# CIPLE language exam experience



## fizzyfish

Hi
I've just done the CIPLE (A2 level) language exam in Porto - and I know I couldn't find much info about the actual exam beforehand, so I'm posting my experience here in case anyone else might find it helpful...

NB - I was doing this exam as I've been learning for about a year now, and feel that this is my level. However, this is also the exam required for proof of language skills for those who want Portuguese nationality, so there were quite a few fellow candidates with far superior language skills - (ie they have a Portuguese partner - or have lived here for many years) -which was a little intimidating...!

Firstly - everything is in Portuguese. Instructions, directions to the rooms, even the small talk with examiners while waiting for the room. I found it useful to completely "switch" to Portuguese for the day but it was very tiring. As I was doing the exam in Porto, the cohort for the November exam was only 16. I believe Lisbon is 50+.

The day started at 9.30am with the oral, which was filmed on a small camera. There were two "examiners" present in the room. We were given timings beforehand, but there were sheets up outside the language office of the university if we needed reminders. You are paired up with another candidate - in my case a near-fluent Portuguese speaker! - and the oral is in three parts. The first part is a short presentation about you/your life/family etc. I had prepared about 1.30min and I think that was about as long as necessary. The examiners didn't interrupt and simply tried to keep a blank face throughout.

The next part is a role play - we had been given 15 mins to prepare before the start of the exam, but then you aren't allowed to take any paper/notes or even the "question paper" into the exam..so those 15 minutes are literally to memorise your "part" and think about anything you need to say. No need to write anything as you won't have it with you anyway! Mine was a trip to the Doctors - ie tell them your symptoms, that you're worried, what should you do etc etc.

The final part is a Q&A based on a topic pulled from a hat. Ours was on whether reading is important in modern life and do you enjoy/what do you read etc. The examiner asked us the same questions in a conversational style - the 'better" girl went first, which gave me time to figure out exactly what the question had been...!

That was it - in about half an hour (after much faffing around and disorganisation at the start, which I think is part of the test... 

Then with about 5 hours in between my oral and the written paper, I just had to kill time for most of the day. The written test started at 3pm (the orals were done in pairs up until about 12pm, so some candidates would have had a shorter day than me).

After finding the room, they checked our ID and we were provided with the test paper/answer sheets. The multiple choice answers must be completed in pencil - luckily I had remembered one. But do bring a rubber for mistakes. The questions were very similar to the sample exercises in the official test booklet, so nothing too complicated there. There were two short written pieces, one 35ish words, and one 60-80 words. These can be done in pen. Time wise it was fine. I actually found it harder to think up something to say - in any language, as the scenarios are so vague. (Ie Your friend cancels on you - suggest another time/activity instead)

The listening paper was 30mins. Sound quality was better than expected given the samples I'd used for practice- no loud horns or crowd noises in the background. But they definitely do try to make the segments more realistic, the telephone conversation is quite hard to hear for example. The speaking on the tape is normal fluent speed - you just have to hold on for the ride..! Make notes too, as you are given 5 minutes at the end to "tidy up" your answers - but that's useless if you don't have any references for the questions you were unsure about.

The results won't be published for about 2-3 months (!) - as they have to be marked in Lisbon centrally I believe. But fingers crossed. I hope this will be useful to someone else looking to do the exam - but if you have any other questions, please do ask.


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## grammymissy

fizzyfish said:


> Hi
> 
> I've just done the CIPLE (A2 level) language exam in Porto - and I know I couldn't find much info about the actual exam beforehand, so I'm posting my experience here in case anyone else might find it helpful...
> 
> 
> 
> NB - I was doing this exam as I've been learning for about a year now, and feel that this is my level. However, this is also the exam required for proof of language skills for those who want Portuguese nationality, so there were quite a few fellow candidates with far superior language skills - (ie they have a Portuguese partner - or have lived here for many years) -which was a little intimidating...!
> 
> 
> 
> Firstly - everything is in Portuguese. Instructions, directions to the rooms, even the small talk with examiners while waiting for the room. I found it useful to completely "switch" to Portuguese for the day but it was very tiring. As I was doing the exam in Porto, the cohort for the November exam was only 16. I believe Lisbon is 50+.
> 
> 
> 
> The day started at 9.30am with the oral, which was filmed on a small camera. There were two "examiners" present in the room. We were given timings beforehand, but there were sheets up outside the language office of the university if we needed reminders. You are paired up with another candidate - in my case a near-fluent Portuguese speaker! - and the oral is in three parts. The first part is a short presentation about you/your life/family etc. I had prepared about 1.30min and I think that was about as long as necessary. The examiners didn't interrupt and simply tried to keep a blank face throughout.
> 
> 
> 
> The next part is a role play - we had been given 15 mins to prepare before the start of the exam, but then you aren't allowed to take any paper/notes or even the "question paper" into the exam..so those 15 minutes are literally to memorise your "part" and think about anything you need to say. No need to write anything as you won't have it with you anyway! Mine was a trip to the Doctors - ie tell them your symptoms, that you're worried, what should you do etc etc.
> 
> 
> 
> The final part is a Q&A based on a topic pulled from a hat. Ours was on whether reading is important in modern life and do you enjoy/what do you read etc. The examiner asked us the same questions in a conversational style - the 'better" girl went first, which gave me time to figure out exactly what the question had been...!
> 
> 
> 
> That was it - in about half an hour (after much faffing around and disorganisation at the start, which I think is part of the test...
> 
> 
> 
> Then with about 5 hours in between my oral and the written paper, I just had to kill time for most of the day. The written test started at 3pm (the orals were done in pairs up until about 12pm, so some candidates would have had a shorter day than me).
> 
> 
> 
> After finding the room, they checked our ID and we were provided with the test paper/answer sheets. The multiple choice answers must be completed in pencil - luckily I had remembered one. But do bring a rubber for mistakes. The questions were very similar to the sample exercises in the official test booklet, so nothing too complicated there. There were two short written pieces, one 35ish words, and one 60-80 words. These can be done in pen. Time wise it was fine. I actually found it harder to think up something to say - in any language, as the scenarios are so vague. (Ie Your friend cancels on you - suggest another time/activity instead)
> 
> 
> 
> The listening paper was 30mins. Sound quality was better than expected given the samples I'd used for practice- no loud horns or crowd noises in the background. But they definitely do try to make the segments more realistic, the telephone conversation is quite hard to hear for example. The speaking on the tape is normal fluent speed - you just have to hold on for the ride..! Make notes too, as you are given 5 minutes at the end to "tidy up" your answers - but that's useless if you don't have any references for the questions you were unsure about.
> 
> 
> 
> The results won't be published for about 2-3 months (!) - as they have to be marked in Lisbon centrally I believe. But fingers crossed. I hope this will be useful to someone else looking to do the exam - but if you have any other questions, please do ask.




Thank you for posting this, great information! 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Psauceda

Hi Fizzyfish,

Thanks for your thorough account of your CIPLE exam experience. 

I recently took my CIPLE on May 29, 2018 at the Boston, MA consulate and am awaiting my results (it is only July 2, 2018 as I right this).

Your detail of the actual test matches up quite well with my experience, except that it seems mine was more organized/faster probably due to the fact that there were only 3 candidates. I suppose that is probably the difference between taking the exam in Portugal as opposed to a consulate in the US. Also, the coordinator and examiner were quite accommodating and friendly in Boston. 

May I ask how long it took to receive your results? I'm quite anxious to find out mine.


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