The Italian A2 test for the long-term residence permit
Who has to take it, who doesn't, how to book it and what happens on the day. Based on the decree that regulates the test and the Ministry of the Interior's own page.
Updated 12 November 2026
If you have lived in Italy legally for five years and apply for the permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo (the EU long-term residence permit, often still called the carta di soggiorno), the Questura will not issue it until you prove that your Italian is at A2 level. For most people that means a short computer test at a school chosen by the Prefettura.
The rules have been the same since 2010 and they are set out in a two-page decree, the Decreto ministeriale 4 giugno 2010. Below is what it says, plus what people usually find out only on the day.
What "A2" means here
The decree describes the level in one sentence: you must be able to understand "frasi ed espressioni di uso frequente in ambiti correnti", everyday sentences and expressions. Think of a message from your landlord, a notice at the post office, an announcement at the station, a short phone call to book an appointment. You are not expected to discuss politics or write an essay.
You may not need the test at all
This is the part most people skip, and it can save you a trip. Article 4 of the decree says you do not take the test if you have one of these:
- A language certificate at A2 or higher from one of the recognised bodies: the Università per Stranieri di Siena (CILS), the Università per Stranieri di Perugia (CELI), Roma Tre University (CERT.IT) or the Società Dante Alighieri (PLIDA).
- An A2 certificate from a CPIA course. CPIA schools (Centri provinciali per l'istruzione degli adulti) run Italian courses for adults, and at the end you get a certificate of the level you reached. If it says A2 or higher, it replaces the test.
- A2 recognised under the accordo di integrazione, the integration agreement many people signed when they first got a permit.
- An Italian school diploma (licenza media or diploma di scuola superiore), or you are enrolled at an Italian university, in a PhD or in a university master.
- You entered Italy for certain jobs listed in article 27 of the immigration law: managers and highly qualified staff, university professors and researchers, translators and interpreters, accredited foreign journalists.
In the first, second and fourth case you attach a certified copy of the document to your permit application. In the other two you add a declaration.
And the decree does not apply at all to children under 14, or to people with serious difficulties learning a language because of age, illness or disability, certified by a public health facility (struttura sanitaria pubblica).
How to book
- Apply online on the Ministry of the Interior portal, portaleservizi.dlci.interno.it. The request goes to the Prefettura of the province where you live.
- The form asks for your personal details, your current permit (type and expiry date), your passport details and the address where you want to receive the invitation. If something is missing, the request is not accepted, so check the passport number and the permit expiry date twice.
- Within 60 days the Prefettura sends you a convocazione with the day, the time and the place. The place is often a CPIA or another school.
- On the day bring a valid identity document, your permit and the convocation. Staff check your identity before you start.
What the test looks like
The decree says three things about the test itself: it is done on a computer, it is built on understanding short texts and on the ability to interact, and the exact tasks, scoring and time limit are set together with one of the certification bodies listed above. So the official text does not list the questions, and the details can change over time.
The information published by CPIA schools that run the test describes the same shape:
- Listening: short dialogues and announcements, with questions to answer for each one.
- Reading: short everyday texts such as notices, messages and ads.
- Written interaction: a short piece of writing, such as answering a message.
There is no speaking part with an examiner. Schools usually describe the whole test as taking about an hour. If you are not comfortable with a computer, you can ask to do it on paper: the decree says the content, the marking and the time limit stay exactly the same.
The number that matters: 80%
To pass you need at least 80% of the total score. That is high. Many tests pass you at 60%; here you can afford to lose only one point in five.
In practice this means the A2 test is less about knowing difficult Italian and more about not making careless mistakes: a time you misheard, a "true or false" you answered too fast, a message where you forgot one of the things you were asked to write. That is also why practising the format pays off: most lost points come from the format, not from the language.
After the test
You do not receive a certificate. The result is recorded in the Ministry's system and you can check it on the same portal where you booked. If you pass, the Prefettura informs the Questura electronically and the Questura goes on with your permit application.
If you do not pass, you can book again with the same procedure, but the Ministry's page says only 90 days after the previous test. If your current permit is about to expire, keep that in mind and do not leave the test to the last month.
How to prepare in practice
- Train your ear on real situations. Station and supermarket announcements, voicemail messages, short phone calls. At this level the difficulty is the speed of normal speech, not the vocabulary.
- Read the question before you listen. You will know what to listen for: a time, a place, a price.
- Practise writing short messages to a word limit. Reply, answer every point, close politely. Twenty correct words are worth more than sixty with mistakes.
- Do at least two full mock tests with a timer, on a screen, in one sitting. Aim for 90% in practice so that a bad day still leaves you above 80%.
Our guides on listening and reading and on the writing task go into more detail, with examples.
Practise in the exam format
Pino has 100 A2 and B1 practice tests with listening, reading, writing and speaking, a timer and a score for each section. The first test of each level is free.
Official sources
This guide is general information written by the team behind Pino, an independent practice app. It is not legal advice, Pino is not affiliated with any government body or exam centre, and rules can change: check the official sources and your Prefettura before you act.