That Dreaded Language Test How to be prepared

How to Prepare for and Pass that Dreaded Portuguese Language Exam

By Emma Sherratt For most of us, taking an exam is not something we willingly put ourselves through. Just the thought of taking an exam can be terrifying—sitting in a classroom, clock ticking, nerves jumping, trying to squeeze our memory and put the answers on paper—a terrible prospect to be avoided at all costs. And with a language exam we have, joy of joy, a speaking exam to look forward to … spotlight on us being evaluated on what we say, the fear of failure can really put us off going through all this. And then we find ourselves thinking, well, if I do this A2 CIPLE exam in Portuguese, I could make my life in Portugal a whole lot easier … I could apply for nationality, no longer need to renew residency regularly … or maybe take another exam in order to get the job I want, or simply feel I would like some official recognition, a document, to say I really do know the Portuguese language.

What exactly do you have to do in the CIPLE A2 exam (or similar tests)?

The CIPLE test is divided into four parts which you will do on one day. Each part evaluates a different language skill–Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking (Compreensão da leitura, Produção e interação escritas, Compreensão do oral, Expressão oral). Each part, more or less, has the same weighting, the listening having slightly more marks (30%). You do not need to pass each part to pass the exam. The overall pass mark is 55% (over 70% is Bom - Good, over 85% Muito bom – Very good). There is no explicit grammar section; this is evaluated in your speaking and writing (so you need to ensure you demonstrate your wonderful Portuguese with a wide range of vocabulary and tenses!). • Reading and Writing components are together (1h 15mins—multiple choice questions on a lot of texts, and writing one short and one longer text, informal language), • Listening (30mins – you hear each text / dialogue twice) is separate, • Speaking exam (10-15mins) you will normally do this with one other candidate. You receive the schedule a few weeks before the exam; everyone at each exam centre will do the written papers at the same time, but the speaking times will be allocated in pairs. The most challenging parts are the listening comprehension (the texts and dialogues are read at normal speed, and they engineer background noises into the recordings—street noise etc. However, there are no regional accents to deal with) and, as far as the speaking test, nervousness is the usual issue here! I like to remind students that this is an A2 level exam, so errors are expected and acceptable … but not basic errors, like masculine / feminine agreement, etc. One issue for some students is trying to produce very complex language and getting tangled up. But no complex language is expected, just clearly communicated (fairly) correct simple language. For candidates between 12 and 15 there is a different version of the exam—eCIPLE for them.

How to pass and get the best marks?

How can we achieve our goal of getting this certificate without putting ourselves though hell in the process? 1. Remember that an exam is there to evaluate your level of knowledge, in this case the Portuguese language.

You will need to be at the level required to be in the best position to pass the exam. The CIPLE is a high A2 level in the Common European Framework Info here and a table here on the levels and what this means in practical terms. One important point is that you need to have a very good working knowledge of the past tense(s)–to write and speak about past events. The test is designed to evaluate your ability to function in

Portuguese-speaking situations. The focus is on dayto-day situations and you need both decent listening skills and a good working vocabulary. 2. Be familiar with the exam format, timing, and remember there are lots of techniques and strategies you can learn for passing exams. Being familiar with what you will be asked to do, and learning the best way to provide the answers that are expected in a time-efficient way will be very helpful. 3. Practise and get good feedback on how you are doing, especially for the written and spoken components. 4. Be confident! If you have nailed the above three points, you are ready to go. Turn up on the day of the exam having slept well, not jittering from too much coffee, and feeling like you are going to do your very best. A positive mindset makes a huge difference.

What, next, if I decide to take the test?

Think about your timetable and your current level of Portuguese. If you feel you are up to the level of the exam,

choose your date and venue, book your test, and then prepare. If you need to boost your level, start studying.

A few useful points

• The exam dates for the year come out in January or

February, so planning for taking exams at the beginning of the year can be tricky. This year it was only possible to book from 1 March (and many of the early dates booked up very soon after that date). Once you have decided when and where you want to take the exam, book it, as space is often very limited. (You can book up to 3 weeks before the exam date.) The price is 72€. • There are national and international dates. You can take the exam inside and outside of Portugal on the international dates, but in Portugal only on the national dates. This year (2022) the exam will be given on 12

May, 14 July, 10 November (national and international), and only in Portugal on 18 June and 22 October. • Choose your exam centre wisely. Some locations are busy, so there can be a lot of noise for the listening test—this is particularly true in Lisboa. I have found Leiria to be a very nice exam centre if you are in the centre of Portugal. • Be aware (thinking of the speaking component of the exam, where you have to speak with someone else) that there are people who take the test that are totally unprepared, having heard it is a “low-level” exam, and have no idea what to expect; or, they are fluent in Portuguese and taking the exam for bureaucratic purposes. Try not to let this put you off. The examiners/ assessors are trained to evaluate you separately.

Useful links

Information on all exams and timetable: https://caple. letras.ulisboa.pt/exames Information from the PT government website on all of the situations: (in English): https://eportugal.gov.pt/en/ servicos/pedir-a-nacionalidade-portuguesa Info on the CIPLE courses we offer can be found here: https://www.portugueselanguagelessons.net/ciple.

How am I qualified to tell you about all of this?

I have been living in Central Portugal, near Tomar, for 20 years and teaching languages for over 21 years. I set up Portuguese Language Lessons in 2010. Today, Portuguese Language Lessons has a team that offers online and live classes, pronunciation master classes, CIPLE preparation courses, chat-groups, monthly book clubs, and more (see: www. portugueselanguagelessons.net). If you need advice or have any questions, please feel free to contact me at info@portugueselanguagelessons.net.