100+ Free CIMA Arabic Practice Questions
Pass your CIMA — Certificat International de Maitrise en Arabe exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.
اِستَمِع إلى الحِوار ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen to the dialogue, then answer.) الأُمّ: ماذا تَفعَلُ الآنَ يا وَلَدي؟ (The mother: What are you doing now, my son?) الاِبن: أَكتُبُ واجِبي ثُمَّ سَأُذاكِرُ لِلاِمتِحان. (The son: I am writing my homework and then I will study for the exam.) ماذا يَفعَلُ الاِبنُ في هذه اللَّحظة؟ (What is the son doing at this moment?)
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Key Facts: CIMA Arabic Exam
CIMA is the Institut du monde arabe's international certificate of Modern Standard Arabic proficiency, a single leveling test that places candidates from A1 to C2 across listening, reading, writing, and speaking — with listening and reading delivered as multiple-choice papers.
Sample CIMA Arabic Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your CIMA Arabic exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1اِستَمِع إلى الحِوار التالي ثُمَّ أَجِب عن السُّؤال. (Listen to the following dialogue, then answer the question.) الرجُل: صَباحُ الخَير. (The man: Good morning.) المرأة: صَباحُ النور. كَيفَ حالُك؟ (The woman: Good morning. How are you?) ماذا قالَ الرجُل في البِداية؟ (What did the man say at the beginning?)
2اِستَمِع ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen, then answer.) الطِّفل: ما اسمُكِ يا آنِسة؟ (The child: What is your name, miss?) المُعَلِّمة: اسمي فاطِمة. (The teacher: My name is Fatima.) ما اسمُ المُعَلِّمة؟ (What is the teacher's name?)
3اِستَمِع إلى الإعلان ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen to the announcement, then answer.) الإعلان: يُغلَق المَتجَر في الساعة التاسِعة مَساءً. (Announcement: The store closes at nine o'clock in the evening.) متى يُغلَق المَتجَر؟ (When does the store close?)
4اِستَمِع ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen, then answer.) الزائِر: أَينَ المُستَشفى من فَضلِك؟ (The visitor: Where is the hospital, please?) الشُّرطي: المُستَشفى على اليَمين بَعدَ البَنك. (The policeman: The hospital is on the right after the bank.) أَينَ يَقَع المُستَشفى؟ (Where is the hospital located?)
5اِستَمِع ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen, then answer.) الأُم: ماذا تُريد أن تَأكُل؟ (The mother: What do you want to eat?) الاِبن: أُريد الخُبزَ والجُبنَ، من فَضلِك. (The son: I want bread and cheese, please.) ماذا يُريد الاِبن أن يَأكُل؟ (What does the son want to eat?)
6اِستَمِع إلى إعلان المَطار ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen to the airport announcement, then answer.) الإعلان: الرِّحلة رَقم 204 المُتَّجِهة إلى القاهِرة سَتُغادِر من البَوّابة رَقم سَبعة. (Announcement: Flight number 204 to Cairo will depart from gate number seven.) من أَيِّ بَوّابة سَتُغادِر الرِّحلة؟ (From which gate will the flight depart?)
7اِستَمِع إلى الحِوار ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen to the dialogue, then answer.) المُوَظَّف: مَتى تَبدَأ عُطلَتُك؟ (The employee: When does your vacation begin?) الزَّميل: تَبدَأ يَومَ الخَميس القادِم وتَستَمِرّ أُسبوعاً كامِلاً. (The colleague: It begins next Thursday and lasts a full week.) كَم تَستَمِرّ العُطلة؟ (How long does the vacation last?)
8اِستَمِع إلى نَشرة الطَّقس ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen to the weather report, then answer.) النَّشرة: الطَّقسُ غَداً غائِمٌ مع أَمطارٍ خَفيفة في الصَّباح، وتَتَحَسَّن الأَحوال في المَساء. (The report: Tomorrow's weather is cloudy with light rain in the morning, and conditions improve in the evening.) كَيفَ سَيَكون الطَّقس في الصَّباح؟ (What will the weather be like in the morning?)
9اِستَمِع إلى الحِوار ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen to the dialogue, then answer.) الطالِبة: لِماذا تَأَخَّرتَ عن المُحاضَرة؟ (The student (f): Why were you late to the lecture?) الطالِب: لِأَنَّ الحافِلة تَعَطَّلَت في الطَّريق. (The student (m): Because the bus broke down on the way.) لِماذا تَأَخَّرَ الطالِب؟ (Why was the student late?)
10اِستَمِع إلى المُكالَمة الهاتِفية ثُمَّ أَجِب. (Listen to the phone call, then answer.) المُتَّصِل: أُريد أن أَحجِزَ طاوِلةً لِشَخصَين الساعةَ الثامِنة. (The caller: I want to reserve a table for two people at eight o'clock.) المُوَظَّف: عَفواً، الساعة الثامِنة مَحجوزة، لكن لَدَينا طاوِلة الساعةَ التاسِعة. (The employee: Sorry, eight o'clock is booked, but we have a table at nine o'clock.) ماذا اقتَرَحَ المُوَظَّف؟ (What did the employee suggest?)
