I've taken the CIPLE exam: how do I get my result and certificate?

Updated

Short answer: Go to the exam results section of the CAPLE website and enter your candidate code to see your overall grade: Insuficiente (fail), Suficiente, Bom or Muito Bom. If you pass, you collect your certificate in person at the exam centre (LAPE) where you took the exam, 15 to 20 working days after results are published. The certificate never expires.

You sat the CIPLE, the A2 exam in European Portuguese, and now every email that pings makes you check your phone. This guide covers what comes next: how to look up your result, what the grade words mean, and when and how you get your certificate.

It also covers what the certificate looks like, how long it's valid, and what you receive if you didn't pass, including how soon you can register again. Everything here comes from the official pages of CAPLE, the University of Lisbon centre that produces the exams, marks them and issues the certificates (About CAPLE). For the full picture of the exam itself, see our complete CIPLE guide.

How do you check your CIPLE result online?

Your result appears on the CAPLE website, and all you need is your código de candidato (candidate code). The steps are (CAPLE FAQ):

  1. Have your candidate code ready.
  2. Open the resultado do exame (exam result) section of the CAPLE website.
  3. Type in your candidate code.

The page shows your overall grade as one of four words: Insuficiente, Suficiente, Bom or Muito Bom (CAPLE FAQ).

How many weeks you wait after the exam is something we can't say. CAPLE publishes its season calendar, but we couldn't find the results dates written out as text. Look at the calendar on the CAPLE website, or ask the exam centre where you sat the exam.

The CAPLE FAQ also says your result includes the percentage you scored in each skill (CAPLE FAQ). Another answer in the same FAQ says the website shows only the overall grade, so the two answers don't fully agree. The safest expectation is this: the overall grade is online, and the per-skill breakdown is on your certificate or, if you didn't pass, on your Comunicação de Resultados (statement of results) (CAPLE FAQ).

What do Insuficiente, Suficiente, Bom and Muito Bom mean?

You need 55% to pass the CIPLE, and the passing scores are split into three bands (CAPLE CIPLE page):

Grade In English Score
Muito Bom very good 85–100%
Bom good 70–84%
Suficiente sufficient (a pass) 55–69%
Insuficiente insufficient (a fail) below 55%

So Suficiente, Bom and Muito Bom all mean you passed. Insuficiente is the only failing grade (CAPLE FAQ).

Your final percentage is built from the different parts of the exam, and each part counts for a different share (CAPLE CIPLE page):

  • Reading together with Written Production and Interaction: 45%
  • Listening: 30%
  • Oral Production and Interaction: 25%

Keep these shares in mind when you read your per-skill percentages. The same weak score hurts your total more in a part with a big share than in a smaller one.

When and where do you collect your CIPLE certificate?

If you passed, you collect your certificate in person at the exam centre (LAPE) where you took the exam, 15 to 20 dias úteis (working days) after the results are published (CAPLE FAQ). Working days don't include weekends or public holidays, so the wait on the calendar is longer.

CAPLE sends the certificates to the exam centres, not to candidates' homes (CAPLE FAQ). A few practical tips before you go:

  • Phone or email your LAPE first to check that your certificate has arrived and when you can pick it up.
  • If you can't go in person, ask the LAPE what they allow. The CAPLE FAQ doesn't say whether someone else can collect it for you or whether it can be posted.

What does the CIPLE certificate look like, and does it expire?

Because the CIPLE is an A2 exam, you receive a certificado (certificate). Exams from B1 to C2 lead to a diploma instead (CAPLE FAQ).

The certificate is printed on special paper and signed by the directors of the Faculdade de Letras of the University of Lisbon and of CAPLE. It has a unique code in the bottom-right corner (CAPLE FAQ). It also carries the University of Lisbon's seal and is recognised by the Portuguese state (About CAPLE).

CAPLE certificates have no expiry date (About CAPLE). You can use yours now or years from now.

Store the original somewhere safe, like the folder where you keep your autorização de residência papers, and make a few good copies or scans. Before you hand it in for an application, ask the office whether they want the original or a certified copy. If you're using it for permanent residence or nationality, our guide to A2 Portuguese for permanent residence explains where it fits in.

What happens if you didn't pass?

If your grade is Insuficiente, you don't get a certificate. You receive a Comunicação de Resultados instead, a statement of your exam results, which you collect at the same LAPE (CAPLE FAQ).

Read it carefully, line by line. Your percentage in each skill shows where you lost the most points, which tells you what to work on before you try again.

How soon can you retake the CIPLE?

To retake the exam, you register again (CAPLE FAQ). The rules to know are:

  • Registration is open all year, until 21 days before the date of the first exam (CAPLE FAQ).
  • One exam per season: you can't take more than one exam in the same época (exam season) (CAPLE FAQ).
  • Seasons run in May, July and November, and in Portugal the CIPLE also has extra national dates, called CIPLE-P (CAPLE FAQ).
  • The fee is €79.00 and you pay it again for a retake. Fees aren't refunded, including if you withdraw or don't turn up (CAPLE CIPLE page). The copy of the page we used is from October 2025, so check the current fee before you pay.

We couldn't confirm whether CAPLE offers a re-mark or appeal, because the page with the exam rules wasn't available when we checked. If you think there's been a mistake, contact CAPLE or your LAPE directly and ask what options exist.

On timing, it's tempting to book the very next season. That makes sense if you were close to the pass mark and know what went wrong. If several skills were weak, give yourself enough time to practise them properly. Speaking and writing are hard to improve alone, because you need someone to give you feedback.

Common questions

Can I see my result before my certificate is ready? Yes. Your overall grade is on the CAPLE website as soon as results are published, using your candidate code (CAPLE FAQ).

Is Suficiente a pass? Yes. Suficiente means you scored between 55% and 69%, which is a pass (CAPLE CIPLE page).

Will CAPLE send my certificate to my home? No. CAPLE sends certificates to the exam centres (CAPLE FAQ). The FAQ doesn't say whether your LAPE can post it, so ask them.

Do I need to retake the CIPLE after a few years? No. CAPLE certificates have no expiry date (About CAPLE).

How OneGrade can help

If you didn't pass, or you're preparing for a first attempt, OneGrade is an online European Portuguese course from zero to A2, with explanations in English and built around the CIPLE format. Every plan includes 5 modules and 10 CIPLE-format writing and speaking tasks checked by a teacher, plus 6 months of access. Premium adds live group lessons and Exclusive adds one-to-one hours. The course prepares you for the level but can't guarantee a pass, and the CIPLE fee is paid separately to CAPLE. You can compare the plans and prices or start with the free level test.

This article explains official CAPLE rules in plain English and is not legal advice; check the official CAPLE pages before registering or applying.

Official sources