Italian language test and certificate for enrolment in a degree programme

The test ascertains the possession of an adequate lexical knowledge and of the main grammatical structures of the Italian language, useful for the study of contents related to the university experience.

The test is only intended for those wishing to enrol in first-, second- or single cycle degree programmes at the University of Bologna delivered in Italian, in order to meet the Italian language requirement. It is not useful for other purposes (e.g. it cannot be used for student collaboration activities - 150 hours or to meet the Italian requirement for international students enrolled in English language courses, where required).

Registration costs €19.52: the fee cannot be refunded or used for another date if you do not attend the test on the day.  

Registrations for the 2025/26 a.y. open on 24/02/2025 at 12:00.

If you want to register for an open access degree programme, you must take the test by 20/11/2025. If you do not meet the Italian language requirement by the deadline, you will not be able to register.

If you want to enrol in a degree programme with restricted access, you must take the test by the deadline of the call or indicated in the call or on the programme website. If you do not meet the Italian language requirement by the deadline, you will be excluded from the selection.

Keep an eye on the deadlines and don't wait until the last minute because the available places might run out.

Dates may be subject to change based on technical requirements; any updates will be published on this page.

To register for the test:

• log on to Studenti Online;
• select "Admission application", "Other qualification" and then "ITALIAN TEST FOR NON-EU STUDENTS", for the date on which you intend to take the test;
• complete the registration by making the payment. Your place is only confirmed after you have paid.

A few days before the test date, you will receive instructions on how to access the online test in your @studio.unibo.it mailbox.

Test adaptations

If you have a disability or a specific learning disorder (SLD), you can request adaptations for the test.

To do so, when you register on Studenti Online, at least two weeks before the test you wish to take, you must:

• fill in the request form
• attach the required documents in accordance with current legislation in Italy, providing clear and complete information to understand your specific needs. Foreign certificates must be legalised and accompanied by an official translation into Italian or English.

For clarification, you can contact the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD.

The test consists of an online test (ITA-L2@HOME TEST) delivered by CISIA:

• consisting of 72 questions to be completed in 120 minutes;
• divided into three types of tests: listening, reading and language structures. 

1 point is awarded for each correct answer. 0 points are awarded for missing or incorrect answers. The total score is the sum of the scores on the individual questions.

For the 2025/26 a.y. the minimum score to pass the test is 48 (resolution of the academic bodies in progress).

Also read the guide available on the CISIA website for the ITA-L2@HOME TEST.
If you do not have all the necessary tools and technical requirements, you will not be able to take the test.

In order to meet the Italian language requirement, only certificates submitted through this procedure will be taken into account, under penalty of exclusion from selection or enrolment. Certificates uploaded in the pre-enrolment application on Universitaly are not considered for this purpose. Only final, official and complete certificates with all valid results are considered.

Italian language level B2 certification, qualifications and other documents - Group 1

Italian language certificates corresponding at least to level B2 as determined by the Council of Europe, issued as part of the CLIQ (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità) quality system:

• CELI B2 (Università per Stranieri di Perugia);
• CILS B2 (Università per Stranieri di Siena);
• PLIDA B2 (Società Dante Alighieri);
• CERT.IT B2 (Università Roma Tre).

Qualifications and documents proving that:

• you hold a Foundation Year qualification delivered mainly in Italian;
• you hold a first or second cycle university or AFAM degree obtained in Italy relating to a course in the Italian language;
• you have already enrolled in the past at the University of Bologna in an Italian language degree or have passed the University of Bologna Italian test, until a.y. 2020/21;
• you have obtained credits and passed exams at an Italian university relating to courses delivered in the Italian language;
• you have passed an Italian course at the University of Bologna's University Language Centre in previous academic years, to at least level B2;
• you have passed the Italian L2 Test with CISIA for a university or higher education institution other than the University of Bologna. For the 2025/26 a.y. the minimum score to pass the test is 48 (resolution of the academic bodies in progress). Please note that test results from other universities or institutions are not automatically received!

Certification of Italian language proficiency level C1 and C2, qualifications - Group 2

• “Diploma di I o II grado in Lingua e Cultura italiana” awarded by the “Università per Stranieri di Siena” or “Attestato di conoscenza della Lingua e Cultura italiana” corresponding to levels C1 or C2 awarded by the “Università per Stranieri di Perugia”;
• Italian language certificates corresponding to level C1 and C2 as determined by the Council of Europe, issued as part of the CLIQ (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità) quality system:
• CELI C1 and C2 (Università per Stranieri di Perugia);
• CILS C1 and C2 (Università per Stranieri di Siena);
• PLIDA C1 and C2 (Società Dante Alighieri);
• CERT.IT C1 and C2 (Università Roma Tre);
• one of the secondary school leaving qualifications listed in Annex 2 of the Ministerial Memo for A.Y. 2025/26 (in Italian) in the cases provided for;
• a certificate supplementing the middle school diploma obtained in Argentina, certifying that the study plan included Italian language lessons for at least 5 years.

If you hold one of the group 2 certificates, you must compete with EU students for admission to degree programmes in Italian with restricted access.

Qualifications from Italian schools abroad - Group 3

a 5-year or 4-year secondary school diploma received from an Italian school abroad.

If you hold one of the group 3 qualifications, you must compete with EU students for admission to first- and single-cycle degree programmes in Italian and English with restricted access.

• Log on to Studenti Online (SOL):
• select 'Calls' and 'Italian language requirement for non-EU students with residency abroad a.y. 2025/26: assessment of Italian language certificates and high school diplomas in the Italian language';
• upload a copy of your certificate, qualification or other document;
• upload a copy of your passport.
• Wait for the International Desk to check the validity of the uploaded documents.
• Check the outcome of the application directly on SOL.

Here are the dates by which you can upload documents and the corresponding dates for verification by the offices.

If you want to enrol in an open access degree programme, you must submit the certificate or other document by 20/11/2025. If you do not meet the Italian language requirement by the deadline, you will not be able to register.

If you want to enrol in a degree programme with restricted access, you must submit the certificate or other document by the deadline of the call or indicated in the call or on the programme website. If you do not meet the Italian language requirement by the deadline, you will be excluded from the selection.

The following table gives the deadlines for meeting the Italian language requirement with an indication of the selections you can participate in.

The groups of certificates are specified under 'Certificates, qualifications and other documents'.