CILS B1 Cittadinanza is the version of the CILS exam that the Università per Stranieri di Siena created for people applying for Italian citizenship. It tests the four skills at CEFR level B1 (listening, reading, writing, speaking) with everyday and civic topics, in a shorter format than the standard CILS B11,5.
At a glance
| CILS B1 Cittadinanza | |
|---|---|
| Run by | Università per Stranieri di Siena, through exam centres in Italy and abroad6 |
| Parts | Listening, reading and grammar, writing, speaking: 12 points each, 48 in total7 |
| Duration | About 2 hours 5 minutes written (with a 15-minute break), plus a 10-minute oral8 |
| Fee | €100 set by Siena; centres abroad often charge more (Stuttgart: €120)1 |
| Sessions | 6 a year: February, April, June, July, October and December4 |
| To pass | Reach the pass mark in each of the four parts; there is no average9 |
| If you fail one part | You retake the whole exam: passed parts are not kept1 |
| Results | About 2–3 months after the exam, online10,5 |
| Certificate | Currently has no expiry date11 |
Is it accepted for citizenship?
Yes. The Interior Ministry lists the Università per Stranieri di Siena (CILS) among the bodies whose certificates prove B1 for citizenship12, and Siena's FAQ says B1 is the level "richiesto anche per la cittadinanza italiana"11.
Two details are worth knowing:
- Exam centres such as the universities of Padova and Venice (Ca' Foscari) state that the B1 Cittadinanza certificate is valid only for the citizenship application, not for university or work5,13. If you also need a certificate for something else, take the standard CILS B1 (called UNO-B1).
- Italian Cultural Institutes abroad state that the standard CILS B1 also meets the requirement, and some now offer only the standard B1: the one in Rio de Janeiro, for example, no longer runs B1 Cittadinanza14,15. Siena itself does not say so on its pages, so if you choose the standard B1, confirm with your consulate or prefecture. The standard B1 is longer, runs only in June and December, and lets you keep passed parts5,9.
Whether you need a certificate at all depends on your situation. See who needs B1 and who is exempt.
The four parts, one by one
The written parts come in this order: listening, then reading, then writing16. Nothing is negatively marked: a wrong or blank answer scores 07.
1. Listening (30 minutes, 12 points)
| Task | What you do | Items | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Short recordings: complete a sentence by choosing 1 of 3 options | 6 | 1 each |
| 2 | Two longer recordings: for each statement, decide whether the information is in the recording or not | 12 | 0.5 each |
Every recording is played twice, and the time to answer is inside the recording17. Texts are dialogues, phone calls, radio programmes, instructions and interviews about daily life, work, school and public services, spoken at medium speed in standard Italian17.
The trap in task 2. "Vero/falso" here means present / not present. A statement is false if the recording says something different or does not say it at all. A statement that sounds likely but was never said is false.
2. Reading and grammar (40 minutes, 12 points)
| Task | What you do | Items | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One informative text (a notice, an article, a public-service page): is each piece of information in the text or not? | 12 | 0.5 each |
| 2 | A text with gaps: choose the right word for each gap from 3 options (vocabulary and grammar) | 6 | 1 each |
Texts are letters, emails, articles, instructions, rules and web pages of 350–500 words17. The statements usually follow the order of the text, so read them alongside it rather than reading the whole text twice.
3. Writing (40 minutes, 12 points)
You write one text of 80–120 words, choosing 1 of 2 topics1. The task is an email or message to ask for information, solve a problem, or give simple information: for example a message to a landlord or an email to your child's school, each with 2–3 points you must cover17,18.
Siena marks it on five criteria7:
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Communicative effectiveness (did you do what the task asked?) | 3 |
| Style (right tone: tu or Lei, opening and closing) | 1 |
| Grammar | 4 |
| Vocabulary (range and accuracy) | 3 |
| Spelling and punctuation | 1 |
Grammar and vocabulary carry 7 of the 12 points, but a fluent text that ignores one of the required points loses effectiveness marks. Cover every point in the prompt, stay inside 80–120 words, and leave five minutes to reread.
4. Speaking (about 10 minutes, 12 points)
The oral is one-to-one with an examiner, and it is recorded and marked in Siena, not by the examiner in the room16.
- Short self-presentation (about 1 minute). The examiner asks a few questions: your name, where you are from, where you live and since when, your work or studies1.
- Conversation (2–3 minutes). You choose 1 of 4 topics. The examiner asks a first question, then follows up on what you say. Topics cover daily life, comparisons between Italy and your country, and public services18.
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Communicative effectiveness | 4 |
| Grammar | 4 |
| Vocabulary | 3 |
| Pronunciation and intonation | 1 |
Pronunciation is worth 1 point of 127. An accent is not a problem; being understood and keeping the conversation going is what scores.
