The Best CILS B1 Cittadinanza Preparation in Rome (2026 Review)
Ways to prepare for the CILS B1 Cittadinanza, the Italian citizenship exam, from Siena's free sample papers to courses in Rome and online, compared on speaking practice, price, hours and group size.
By Echoa editorial team · Prices checked 6 November 2026
Key takeaways
- Best for daily speaking practice with an answer to every sentence: Echoa
- Best for seeing the real exam, free, from the people who set it: CILS B1 Cittadinanza sample papers
- Best for a citizenship course taught in Rome: Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Rome
- Best for the lowest price per class hour among the schools: Europass Italian Language School (online)
- Best for CILS and CELI preparation, and both exams, under one roof: DILIT International House Rome
The best CILS B1 Cittadinanza preparation depends on where you stand. Some applicants have never seen the paper, some want a classroom in Rome and a teacher who knows the exam, and some read Italian well enough but go quiet when someone asks them a question.
If speaking is the worry, a speaking course you can do at any hour is the closest fit. On Echoa you hear an English cue, build the Italian sentence and say it out loud, and Sam answers every sentence you say: around fifty spoken answers in a 15-minute lesson. The speaking part of the exam is you and an examiner, one to one, and nobody else in the room to answer for you.
It is worth getting right first time. The citizenship version keeps no passed parts: fail one and you sit, and pay for, the whole exam again at a later session.
This guide is for adults in Rome applying for Italian citizenship by residence or marriage, comparing ways to prepare for the CILS B1 Cittadinanza by price, hours, group size, schedule and speaking time.
How we chose the best CILS B1 Cittadinanza preparation in Rome
Each option was compared on what most helps someone pass, with the speaking part in mind.
| Evaluation criterion | What we evaluated |
|---|---|
| Speaking practice | How much of each lesson a learner could spend speaking Italian: for a class, at most the lesson length divided by the group size |
| Feedback | Whether someone answers or corrects what you actually said |
| Closeness to the exam | Whether the course works on the B1 Cittadinanza itself: its four parts, its single speaking task and its topics |
| Price | The published price, from each provider's own website, and what is extra, such as enrolment and the exam fee |
| Hours and group size | How many hours the course gives you, the price per hour that works out to, and how many people share the teacher |
| Location and schedule | In person in Rome or online, which days and times, and when the next course starts |
Prices were checked in November 2026 and may change; confirm the current price on each provider's website before booking. The exam fee is paid on top, whichever preparation you choose. Each option gets a "Best for" label as an editorial recommendation, not an overall ranking. We compare preparation the same way for other exams: fide test preparation, DELE A2 preparation, DELF A2 preparation, CIPLE exam preparation and inburgeringsexamen preparation.
At a glance
Prices are for preparation for the CILS B1 Cittadinanza in Rome, unless the row says what else they buy. Echoa is priced by the month.
- EchoaBest for daily speaking practice with an answer to every sentenceSpeaking course, on your phone or computer€39 a month · Speaking: around fifty spoken answers in 15 min, each one answered
- CILS B1 Cittadinanza sample papers (free)Best for seeing the real exam, free, from the people who set itFree official material, self-studyFree · Speaking: self-study, no feedback
- Scuola Leonardo da Vinci RomeBest for a citizenship course taught in RomeGroup classes, groups of 4 to 15€320 · Speaking: at most 4–15 min an hour, by group size
- Europass Italian Language School (online)Best for the lowest price per class hour among the schoolsOnline classes, groups of up to 10€500 · Speaking: at most 6 min an hour
- DILIT International House RomeBest for CILS and CELI preparation, and both exams, under one roofGroup classes, groups of 3 to 12€630 (General CILS or CELI exam preparation group course) · Speaking: at most 5–20 min an hour, by group size
Prices are rounded; each source linked below has the exact prices. Speaking for a group class is 60 minutes divided by the group size the school states, from a full class to the smallest: the most each learner could speak, before the teacher says anything.
