la figura di Giulio Einaudi per la cultura italiana?» «Einaudi non fu soltanto un grande editore: fu un intellettuale capace di costruire un progetto culturale che ha attraversato tutto il Novecento, mettendo in dialogo scrittori, filosofi e cittadini.» (Listening. Transcript of a radio interview: "Director, you have led the Book Fair for over ten years. What does the figure of Giulio Einaudi represent for Italian culture today?" "Einaudi was not only a great publisher: he was an intellectual able to build a cultural project that spanned the whole twentieth century, putting writers, philosophers and citizens in dialogue.") Secondo il direttore, Einaudi viene ricordato soprattutto come (According to the director, Einaudi is remembered above all as)
2Ascolto. Trascrizione: «Il nuovo programma di Alberto Angela mi ha entusiasmato perché riesce a rendere la storia più fruibile e divertente, senza mai banalizzarla: il pubblico impara senza accorgersene.» (Listening. Transcript: "Alberto Angela's new programme thrilled me because it manages to make history more accessible and entertaining, without ever trivialising it: the audience learns without realising it.") Il conduttore apprezza il programma soprattutto perché (The presenter appreciates the programme above all because)
3Ascolto (vero/falso). Trascrizione: «Il Paroliere è un progetto in cui studenti universitari tengono brevi lezioni di cultura italiana partendo da parole chiave della nostra storia, poi mettono alla prova alcuni concorrenti con domande di cultura generale.» (Listening, true/false. Transcript: "Il Paroliere is a project in which university students give short lessons on Italian culture starting from key words of our history, then test some contestants with general-knowledge questions.") Indica l'affermazione VERA secondo il testo. (Indicate the statement that is TRUE according to the text.)
4Ascolto. Trascrizione (conferenza): «Vorrei sgombrare il campo da un equivoco: non sostengo affatto che la lettura digitale sia inferiore a quella su carta. Sostengo, semmai, che le due modalità attivino processi cognitivi differenti.» (Listening. Transcript of a lecture: "I would like to clear up a misunderstanding: I am not at all claiming that digital reading is inferior to paper reading. If anything, I am claiming that the two modes activate different cognitive processes.") La posizione della relatrice è che (The speaker's position is that)
5Ascolto. Trascrizione (notiziario radiofonico): «Il provvedimento entrerà in vigore non appena sarà pubblicato in Gazzetta Ufficiale, presumibilmente entro la fine del mese.» (Listening. Transcript of a radio news bulletin: "The measure will come into force as soon as it is published in the Official Gazette, presumably by the end of the month.") Quando entrerà in vigore il provvedimento? (When will the measure come into force?)
6Ascolto. Trascrizione (intervista): «Più che di crisi del cinema italiano, parlerei di una trasformazione: le sale soffrono, è vero, ma la produzione non è mai stata così vivace.» (Listening. Transcript of an interview: "Rather than a crisis of Italian cinema, I would speak of a transformation: cinemas are suffering, it is true, but production has never been so lively.") Qual è l'atteggiamento dell'intervistato verso il cinema italiano? (What is the interviewee's attitude towards Italian cinema?)
7Ascolto. Trascrizione: «La mostra resterà aperta fino al 30 giugno, con orario continuato dalle 9 alle 19, tranne il lunedì, giorno di chiusura settimanale.» (Listening. Transcript: "The exhibition will remain open until 30 June, continuously from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on Mondays, the weekly closing day.") In quale giorno la mostra è chiusa? (On which day is the exhibition closed?)
8Ascolto. Trascrizione (intervista a una ricercatrice): «Se i finanziamenti fossero stati erogati in tempo, avremmo già concluso la sperimentazione. Purtroppo i ritardi burocratici ci hanno costretti a rinviare tutto di un anno.» (Listening. Transcript of an interview with a researcher: "If the funding had been disbursed on time, we would already have finished the trial. Unfortunately, bureaucratic delays forced us to postpone everything by a year.") Perché la sperimentazione non è ancora conclusa? (Why is the trial not yet finished?)
9Ascolto. Trascrizione (telefonata di servizio): «Buongiorno, la chiamo dall'ufficio prenotazioni: purtroppo il volo delle 14:30 è stato cancellato, ma possiamo riproteggerla sul volo delle 18:00 senza alcun costo aggiuntivo.» (Listening. Transcript of a service phone call: "Good morning, I'm calling from the booking office: unfortunately the 2:30 p.m. flight has been cancelled, but we can rebook you on the 6:00 p.m. flight at no extra cost.") Che cosa propone l'operatore al cliente? (What does the operator propose to the customer?)
10Ascolto. Trascrizione (dibattito): «Non nego che lo smart working abbia i suoi vantaggi; ciò che contesto è l'idea che possa sostituire integralmente il lavoro in presenza in qualsiasi settore.» (Listening. Transcript of a debate: "I do not deny that remote working has its advantages; what I dispute is the idea that it can entirely replace in-person work in any sector.") Che cosa contesta l'oratore? (What does the speaker dispute?)
