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How do I prepare for the CIPLE exam?

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Short answer: CIPLE is the A2 exam in European Portuguese, with a written paper worth 45%, a listening paper worth 30% and an oral exam worth 25%. Prepare by working through CAPLE's official sample papers, giving the most time to reading and writing, and practising speaking with a partner. No preparation course is mandatory, and no plan can promise a pass.

This article is for adults who have decided to sit the CIPLE and want a practical plan instead of a pile of random exercises. By the end, you'll know what each part of the exam asks, which official material to use, and how to organise your weeks.

The plan is built around the exam itself. It doesn't promise a result, because nobody can. Its aim is to make sure nothing on exam day comes as a surprise.

What are you preparing for?

The CIPLE is the A2 exam in European Portuguese. It certifies a basic general ability to interact in a limited number of predictable everyday situations (CAPLE). So the goal isn't perfect grammar. What matters is coping with a phone message, a public notice or a short email, and holding a simple conversation.

There are three papers:

Paper Length Weight
Reading and writing 1h15m 45%
Listening 30 minutes 30%
Speaking (oral) 15 minutes per pair 25%

The written component lasts 1h15m and is worth 45% (CAPLE). Listening lasts 30 minutes and carries 30% (CAPLE). The oral part is worth 25% and, where possible, takes place with two candidates at the same time (CAPLE).

One small warning: the CAPLE page describes three components in its text, but its details box shows a different number. Treat the three papers above as the practical picture, and check the CAPLE CIPLE page if the difference worries you. For a fuller description, see our guide to the CIPLE A2 exam format.

Start with CAPLE's official sample papers

CAPLE publishes sample material for the CIPLE: a reading and writing paper, a listening paper, a sample listening audio file (mp3) and an answer key (CAPLE). Use these first. They show you the real task types.

The sample reading and writing paper is 75 minutes long, with 2 parts (CAPLE sample paper). Part I has 20 questions in four tasks: matching phone messages (questions 1–5), five short notices with multiple choice (6–10), matching a letter to sentence halves (11–15) and one text with multiple choice (16–20) (CAPLE sample paper).

One caution: the sample looks a little dated, since it mentions children born in 2007. CAPLE doesn't say when it was last updated (CAPLE sample paper). It's presumably still representative, but don't expect every detail to match your exam.

Do the full sample paper once, early, under timed conditions, and mark it with the answer key. That first result is your baseline, and it shows which paper needs the most work.

How do you prepare for each paper?

CAPLE gives no recommended study hours, so the advice below is our own suggestion. A sensible rule is to split your time roughly in line with the weights: most for reading and writing, then listening, then speaking. Don't skip speaking, though. It's worth 25% of the total.

Reading and writing (45%)

Part I is reading public notices and short texts, with multiple-choice and simple matching items (CAPLE). Read real notices from daily life: a sign at the centro de saúde (health centre), a message from the school, a supermarket leaflet. Then do the sample tasks and check why each wrong answer was wrong.

Part II is writing two short texts on topics suited to the level (CAPLE). In the sample, Text 1 is a reply to a friend's phone message of 25–35 words, and Text 2 is an email telling friends what happened, of 60–80 words (CAPLE sample paper). Practise inside those limits, with a timer. Then reread your text and look only for simple errors: verb endings, gender, missing words.

Listening (30%)

The listening paper uses informal-register recordings from public, professional or educational situations, with multiple-choice items (CAPLE). Download the official sample mp3 and listen with the sample listening paper in front of you. I haven't confirmed how many tasks the sample contains, so open the PDF and the audio yourself and count before you plan your sessions.

Between samples, listen to short everyday audio in European Portuguese: a voicemail, a radio announcement, a conversation at the café. Read the questions first, then listen. Afterwards, listen again with the answer in mind to hear what you missed.

Speaking (25%)

The oral exam has three parts: personal identification with the examiner, a role-play of a public or personal situation, and a conversation about a current-events topic (CAPLE). I didn't find an official oral sample, task cards or marking criteria on the pages I read, so this advice rests only on that structure.

