CIPLE A2 Exam study guide
CIPLE A2 Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
CIPLE - the Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira - is one of the Portuguese-language examinations offered by CAPLE, the Centro de Avaliação e Certificação de Português Língua Estrangeira, which operates from the Faculdade de Letras of the Universidade de Lisboa (caple.letras.ulisboa.pt). It is the initial certificate in CAPLE's exam suite and is intended for people who do not have Portuguese as a first language and who want documented proof of their competence for educational, professional or other purposes. The CIPLE A2 Exam study guide has 4 sections and about 1,407 words.
01Reading Comprehension: finding the one detail that decides the answer
The reading paper gives you several short texts in a row - a notice on a door, an advert, a menu, an email, a timetable, a short information article - each followed by multiple-choice, true/false or matching items. The difficulty is precision, not speed.
337 words, about 2 min02Written Expression: short, complete, well-connected messages
You complete a form or questionnaire with personal data, and you write a short note, message or informal email of roughly 60–80 words answering three or four bullet prompts. Sometimes you complete a short dialogue.
370 words, about 2 min03Listening Comprehension: predicting before you hear
Short recordings, each played twice: station and airport announcements, phone messages, dialogues in a shop, café or ticket office, short interviews, weather reports. Items are true/false, multiple choice, matching, or completing a small table with numbers, times and names.
351 words, about 2 min04Oral Expression and Interaction: keep the exchange alive
An interview with the examiner about yourself (name, where you live, family, work, daily routine, last holiday, next weekend), a short monologue describing an image or a familiar topic, and a role-play - buying a ticket, asking for information, ordering in a café, booking a room. Interaction counts as much as accuracy.
349 words, about 2 min