About the CILS C1 Exam
CILS TRE-C1 is the C1 (advanced) level of the Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera, the official Italian-as-a-foreign-language certificate issued by the Università per Stranieri di Siena. It certifies effective operational proficiency: at this level candidates can communicate not only in everyday situations but also in formal social, academic, and professional contexts, understanding a wide range of long and complex texts and grasping their implicit meaning. The exam assesses five skills of equal weight: Listening, Reading Comprehension, Analysis of Communication Structures, Written Production, and Oral Production. Three of these skills are tested with objective, multiple-choice and transformation items, while writing and speaking are productive tasks rated by examiners. The C1 syllabus expects command of all subjunctive tenses, the passive voice, periodo ipotetico (including the irreal type), gerund and participle constructions, pronominal and phraseological verbs, nominalisation, reported speech, advanced connectives, idiomatic expressions, and register shifts. Recordings and reading texts are authentic in style, drawn from radio, newspapers, lectures, fiction, and regulatory documents. CILS certificates are recognised internationally for university enrolment in Italy, professional purposes, and personal achievement, and each level is autonomous and complete. This practice set focuses on the three objective multiple-choice sections to build accuracy and confidence before test day.
Questions
100 scored questions
Time Limit
About 5 hours of testing in total: Listening ~40 min, Reading Comprehension 1 h 10 min, Analysis of Communication Structures 1 h 15 min, Written Production 1 h 30 min, Oral Production ~15 min, with breaks between sections.
Passing Score
100 points total, split into five skills of 20 points each; a minimum of 11 out of 20 is required in every skill. A failed skill can be retaken within 18 months without repeating the whole exam.
Exam Fee
Varies by centre: approximately 135 euros in Italy and up to roughly 220 US dollars at overseas centres (2026). Per-skill retakes are charged at a reduced fee. Confirm the exact fee with your local CILS centre. (Centro CILS, Università per Stranieri di Siena, administered worldwide via Italian Cultural Institutes and accredited centres.)
CILS C1 Exam Content Outline
Listening (Ascolto)
Three recorded tasks at standard speed from radio, news, lectures, and phone calls, tested by multiple choice and true/false; requires global and analytical comprehension plus inference of speaker intent.
Reading Comprehension (Comprensione della lettura)
Three long, complex texts (1600 to 2000 words) with multiple choice, true/false, and text-reconstruction tasks, demanding detail tracking, inference, and identification of attitudes and opinions.
Analysis of Communication Structures (Analisi delle strutture)
Four objective tasks on connectives, verb tenses, lexis, and transformation, testing the subjunctive, conditionals, passive voice, nominalisation, reported speech, and register.
Written Production (Produzione scritta)
Two writing tasks (for example a short essay and a formal letter) requiring clear, cohesive, well-argued texts. Productive section, not part of this multiple-choice practice bank.
Oral Production (Produzione orale)
Two speaking tasks assessing fluency, coherence, and the ability to explain complex ideas. Productive section, not part of this multiple-choice practice bank.
How to Pass the CILS C1 Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: 100 points total, split into five skills of 20 points each; a minimum of 11 out of 20 is required in every skill. A failed skill can be retaken within 18 months without repeating the whole exam.
- Exam length: 100 questions
- Time limit: About 5 hours of testing in total: Listening ~40 min, Reading Comprehension 1 h 10 min, Analysis of Communication Structures 1 h 15 min, Written Production 1 h 30 min, Oral Production ~15 min, with breaks between sections.
- Exam fee: Varies by centre: approximately 135 euros in Italy and up to roughly 220 US dollars at overseas centres (2026). Per-skill retakes are charged at a reduced fee. Confirm the exact fee with your local CILS centre.
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
CILS C1 Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CILS C1 exam and who issues it?
CILS TRE-C1 is the C1 (advanced) level of the Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera, issued by the Centro CILS of the Università per Stranieri di Siena. It certifies effective operational proficiency in Italian for social, academic, and professional contexts.
How is the CILS C1 exam scored and what do I need to pass?
The exam is worth 100 points, divided into five skills of 20 points each: Listening, Reading, Analysis of Communication Structures, Written Production, and Oral Production. You must score at least 11 out of 20 in every skill; a single failed skill can be retaken within 18 months.
Which sections of CILS C1 are multiple choice?
The objective, machine-markable sections are Listening, Reading Comprehension, and Analysis of Communication Structures, which use multiple choice, true/false, cloze, verb completion, and sentence transformation. Written and Oral Production are productive tasks rated by examiners.
How long does the CILS C1 exam take?
Testing runs about five hours across the day: Listening around 40 minutes, Reading Comprehension 1 hour 10 minutes, Analysis of Communication Structures 1 hour 15 minutes, Written Production 1 hour 30 minutes, and Oral Production about 15 minutes, with breaks between sections.
When can I take the CILS exam in 2026?
The Università per Stranieri di Siena holds CILS sessions on fixed dates each year; in 2026 the main sessions for C1 are on 16 June and 3 December, with an additional April session limited to some levels. Confirm dates and registration deadlines with your local exam centre.
What grammar should I master for CILS C1?
The C1 syllabus expects all subjunctive tenses, the conditional and irreal hypotheticals (periodo ipotetico), the passive voice (including the 'andare' and 'si' passives), gerund and participle constructions, pronominal and phraseological verbs, nominalisation, reported speech, advanced connectives, and idioms with register awareness.