Where to prepare for the CILS B1 Cittadinanza in Rome
1.Echoa: best for daily speaking practice with an answer to every sentence
- CourseSpeaking course, on your phone or computer; German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian
- Price€39 a month; first 3 lessons free. No card needed
- LessonsAbout 15 minutes, around fifty spoken answers each
- GroupJust you, with Sam answering every sentence you say
- Ideal forApplicants who understand more Italian than they can say, and need to say it to an examiner
Lesson 1. By the end you say: “Buonasera. Vorrei un tavolo per due, per favore.”
Echoa is a speaking course on your phone or computer, in German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian. Each lesson takes about 15 minutes: you hear an English cue, build the Italian sentence and say it aloud, and Sam answers what you actually said. There is no group, so every answer in the lesson is yours.
The Italian course runs from a restaurant first, then meeting people, making plans, saying what happened, sorting things out and having friends round, which brings you to A2. Lessons 1, 4 and 40 build to these sentences:
- Lesson 1: Buonasera. Vorrei un tavolo per due, per favore.
- Lesson 4: Parlo un po' d'italiano, ma non capisco tutto. Può parlare più lentamente, per favore?
- Lesson 40: Quando ero piccolo, abitavo a Londra.
Pros
- Speaking, a lot of it: around fifty spoken answers in about 15 minutes, each one answered. That is the habit the exam's conversation rewards: getting a sentence out with someone waiting for it.
- Close to the speaking task: the course moves on to meeting people, the ground the exam's opening self-introduction covers, and to saying what happened, which any conversation about life in Italy needs.
- Any hour: it fits round work, a commute or the queue at the Prefettura.
- Price: €39 a month for every language course, against €320–500 for a citizenship preparation course here. The first 3 lessons are free.
Cons
- It is an Italian speaking course, not a CILS course: it does not run the exam's tasks, its listening and reading papers or the 80–120-word email. Pair it with Siena's free sample papers.
- The course takes you to A2 and the exam asks for B1: use Echoa for the speaking habit and a preparation course or the sample papers for the step up.
How to get started on Echoa
- Pick Italian and start lesson 1. It takes about 15 minutes and ends with you asking for a table for two, out loud.
- Carry on to lessons 2 and 3; the first 3 are free. No card needed.
- Keep going a lesson a day, alongside the sample papers.
2.CILS B1 Cittadinanza sample papers (free): best for seeing the real exam, free, from the people who set it
- CourseFree download from the Università per Stranieri di Siena: syllabus, full sample paper (quaderno), listening audio and transcript, writing and speaking tasks, answer key, marking criteria, answer sheet
- PriceFree
- WhenAny time; download
- GroupSelf-study
- Ideal forEveryone sitting the CILS B1 Cittadinanza, before anything else
The Università per Stranieri di Siena, which sets the CILS, publishes a complete B1 Cittadinanza paper free on its own website: the syllabus, the exam booklet, the listening audio and its transcript, the writing and speaking tasks, the answer key, the marking criteria and the answer sheet. No login, no charge.
Pros
- The real thing: the exam's own four parts, in the real order, written by the people who mark it. Nothing else here shows you more precisely what you will be asked.
- The marking, in black and white: the criteria show that speaking is marked out of 12, with getting your message across worth as much as grammar, and pronunciation worth 1 point.
Cons
- Paper does not answer back. The speaking task sheet lists the conversation topics, but nobody is there to ask you the follow-up question.
- One paper goes quickly. For more, there is the book Percorso CILS Cittadinanza (B1), with three complete practice papers and downloadable audio, about €17.
