CILS B2 exam-day guide
CILS B2 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID (original)
Bring the original document you registered with - usually a passport or national identity card. A photocopy or a photo on your phone is normally not accepted. If your ID is expired or you registered with a different document, contact your centre before exam day (needs review: acceptance of expired or substitute documents is set by the centre).
Admission confirmation / candidate number
Print or save the confirmation email from your centre showing your candidate number, room and reporting time. Some centres ask for a printed copy - confirm with the provider whether a digital version is enough (needs review).
Two black or blue ballpoint pens
Answers on the answer sheets are normally written in pen. Bring a spare; pencils are useful for notes and planning but do not rely on them for final answers.
Pencil, eraser and a small sharpener
For planning writing tasks and marking up the question booklet, if your centre allows annotation of the booklet (needs review: some centres require booklets to be left unmarked).
A simple wristwatch
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock, and phones must be off. A non-smart analogue watch helps you pace the sections.
Phone switched off and stored away
Keep it in your bag, not in a pocket. Even a silent phone buzzing during the test can be treated as misconduct.
Water and a small snack
Useful if the oral is scheduled after a break or later in the day. Keep it in your bag and take it only during authorised breaks.
Glasses, hearing aid or other personal aids
Bring whatever you normally need for reading and for the listening section. If you require special arrangements, these must be agreed with the centre in advance (needs review: deadlines and documentation vary by centre).
Travel plan and arrival time
Check the exact building and entrance in advance and aim to arrive well before the reporting time - 30 to 45 minutes is a sensible buffer. Late arrival rules are set by the centre (needs review).
Know your exam-day schedule
Ask your centre in advance whether the oral test is on the same day as the written paper or on a different day/time, since this varies between centres (needs review).
Plan the day
Confirm with your centre: exact address, reporting time, room, whether the oral is the same day, and what ID and documents are accepted. Resolve any open question now rather than on the morning.
Do one full timed run-through of the written paper using authentic-style tasks, respecting the section timings rather than working section by section at leisure.
Review the format of each part - listening, reading, structures of communication, written production, oral - so that no instruction on the day is new to you. Note how many tasks each part contains and roughly how long each deserves.
Light revision only: connectors, formal and informal email openings and closings, and phrases for expressing and defending an opinion. Do not start new grammar. Check your ID is in date and pack your bag.
Set two alarms, plan the route, and sleep. Fatigue costs more marks in a long listening-and-writing paper than one more hour of revision gains.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive early, have your ID and confirmation ready, and switch your phone off before entering the building. Listening to five minutes of Italian audio is a useful warm-up for the ear.
Read the instructions for each part before starting it, check how many items there are, and note the time you must stop. Write your candidate details exactly as instructed.
Use any pause before the audio to read the questions and predict the kind of answer needed. Write something for every item - a blank scores zero, while a reasoned guess may not.
Do not spend too long on one item. Flag difficult ones and return if time allows; keep an eye on the clock so the final part is not rushed.
Spend a few minutes planning each task, respect the required text type and word count, leave time to check agreement, tenses and spelling, and write legibly.
Greet the examiners in Italian, listen to the whole question before answering, ask for clarification in Italian if needed, and keep talking - fluency and interaction matter more than perfect accuracy.
Rules to check
Bring the original identity document used at registration; without acceptable ID you may be refused entry. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted.
Electronic devices must be switched off and out of reach for the whole test. Using a phone, smartwatch or any unauthorised aid can lead to annulment of your exam.
Dictionaries, grammar reference books, notes and pre-written texts are not permitted. Confirm with the provider whether any exception exists, for example for candidates with specific arrangements.
Follow the invigilators' instructions at all times, including where to sit and when to start and stop writing; talking to other candidates during the test is not allowed.
You normally cannot leave the room during a timed section. Ask about toilet breaks before the paper starts, as practice varies by centre.
The oral test may be conducted with another candidate and may be scheduled at a different time or on a different day from the written paper. Check your personal schedule with the centre.
Each ability is scored separately and the certificate requirements include minimum performance levels; the exact weighting and pass conditions should be confirmed with the provider rather than assumed.
Results and certificate collection or dispatch are handled by the certifying university through your centre; ask the centre about timing and how results are released.