CPIA Milano: Italian courses, the A2 test and exams
How to learn Italian for free in Milano via a CPIA, sit the A2 test for the accordo di integrazione, and which certificate exams are available here. The A2/B1 rules are stable; waitlists, fees and session dates are community-reported - verify current data.
Available exams:CILSCELIPLIDACILS-cittadinanza
Updated: - permesso.love editorial team
In brief: CPIA and exams
- City: Milano
- Exams available: CILS, CELI, PLIDA, CILS-cittadinanza
- Courses: Milan has several CPIA split across city districts and the province; they run free Italian courses from A0 to B1 and hold the free A2 test for the accordo di integrazione.
- Enrolment: free of charge
What is on offer
Milan has several CPIA split across city districts and the province; they run free Italian courses from A0 to B1 and hold the free A2 test for the accordo di integrazione. The B1 citizenship module is also taken via a CPIA; above that level the city is densely served by private schools and university centres that host CILS, CELI and PLIDA.
How to enrol
Documents, intake and the placement interviewItalian exams and certificates in Milano
Available in Milano: CILS, CELI, PLIDA, CILS-cittadinanza.
CILS, CELI, PLIDA and the A2 test compared, with pricesCPIA Milano: community-reported quirks
Per the community Milan has several CPIA branches, and their pace differs - people ask on forums which group is stronger. After you enrol online the placement-test invite can be slow, and it does not reach everyone: people email the centre repeatedly to be taken off the waitlist. As a paid alternative they mention private-school crash courses (a few hundred euro for a couple of weeks) - viewed with scepticism. The advice stands: the A2 test is easier, people prepare separately for the B1 for citizenship.
CPIA Milano as learners describe it
In Milan the placement-test invite never came on its own - I emailed the CPIA three times, and only then was I taken off the waitlist and placed in a group.
One branch in Milan felt very slow to me; I asked others where the pace was higher - it turned out there are several centres across the city and they really do differ.
Questions about CPIA in Milano
Where in Milan can you learn Italian for free for the permit?
Free A0-B1 courses and the A2 test are run by the city CPIA, split by district. Enrolment is free; you need ID, a codice fiscale and a permesso or ricevuta. Check the current branch and schedule with CPIA Milan - they change through the year.
Can you take CILS or CELI in Milan?
Yes, Milan is well covered by accredited centres: CILS, CELI and PLIDA are all offered here, plus a dedicated B1 citizenship module. Session dates and booking are on the chosen centre site - they are fixed and fill up in advance.
Is the B1 for citizenship harder than the A2 test?
By community experience - yes, noticeably. Many pass the free A2 test via a CPIA after a short course, while the B1 for cittadinanza tests reading, writing, listening and speaking, so people usually prepare for it separately. These are personal observations, not a guarantee.
Further reading
CPIA in other cities
Not legal advice. Where to verify
All CPIA and exams