3.Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Rome: best for a citizenship course taught in Rome
- CourseGroup course 473, 'Citizenship, Level B1': 4 weeks, 20 lessons, CILS exam preparation; course centres include Rome (Piazza dell'Orologio 7)
- Price€320, about 15 hours in class
- When4 weeks; 2026 start dates 12 January, 9 March, 11 May and 2 November; class times not stated
- Group4 to 15
- Ideal forLearners in Rome who want four weeks in a classroom on the citizenship exam itself
Plus an €80 enrolment fee (valid 12 months). The CILS exam fee is extra: €100 for B1 Cittadinanza plus a €30 registration fee at the school.
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci runs a four-week group course called "Citizenship, Level B1", aimed at the CILS exam, at its school in Piazza dell'Orologio. It is also a CILS exam centre, so you can sit the exam where you prepared for it.
Pros
- A citizenship course in Rome itself: about 15 hours over four weeks, on the exam you will actually sit.
- The exam in the same building: the school is on Siena's list of CILS centres in Rome.
Cons
- Groups of 4 to 15, each lesson 45 minutes, so each lesson's speaking is shared with the whole group. The course runs in full from three people; with one or two it is cut to 7 or 14 lessons.
- On top of €320, an €80 enrolment fee and the exam itself. The 2026 start dates published so far have all passed.
4.Europass Italian Language School (online): best for the lowest price per class hour among the schools
- PlanOnline group course 'Preparation for CILS B1 Citizenship exam': 24 lessons of 100 minutes, twice a week for 12 weeks; school based in Florence
- Price€500, about 40 hours in class
- HowOnline, Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu at 17:00 CET; courses run early September to late November and early March to late May; next starts 8 March 2027 and September 2027
- Groupup to 10
- Ideal forLearners who want a long citizenship course from home, in the late afternoon (17:00 CET)
Exam fee extra (€100); the exam itself must be sat in person at a CILS centre (the school's in Florence, or any centre, including those in Rome). Next listed starts are March and September 2027.
Europass, a school in Florence, teaches a 12-week online course for the CILS B1 Citizenship exam: two 100-minute lessons a week, in the late afternoon (17:00 CET). Groups of up to 10.
Pros
- The lowest price per class hour among the schools here: about €13, for 40 hours in all, the most class hours among the courses here.
- Built for the citizenship exam, from home, in the late afternoon (17:00 CET).
Cons
- The next courses start in March and September 2027. If your application cannot wait, this one cannot help.
- The exam cannot be taken online: you still sit it on paper at a CILS centre, in Rome or elsewhere, and pay its fee on top.
5.DILIT International House Rome: best for CILS and CELI preparation, and both exams, under one roof
- CourseGeneral CILS or CELI exam preparation group course, 6 weeks, from A2+; not described as covering the B1 Cittadinanza format
- Price€630, about 25 hours in class
- WhenTwice a week, 13:30-16:00, in person in Rome (Via Marghera 22); CILS starts 4 May and 19 October 2026
- Group3 to 12
- Ideal forLearners in Rome, free on weekday afternoons, who are still choosing between CILS and CELI
A general CILS/CELI preparation course, not a citizenship-specific one. Plus an €85 enrolment fee (valid 12 months). The school is a CILS and CELI exam centre.
DILIT International House, in Via Marghera, runs six-week preparation courses for both CILS and CELI, two afternoons a week, and is an exam centre for both. The course is a general one for those exams, not one built around the citizenship version.
Pros
- CILS and CELI under one roof: the school prepares for both and is an exam centre for both, which helps if you are still choosing which to sit. The CELI citizenship exam lets you keep a passed written or oral part for a year; the CILS citizenship exam does not.
- Small groups: 3 to 12 people, with materials included in the fee.
Cons
- Not described as covering the B1 Cittadinanza format, which has fewer parts and tasks than the standard B1.
- Weekday afternoons only (13:30–16:00), and about €25 an hour before the €85 enrolment fee. Both 2026 CILS starts have passed; check for 2027 dates.
A speaking course or a CILS preparation course: which should you choose?
