A2 test
by Alessio · teacher of Italian for foreigners, ITALS master’s in teaching Italian abroad (Ca’ Foscari University, Venice) and a master’s in teaching Italian as a second language (Giustino Fortunato University, Benevento)
If you have been living in Italy for at least five years and you are applying for the EU long-term residence permit (in Italian the permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo), you have to show that your Italian is at A2 level. The test is run by the prefettura, usually in the rooms of a CPIA, and it is free.
It is a gentler exam than most people fear: it lasts one hour, there is no grammar to learn by heart and you never speak in front of a panel. You listen, you read and you write a few lines, the way you would at a counter or in an email.
What you’ll find here
Pick your test date, your weekly hours and your current level: the bar shows instantly whether your plan is realistic.
| Starting level | Hours to A2 | At 5 h/week |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner (A0) | ≈ 200 h | ≈ 9 months |
| A1 started | ≈ 130 h | ≈ 6 months |
| A1 completed | ≈ 90 h | ≈ 4 months |
| Almost A2 | ≈ 40 h | ≈ 2 months |
Estimates for guided study: lessons, readings and exercises count; passive listening counts half. With 90 days and 5 hours a week you have about 65 hours: enough if you are almost at A2, tight from a completed A1, unrealistic from zero. The Ti Amo Italiano app is a full course from A1 onwards, made by a teacher: that is where the guided study hours come from.
You take the test if you are applying for the EU long-term residence permit and none of the exemptions applies to you.
You do not have to take it if:
One point causes endless confusion, so it is worth stating plainly: there is no Italian test for family reunification. If you come to Italy to join a family member, you do not sit it.
The application is filed online only, on the portal of the Italian Ministry of the Interior, with SPID or an Italian electronic identity card. You do not have to go to the prefettura to sign up, and you do not need an agency charging you for it.
After the application the prefettura calls you in within 60 days. The summons goes to the email address you gave, so keep an eye on that inbox, spam folder included.
The Ministry of the Interior portal
The test lasts 60 minutes and is marked out of 100 points. You pass with at least 80 points. There are five tasks, all of them on paper or listening: there is no oral interview.
| 2 listening comprehension tasks | You listen to short recordings and answer questions | 25 minutes |
| 2 reading comprehension tasks | You read short texts and answer questions | 25 minutes |
| 1 written interaction task | You write a short message or fill in a form | 10 minutes |
Candidates who cannot read and write take an additional oral task, worth up to 35 points, which replaces the written interaction task only.
The texts come from ordinary life: a small ad, a notice from school, a message from your employer, a form to fill in. No literature, no grammar questions.
Nothing serious happens, and your permit is not refused because of it: you simply sit it again. You can retake the test after 90 days from the date of the previous one, free of charge again.
A2 is the second of the six European levels: by the end of it you can handle predictable situations, not discuss politics. The grammar pages on this site cover the whole of A1 and A2, explained in English, with exercises that mark themselves.
For the exam itself, what pays off most is practising the real formats: listening to short recordings, reading notices and forms, writing four clear lines. Less abstract grammar, more practice.
A1 grammar, explained in English
A2 grammar, with the exercises
Reading practice with questions, like the comprehension task
They are two different exams and they get mixed up constantly. A2 is for the EU long-term residence permit: you take it at the prefettura, it is free and the State organises it. B1 is for citizenship: it is a certificate you buy from a recognised body (CILS, CELI, PLIDA, Roma Tre) and you pay for it.
If you already hold the EU long-term residence permit, you may be exempt from B1 for citizenship: the rule provides for it, but the prefetture apply it unevenly. Ask your own prefettura to confirm before you pay for an exam.
The B1 exam for Italian citizenship
You read a notice, answer three questions and fill in a form: exactly what the real test asks for.
Read the notice and choose the right answer.
| SCUOLA PRIMARIA «G. RODARI» Le iscrizioni per l’anno 2026/2027 sono aperte dal 7 al 28 gennaio. La segreteria riceve il lunedì e il giovedì, dalle 9.00 alle 12.00. Per iscrivere un bambino servono: documento del genitore, codice fiscale del bambino e certificato di residenza. |
Fill in the form with the details from the text.
Mi chiamo Ana Silva, sono nata il 3 marzo 1990 a Lisbona. Abito a Torino, in via Garibaldi 12.
Ti has the full course from A1 to C2 and B1 exam simulations for the citizenship requirement: complete tests, marked instantly.
Half the course free, no sign-up
★★★★★(7)by Alessio, a teacher since 2018
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No. The test at the prefettura is free, and retaking it is free too. You only pay if you choose to sit an A2 certificate with a private body, which is not compulsory.
There is no limit on attempts. Each time, though, you have to wait 90 days from the date of the previous test.
No. The five tasks are listening, reading and writing. An oral task is set only for candidates who cannot read and write, in place of the written interaction task.
No. A certificate at A2 or above from the Università per Stranieri di Siena, the Università per Stranieri di Perugia, Università Roma Tre or the Società Dante Alighieri exempts you.
No, there is no Italian language test for family reunification.
The prefettura calls you in within 60 days of the application. The exact date depends on the calendar of your province.
No. For citizenship you need a B1 certificate from a recognised body. The A2 test at the prefettura is only for the EU long-term residence permit.
Italian Ministry of the Interior, Italian language knowledge test · Services portal of the Italian Ministry of the Interior
