Català A1 exam-day guide
Català A1 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirm the exact exam format and timing with your centre
Català A1 exams are offered by several bodies (for example official language centres, consortia, and other certifying institutions), and the number of sections, their order, and their time limits differ between them. Before the exam, check the official page or written confirmation from your registration centre for the structure of your specific sitting. If you cannot find a clear statement, contact the provider to confirm.
Official photo ID
Bring the original identity document you registered with (national ID card, passport, or residence permit, as accepted by your centre). Copies and expired documents are often refused, so check the validity date. Confirm with the provider which document types they accept if you registered with something unusual.
Your registration confirmation or admission document
Print or download the confirmation email or admission slip showing your name, the exam session, and the room. Some centres check it at the door. If you have not received one, ask the provider a few days before the exam.
Know the room, building, and arrival time
Locate the exact building and room in advance, and note the arrival time stated on your admission document. Plan to arrive with a margin for transport delays and for finding the room. If the arrival time is not stated, confirm it with the provider.
Blue or black pens (at least two)
Written answers are usually completed on paper. Bring two pens that you have already tested, plus a pencil and eraser if you like to plan writing tasks. Check whether your centre allows pencil for drafts.
A watch without smart features
Many exam rooms do not have a visible clock, and phones are usually not allowed on the desk. A simple analogue or digital watch helps you manage the reading and writing sections. Confirm with the provider whether wristwatches are permitted.
Water in a transparent bottle
A small transparent bottle is normally acceptable if kept on the floor or at the edge of the desk. Confirm the centre's rules, as some rooms do not allow drinks.
Leave phones and smart devices switched off and stored
Smartphones, smartwatches, and earbuds are typically banned from the desk. Switch them off before entering and store them where the invigilator indicates. A device sounding during the exam can lead to removal.
Review the task types and instructions in Catalan
Make sure you recognise the standard instruction verbs you will meet, such as 'llegeix', 'escriu', 'tria', 'completa', 'escolta', and 'marca'. Knowing these reduces avoidable mistakes on the day.
Prepare a short self-introduction and everyday vocabulary
For the speaking section, be ready to give your name, where you live, your work or studies, your family, and your daily routine, and to ask and answer simple questions. Practise saying these aloud, not only reading them.
Plan your journey and a backup
Check transport times for the morning of the exam and identify a backup route. Arriving late may mean you are not admitted once the listening section has started; confirm the late-arrival rule with the provider.
Plan the day
Re-read the official format description for your exam so you know the order of sections, the time for each, and whether there are breaks. Do one full timed practice run under exam conditions using material at A1 level, then review your errors rather than doing new content. Revise the high-frequency language you will need: greetings, personal information, numbers, dates and times, prices, directions, food, and daily routine. Practise the spoken tasks aloud, ideally with another person, covering self-introduction and simple question-and-answer exchanges. Confirm the room, arrival time, and ID requirements with the provider if anything is unclear. Protect your sleep in these three nights; do not plan late-night cramming.
Do light revision only: skim your own notes and a short vocabulary list, and read a few simple Catalan texts to keep the language active. Prepare your bag: ID, admission document, two pens, pencil, eraser, watch, transparent water bottle. Charge nothing you cannot bring in, and plan to leave your phone at home or stored. Check transport times for the morning and set two alarms. Eat a normal meal and go to bed at your usual time. Avoid starting a new grammar topic the night before.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive at the centre with time to spare, aiming for the arrival time on your document. Before entering the room, switch off your phone and put away any notes. Use the waiting time to read simple Catalan notices or mentally rehearse your self-introduction, not to cram new material. Go to the toilet before the exam starts, since breaks may be limited. Once seated, check that you have the papers for every section and that your name is correct.
Read the instructions for each section carefully before starting, and note the time allowed. In listening, read the questions before the audio begins and answer as you listen; do not stop at a word you missed. In reading, skim the text first for the general meaning, then locate the specific information each question asks for. In writing, plan briefly, keep to the word limit and the required format (for example a short message or form), and leave a minute to check endings, articles, and accents. In speaking, speak slowly and clearly, use simple complete sentences, and if you do not understand a question, ask politely for repetition in Catalan. If a section is going badly, move on and return to difficult items at the end if time allows. Watch the clock so you do not leave answers blank in the final minutes.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID you registered with. If your document is expired, damaged, or different from the one on your registration, contact the provider before the exam day to confirm whether you will be admitted.
Arrive at the stated time. Admission after the exam has started, and especially after the listening section has begun, varies between centres; confirm the late-arrival policy with the provider rather than assuming you will be allowed in.
Switch off all phones and smart devices before entering the exam room and store them as instructed. Keeping a device on your person or desk is commonly treated as a serious irregularity, even if you do not use it.
Do not bring notes, dictionaries, textbooks, or unauthorised electronic aids unless the provider explicitly permits them. For a beginner-level exam, assume no dictionary is allowed unless you have written confirmation otherwise.
Follow the invigilator's instructions about starting, stopping, and handing in papers. Writing after the instruction to stop, or continuing a section after time is called, can lead to your paper being penalised.
Breaks depend on the length and structure of the sitting. Ask the invigilator at the start whether you may leave the room and under what conditions; do not assume you can leave and return freely during a section.
Scoring is set by the certifying body. The weighting of the sections, the pass mark, and whether you must reach a minimum in each section differ between providers, so check the official description for your exam rather than relying on general assumptions.
If you believe there was a problem with the room, the audio, or the conduct of the exam, tell the invigilator immediately and follow the provider's procedure for reporting it afterwards; complaints raised only much later are harder to resolve.