Whichever you choose, the exam itself is on paper, at a CILS centre, in person. The question is how you get ready for it.
| Factor | Speaking course online (Echoa) | CILS preparation course (online or in Rome) |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Any time, on your phone or computer | Fixed days: weekday afternoons at DILIT, late afternoons (17:00 CET) online at Europass, set weeks at Leonardo |
| Individual attention | Sam, Echoa's AI teacher, answers every sentence you say | Shared with a group: up to 10 people at Europass, 4 to 15 at Leonardo |
| Speaking time | Every answer in the lesson is yours | At most the lesson divided by the group size |
| Exam practice | None of the exam's own tasks; use the free sample papers | Works through the exam's parts, written ones included |
| Cost | €39 a month, first 3 lessons free | About €320–500 for a citizenship course, plus enrolment fees |
| Start | Today | On the school's dates |
- Choose a speaking course online if you can read the questions but struggle to answer them out loud, or your days are already full.
- Choose a preparation course if you want a teacher to take you through every part of the exam, the email and the listening included.
Many applicants do both: the course or the sample papers for the format, and a speaking course on the days in between. For general evening classes rather than exam courses, see Italian classes in Rome compared; if you are weighing up language apps, Babbel vs Pimsleur for Italian compares two of them.
Which CILS B1 Cittadinanza preparation is best for you?
- Choose Echoa if you understand Italian but freeze when you have to speak, and want to practise every day for €39 a month.
- Choose the free sample papers if you have not yet seen what the exam looks like. Everyone should start here.
- Choose Scuola Leonardo da Vinci if you want a citizenship course in a classroom in Rome, and an exam centre in the same building.
- Choose Europass if you want the most class hours for the money and can wait for the 2027 courses.
- Choose DILIT if you want CILS or CELI preparation at a centre that runs both exams, and are free on weekday afternoons. Both 2026 CILS starts have passed, so check for 2027 dates.
If you are not sure you need the exam at all, read the questions below first: some applicants can prove their Italian another way.
Start speaking Italian today
Lesson 1 takes about 15 minutes and ends with you asking for a table for two, out loud, in Italian. The first 3 lessons are free. No card needed.
FAQ
What level of Italian do I need for citizenship?
Italian citizenship by residence or marriage needs Italian at B1 or above (CEFR), for applications filed from 4 December 2018 (art. 9.1, law 91/1992, added by decree-law 113/2018, converted by law 132/2018). One B1 certificate covers it; there is no separate spoken and written level.
Do I have to take the CILS?
No. One way is a B1 (or higher) certificate from one of the four certifying bodies recognised by the Italian education and foreign ministries, sat at one of their approved centres: CILS (Università per Stranieri di Siena), CELI (Università per Stranieri di Perugia), PLIDA (Società Dante Alighieri) or Cert.it (Università Roma Tre), or a B1 certificate from a state CPIA adult education centre. And some applicants are exempt: a school or university qualification from a public or state-recognised institution, in Italy or abroad, a signed integration agreement, or an EU long-term residence permit already proves your Italian.
What is the difference between the CILS B1 Cittadinanza and the standard CILS B1?
The B1 Cittadinanza is a B1 exam from the Università per Stranieri di Siena for adults applying for Italian citizenship, about life in Italy, and it counts only for the citizenship application. The standard B1 counts for work and study too.
It is also shorter. Four parts: listening (2 tasks, about 30 min), reading and grammar (2 tasks, 40 min), writing (1 email of 80-120 words, 40 min), speaking (1 task, about 10 min). The standard B1 has five parts and more tasks.
The catch is the retake rule. The standard B1 keeps the parts you pass for 18 months; the citizenship version keeps none, so failing one part means sitting, and paying for, the whole exam again at a later session.
What happens in the speaking test?
Speaking is one-to-one with an examiner and recorded: a short self-introduction (about 1 minute: name, age, where you are from, where you live, work or study), then a 2-3 minute conversation on a topic the candidate picks from a list, such as city or country life, healthcare in Italy and at home, or the documents needed for citizenship. