The day of the A2 Italian test: documents, how it runs and how long it takes
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On the day of the A2 Italian language test you need one thing above all others: a valid identity document. The school's commission has to be able to identify you, and without a document identification is not possible. The rest of the day is simpler than it sounds: a test of 60 minutes of actual working time, three parts, on a computer, in front of a commission at the CPIA you have been summoned to.
What to bring
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| A valid identity document | The commission has to identify you: it is the practical requirement of the day |
| The summons from the Prefettura | It states the date, the time and the venue; useful at the door and for not going to the wrong address |
| Medical documentation, if any | Needed only if you have to justify an absence, and it must be handed in before the session |
You do not need to bring study material, and you are not asked to hand anything in at the end: the outcome never passes through your hands.
An honest note about what is not published. The fine rules of the day — whether you may keep a bottle of water on the desk, where you leave your phone, how early to arrive — are not fixed by any national source: they depend on how the individual venue is organised. If a detail worries you, the office to ask is the Prefettura that summoned you. Anyone who gives you a national rule on these points is improvising.
How the test runs
The test is sat on a computer. If computers are a problem for you, you can ask for the paper version: the decree guarantees that content, assessment criteria and time available are identical in both formats (Ministerial Decree of 7 December 2021, art. 3 co. 4). It is not a second-class version and it does not penalise you.
The three papers, in about an hour of actual work:
| Paper | What you are asked to do | Points | Indicative time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening comprehension | Two short audio texts, each played twice, 10 questions worth 3 points | 30 | about 25 min |
| Reading comprehension | Two short texts (adverts, notices, letters, instructions, short articles), 10 questions worth 3.5 points | 35 | about 25 min |
| Written interaction | A single task: replying to an e-mail, a postcard or an invitation, or filling in a form | 35 | about 10 min |
The times for individual papers come from the Ministry's technical specifications and each commission may adjust them: treat them as orders of magnitude. The totals, on the other hand, are fixed: 60 minutes, 100 points, 80 to pass.
Three rules to keep in mind during the test
- Always answer. A wrong answer and an empty box are worth exactly the same: zero. No points are deducted, so guessing is always to your advantage.
- Never hand in a blank written interaction. If you leave it empty you score 0 out of 35, and your maximum drops to 65: below the threshold even with perfect listening and reading.
- Cover every piece of information requested. The written part is assessed in completion bands, not by counting grammar mistakes: forgetting one of the things you were asked for drops you a band, a small formal slip does not. If the prompt asks for three things, answer all three; if there is a form, fill in every field. There is no minimum or maximum word count.
The precise arithmetic of how much margin you have left in each scenario is in our guide to the scoring; the typical slips paper by paper are gathered in the most common mistakes.
If you cannot attend
An absence can be justified only with medical documentation, handed in before the session. Simply not turning up is no shortcut: according to the practice stated by the Ministry of the Interior, after an unjustified absence — as after a fail — a new request is filed after ninety days. Here too, mind the rank of the rule: those ninety days are administrative practice stated on a web page, not a deadline written into the decree, so ask your Prefettura how it is applied.
The moment you finish
You receive no certificate and are handed nothing. The outcome is communicated and recorded in the Ministry of the Interior's information system, and the Questura reads it there when it processes your application for the EU long-term residence permit (art. 3 co. 5 and art. 5 of the decree). You will find it in your personal area on the portal: where to look and how long it takes is explained in A2 test results.
Before the summons
The last week is not the time to learn new words: it is the time to get used to the format. Sit at least one timed full practice test, with the three papers in their real weights, and at least one written interaction task with AI feedback. If you are missing the overall picture, it is in what the A2 test is and in the FAQ.
The information in this guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. How the day is organised depends on the individual exam venue and not every practical detail is published: always check the instructions in your summons and with the Prefettura of your province.