The Dante Committee of Trieste has been the official certification authority “PLIDA” since 2011 and is entitled to issue the official PLIDA certificate.
What is the PLIDA Certificate for?
With the PLIDA certificate you can:
- Specify your language competence level in Italian in your CV and in the job application forms
- Enrol in an Italian University without signing up for an entrance examination (Level B2 or C1) in Italian
- Obtain a residence permit or a long term residence permit for non EU citizens (Level A2 and following)
How can I obtain the PLIDA certificate?
To obtain the PLIDA certificate it is necessary to pass an examination which assesses your ability in Italian as a foreign language.
What are the competence levels in Italian certified by PLIDA?
There are six levels defined by the Council of Europe:
- PLIDA Certificate A1 – elementary user
- PLIDA Certificate A2 - basic user
- PLIDA Certificate B1 – practical user
- PLIDA Certificate B2 - independent user
- PLIDA Certificate C1 – effective user
- PLIDA Certificate C2 - proficient user
Who can apply for the test?
Anyone whose mother language is not Italian can apply for the test to obtain a PLIDA Certificate.
Is there a PLIDA Certificate for teen-agers?
There are two kinds of certificates:
The PLIDA Certificate for adults or young adults with mother tongue other than Italian, and the PLIDA JUNIORES Certificate meant for teen-agers from 13 – 18 years with mother tongue other than Italian.
What does the exam consist in?
The exam has four parts which assess the candidate’s language competence in the four basic skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
The mark of each part is expressed in thirtieths: to pass the exam it is necessary to achieve a score of 18/30 in each part.
Who checks the tests?
The tests are sent by the various Certification authorities to the Head offices, where they are corrected and assessed within 30 days from the date of receipt.
Subsequently, the Head Office will send the Certification authority the certificates of all the candidates who passed the examination. The certificate states the competence level, the score obtained in each skill, the total score, as well as the data of the applicant.
How can I best prepare for the exam?
To prepare the exam at best, you can apply for one of the courses of Italian language at the Dante of Trieste, or you can prepare the test by yourself with the material available in the section “Documents for the certification” and with the educational material and exercise books to be found in the section “Catalogo Alma” of the national site PLIDA.
Is the certificate of attendance issued even without giving the examination?
The Dante of Trieste issues one single certificate of attendance “ADA” corresponding to the level of the attended course. This document is shared by all committees.
How can I know the date of the examination session?
The exams have fixed dates, valid for all Offices. Please check the examinatio date on the timetable of the Head Office.
The orals will follow the written tests.
