Are you planning to take an official CILS examination? Our certified CILS examinators also organize preparational ‘practica’ to help you prepare for the language exams.
In these practica, we will simulate some activities and provide you with useful tips to confidently sit your CILS examination. We focus on the most challenging parts of the exams and strategies on how best to approach the tests. The activities will be based on exam samples, and of course there will be room for questions and advice based on your individual needs.
In the general practicum of 2,5 hours, we provide tips and tricks for all five sections of the exam: listening, reading, grammar, writing and speaking. You can also opt for a practicum of 1 hour and 15 minutes, to focus on one specific skill (level B1 and up). For example, if you only want to focus on the Listening exam, you can attend our practicum ‘Prova di ascolto’. And if you want to focus on developing your speaking skills, you can sign up for the practicum ‘Produzione orale’.
More details about the different parts of the exam and the corresponding practica:
‘General practicum’ (all 5 exam sections)*:
In this 2,5-hour workshop we will analyse and simulate the full exam, selecting one or more activities per tested skill. This way you get a clear idea of how the exam works and what to focus on. We will also give you some tips on how to maximize your time and energy, keeping in mind the scoring criteria of this kind of exam.
‘Prova di ascolto’ (listening):
In this workshop, you will go through a simulation of the listening exam, which consists of multiple-choice questions about for instance dialogues and interviews. Through different tasks, you will practice your listening skills and sharpen your ear. You’ll also learn how to pay attention to the information you need to answer correctly.
‘Prova di lettura’ (reading):
The reading part of the exam consists of different reading tasks with multiple choice questions, matching and reordering exercises. In this practicum you will practice reading and picking up the main information, while keeping an eye on the time management as requested in the exam. We will give you feedback and useful guidelines.
‘Analisi delle strutture di comunicazione’ (grammar):
In this workshop, you will go through a simulation of the ‘Analisi delle Strutture di Comunicazione’ exam. You will practice your grammar and active textual skills (which prepositions or verb tenses fit best in a sentence, how to understand a text from keywords), by working on the original exam samples from the past years. We will provide feedback and focus on some of the most common mistakes, we’ll also give you some suggestions on how to get the best score in this part of the exam.
‘Prova di scrittura’ (writing):
The writing assignments vary from writing informal emails to essays on a variety of topics. In this practicum we will use some of these assignments and work on text structure, starting formulas and closing formulas. We will also give you some guidelines on time management and useful feedback.
‘Produzione orale’ (speaking):
In this workshop, you will go through a simulation of the speaking exam, which consists of a conversation and a monologue. During the practicum we will practice both, focusing on the main themes that can occur in the exam. Each student will get a chance to practice their speaking skills and to receive feedback.
*Please note: A1 and A2 practica can be organised upon request.
In order for a practicum to start as planned below, we need a minimum of three registrations. With two registrations the practicum will be shortened to 2 hours. With one registration it will be a private class of 1 hour. The price remains the same.