About the CIMA Arabic Exam
The CIMA (Certificat International de Maitrise en Arabe) is the first internationally recognized certification of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic, created by the Institut du monde arabe in Paris in partnership with France Education International (formerly CIEP). Launched officially in 2019 after a 2015 partnership agreement and a 2018 pilot, CIMA aligns Arabic ability to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), placing candidates anywhere from A1 to C2. Rather than a pass/fail exam, it is a leveling test: the single sitting measures four skills — listening comprehension, reading comprehension, written production, and oral production — and reports an overall CEFR level plus an individual level for each skill. It is offered in two versions, CIMA 1 (A1–B1) and CIMA 2 (B2–C2). The Listening and Reading comprehension papers are entirely multiple-choice; Written and Oral production are constructed-response. The test assesses literary (standard) Arabic, not regional dialects, and is open to candidates aged 15 and over. CIMA is registered with France Competences and recognized by ALTE, and certificates are valid for three years. This free practice bank focuses on the two multiple-choice comprehension papers — listening and reading — with vocabulary and grammar tested in context across the full A1–C2 range so learners can gauge their level before sitting the exam.
Questions
100 scored questions
Time Limit
About 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes total: Listening comprehension ~60 min, Reading comprehension ~50 min, Written production ~60 min, Oral production ~11 min. This practice set focuses on the two multiple-choice comprehension papers.
Passing Score
No pass/fail. Any candidate scoring at least the A1 threshold is certified at an overall CEFR level (A1–C2) with a per-skill level breakdown. CIMA 1 covers A1–B1; CIMA 2 covers B2–C2.
Exam Fee
Set locally by each IMA-accredited examination center and paid directly to that center; the amount varies by country. Confirm the current 2026 fee with your nearest center. (Institut du monde arabe (IMA), Paris, with France Education International (FEI, formerly CIEP))
CIMA Arabic Exam Content Outline
Listening Comprehension — Comprehension de l'oral
Multiple-choice comprehension of spoken Modern Standard Arabic: dialogues, announcements, phone calls, weather and news bulletins, interviews, lectures, and speeches, asking for facts, figures, reasons, opinions, and inferences.
Reading Comprehension — Comprehension de l'ecrit
Multiple-choice comprehension of written Modern Standard Arabic: signs, notices, advertisements, brochures, expository articles, and formal or literary passages, covering main idea, detail, and inference.
Vocabulary in Context
Selecting the fitting word, synonym, antonym, idiom, or collocation, from everyday vocabulary up to abstract and formal lexis.
Grammar in Context
Prepositions, verb conjugation and tense, agreement, pronouns including the dual, broken plurals, case marking, connectors, and word formation tested inside sentences and short texts.
How to Pass the CIMA Arabic Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No pass/fail. Any candidate scoring at least the A1 threshold is certified at an overall CEFR level (A1–C2) with a per-skill level breakdown. CIMA 1 covers A1–B1; CIMA 2 covers B2–C2.
- Exam length: 100 questions
- Time limit: About 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes total: Listening comprehension ~60 min, Reading comprehension ~50 min, Written production ~60 min, Oral production ~11 min. This practice set focuses on the two multiple-choice comprehension papers.
- Exam fee: Set locally by each IMA-accredited examination center and paid directly to that center; the amount varies by country. Confirm the current 2026 fee with your nearest center.
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
CIMA Arabic Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CIMA Arabic certification and who administers it?
CIMA (Certificat International de Maitrise en Arabe) is the first internationally recognized certificate of Modern Standard Arabic proficiency, created and administered by the Institut du monde arabe (IMA) in Paris in partnership with France Education International (formerly CIEP). It places candidates on the CEFR scale from A1 to C2.
Is CIMA one exam or separate exams for each level?
CIMA is a single leveling exam, not separate A, B, and C tests. One sitting measures your level and reports an overall CEFR result. It is offered in two versions: CIMA 1 covers levels A1 to B1, and CIMA 2 covers levels B2 to C2.
Which parts of CIMA are multiple-choice?
The Listening comprehension (Comprehension de l'oral, about 60 minutes) and Reading comprehension (Comprehension de l'ecrit, about 50 minutes) papers are entirely multiple-choice. The Written production and Oral production papers are constructed-response and are not multiple-choice.
Does CIMA test dialect or Modern Standard Arabic?
CIMA tests Modern Standard Arabic (also called literary or standard Arabic), the formal variety used in media, literature, and official communication across the Arab world. It does not test regional spoken dialects.
Is there a pass or fail score on CIMA?
No. CIMA does not pass or fail candidates. Anyone who reaches at least the A1 threshold receives a certificate stating an overall CEFR level and an individual level for each of the four skills. The certificate is valid for three years.
Who can take CIMA and how is it recognized?
CIMA is open to anyone aged 15 or over who wishes to certify their Modern Standard Arabic level. It is registered with France Competences and recognized by ALTE (the Association of Language Testers in Europe), and is offered at accredited examination centers in several countries.