CAPLE's description lists the practical tasks you should be able to do:

  • ask for directions, book a room, order in a restaurant
  • go to the post office or the bank
  • describe a health problem
  • ask for help in an emergency
  • talk about personal experiences and current events

These are listed on the CAPLE CIPLE page. Turn the list into a checklist and act out each item aloud, for example Queria reservar um quarto (I would like to book a room). Because the exam is done in pairs where possible (CAPLE), a practice partner makes sense: a classmate, a friend or a teacher. Record yourself too, and listen back.

When should you register, and how do you plan the weeks?

Registration can be made up to 21 days before the first exam date (CAPLE FAQ). The fee is €95 and is not refundable. It's paid online, and the registration is cancelled if payment isn't made within 24 hours (CAPLE FAQ).

The CIPLE page says exams are held in May, July and November internationally, plus national CIPLE-P seasons (CAPLE). I couldn't check the current calendar, so look at our page on CIPLE exam dates and centres and at CAPLE's own calendar. Our guide on how to register for the CIPLE exam covers the steps.

A simple way to plan:

  1. Pick a season and work backwards from the exam date.
  2. Do the full sample paper now, as a baseline.
  3. Each week, do some reading, some writing, some listening and at least one speaking session.
  4. Every few weeks, repeat a timed sample task and compare.
  5. Register when your practice results make you comfortable paying a fee you can't get back.

Which exam-day rules should you practise under?

Some small rules can cost you marks or even the whole exam, so rehearse them. CAPLE's rules say:

  • no phones or other devices, no dictionaries, personal books or notebooks, and no correction fluid or tape
  • pencil and eraser are allowed only in the reading and listening papers
  • written answers go on the official sheets in blue or black pen, and pencil or scratch paper is never marked

All of this is in the CAPLE exam rules. Practise your writing with a pen and no correction fluid.

Two more points from the same page. Never write your name or personal data anywhere in the papers, because that annuls the exam. Arrive 20 minutes early, because arriving more than 15 minutes late to the reading and writing papers means you can't sit them (CAPLE exam rules).

If you need special conditions, tell the exam centre (LAPE) when you register. For a confirmed dyslexia diagnosis with a medical certificate, CAPLE recommends repeating each audio track once in listening and 1/3 extra time per task in reading and written production (CAPLE FAQ).

Do you need a preparation course?

No. Candidates may prepare however they want, and CAPLE doesn't run preparation courses (CAPLE FAQ). The right choice depends on you:

  • Self-study with the official samples suits you if you are disciplined and already near A2.
  • Other Portuguese courses may suit you if you want classroom practice. See our guide to the free PLA Portuguese course.
  • A teacher or tutor helps most with writing and speaking, where you need someone to correct you.
  • Language apps are useful for vocabulary, but they rarely copy the exam's task types.

Make sure whatever you choose teaches European Portuguese. Our guide explains which Portuguese to learn.

Common questions

What score do I need? The final grade bands are Suficiente 55–69%, Bom 70–84% and Muito Bom 85–100%, and the scale starts at 55% (CAPLE). The CAPLE pages I read don't state a minimum per component, so don't assume one. The FAQ says results show partial percentages per skill (CAPLE FAQ). See CIPLE results and certificate.

How long should I study? CAPLE doesn't say. Your baseline result on the sample paper is a better guide than any general number.

Can I use a dictionary in the exam? No. Dictionaries, personal books and notebooks are not allowed (CAPLE exam rules).

Will this plan make me pass? No plan can promise that. It only helps you arrive knowing the format and the rules.

How OneGrade can help

OneGrade is an online course of European Portuguese from zero to A2, with explanations in English and built around the CIPLE format. It has 5 modules and 10 CIPLE-style tasks checked by a teacher, and every plan includes 6 months of access. The OneGrade plans are Basic, Premium and Exclusive. The CIPLE fee is paid separately to CAPLE, and OneGrade does not guarantee a pass. To see where you stand first, try the free level test.

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

Official sources

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