How the pass mark works
Siena's rule is that you must reach the pass threshold in each of the four skills: a strong listening score cannot make up for a weak writing score9.
Fees
Siena's fee is €100, the same in Italy and abroad on paper1. In practice, centres abroad set their own price: the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Stuttgart, for example, charges €120. In Italy, some universities add a €2 marca da bollo (stamp duty)13.
At the Siena centre the fee is not refundable, and it can be moved to a later session only for documented health, study or work reasons19; other centres set their own rules, and some, like IIC Stuttgart, state that registration is binding2. A retake costs the full fee again, because there is no partial retake for this level20.
Dates and registration deadlines
B1 Cittadinanza runs six times a year, more often than the standard B1 (which runs in June and December only)3. A centre does not have to run every session, so check yours.
| Exam date | Siena's registration deadline |
|---|---|
| 3 December 2026 | 24 October 2026 |
| 18 February 2027 | 18 January 2027 |
| 8 April 2027 | 8 March 2027 |
| 10 June 2027 | 1 May 2027 |
| 22 July 2027 | 22 June 2027 |
| 21 October 2027 | 21 September 2027 |
| 2 December 2027 | 23 October 2027 |
These are Siena's deadlines3,4. Many centres close earlier, and popular centres fill up: IIC Stuttgart, for example, closed registration for its October 2026 session more than a month before the exam2. Start looking for a seat two to three months before the date you want.
How to register, step by step
- Find a centre. You register with the exam centre, not with Siena21. Siena keeps a list of centres in Italy (by region) and abroad (by country), usually universities, language schools and Istituti Italiani di Cultura6.
- Check that the centre runs B1 Cittadinanza. Some centres offer only the standard B1: the IICs in Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro, for example, have stopped offering B1 Cittadinanza22,14. In Siena's calendars the exam appears as "B1 C"3,15.
- Prepare your documents. Each centre sets its own list. Expect at least a copy of a valid identity document and proof of payment; some Italian centres also ask for your codice fiscale (tax code)2,13.
- Register and pay before the centre's deadline. Late or incomplete applications are usually refused2.
- Tell the centre about any disability when you register. The centre, not you, sends the medical documents to Siena, which decides the adjustments21.
On exam day
- Bring a valid identity document. You sign an attendance sheet with its number16,8.
- Write with a black pen. Pencil and other colours are not valid16.
- No dictionaries, books, phones or other devices8.
- The oral is usually in the afternoon of the same day, but with many candidates it can be on another day16.
- Copying cancels your exam16.
Results and certificate
Siena says results are published about three months after the exam, with no early marking10. For B1 Cittadinanza, the University of Padova's centre says about two months5. Plan for two to three months, sometimes four.
You check your result online with your CILS matricola (candidate number) and date of birth, and you can download the certificate there. The paper certificate is collected from the centre where you sat the exam10,11. The certificate currently has no expiry date11. If you think a result is wrong, you can ask to see your papers within 30 days of the results going online10.
If you fail a part
For this level, passed parts are not kept (there is no "capitalisation"): if you fail one part, you take the whole exam again at a later session and pay the full fee1,20. That is the biggest difference from the standard CILS B1, where passed parts are kept for 18 months9.
Because results take about two to three months and sessions come roughly every two months, you may have to decide whether to book the next session before you know your result. If one part felt shaky, prepare for it from the day after the exam.
How to prepare
The exam tests B1 in real life: emails to a landlord, notices from the Comune, a conversation about your neighbourhood. Practise in the same format, with the same timers, and get feedback on your writing.
- Work through the 4- or 8-week study plan.
- Practise reading, listening and grammar for free, with explanations in your language.
- Siena publishes a sample paper that shows the format18. Use it once, under exam conditions, near the end of your preparation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the CILS B1 Cittadinanza exam cost?
Siena's fee is €100. Centres abroad often charge more (for example €120 in Stuttgart), and some Italian centres add a €2 stamp duty. A retake costs the full fee again.
What is the pass mark for CILS B1 Cittadinanza?
You must pass each of the four parts separately. Siena does not publish the number for this exam; 7 out of 12 per part is the usual working estimate, but it is not an official figure for this exam.
How long do CILS B1 Cittadinanza results take?
Siena says about three months after the exam; the Padova centre says about two months for B1 Cittadinanza. You see the result online with your CILS candidate number and date of birth.
Can I keep the parts I passed?
No. B1 Cittadinanza does not keep passed parts: if you fail one part, you retake the whole exam. The standard CILS B1 keeps passed parts for 18 months.
Can I take CILS B1 Cittadinanza outside Italy?
Yes, at CILS centres abroad, often an Istituto Italiano di Cultura. Not every centre runs it, so check that yours offers B1 Cittadinanza and not only the standard B1.