How are Italian language proficiency tests structured

Italian language proficiency tests are generally structured to assess multiple language skills aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels. These tests typically evaluate listening, reading, writing, and speaking abilities.

Key structural elements include:

• Different proficiency levels from A1 (beginner) to C2 (mastery), with specific tasks designed for each level.
• Separate sections focusing on specific language skills:
  • Listening comprehension exercises where test-takers respond to audio prompts.
  • Reading tasks that assess understanding of written Italian texts.
  • Writing assignments, often including essays or letters, evaluated for grammar, vocabulary, coherence, and appropriateness.
  • Speaking tests, usually conducted in person or via recorded responses, assessing fluency, pronunciation, interaction, and complexity.

Some exams, like the CELI (Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana) or CILS (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera), follow this structure strictly and have defined formats including multiple-choice questions, open-ended responses, and oral interviews. Test content is often graded to correspond with CEFR levels for standardized proficiency recognition.

In academic contexts like INVALSI tests, used within the Italian educational system, assessments focus on language skills appropriate to school grades and conform to CEFR guidelines to measure comprehension and language use systematically.

Thus, Italian language proficiency tests are multi-component assessments carefully designed to reflect varying competence levels across the four fundamental language skills according to standardized European frameworks. ^{1, 2, 3}

References

• RITA: A Phraseological Dataset of CEFR Assignments and Exams for Italian as a Second Language

• Disce aut Deficere: Evaluating LLMs Proficiency on the INVALSI Italian Benchmark

• Disce aut Deficere: Evaluating LLMs Proficiency on the INVALSI Italian Benchmark

• Analyse qualitative des réponses épilinguistiques et métalinguistique au test d’acceptabilité du tham-3 par des étudiants italophones

• Beliefs of Moroccan Students about Learning French: Variations According to Gender, Language Proficiency, and Major

• The LLAMA tests and the underlying structure of language aptitude at two levels of foreign language proficiency

• Examination of factorial structure of Iranian English language proficiency test: An IRT analysis of Konkur examination

• Structure of test scale for measuring Japanese language proficiency: Analysis of measurement items using Item Response Theory

• Exploring the Construct Validity of the ECCE: Latent Structure of a CEFR-Based High-Intermediate Level English Language Proficiency Test

• Identifying the proficiency level of primary English language teachers’ productive skills from Kurikulum Merdeka and CEFR

• Vocabulary and reading speed in the majority language are affected by maternal language proficiency and language exposure at home: a study of language minority bilingual children in Italy

• M3Exam: A Multilingual, Multimodal, Multilevel Benchmark for Examining Large Language Models

• The Invalsi Benchmarks: measuring Linguistic and Mathematical understanding of Large Language Models in Italian

• Automatic assessment of spoken language proficiency of non-native children

• Assessing second language speaking

• A shortcut in language testing: Predicting the score for paper-based TOEFL based on one sub-score

• The Sequence of Modules: A Facet in Language Proficiency Testing

• Developing internet-based Tests of Aptitude for Language Learning (TALL): An open research endeavour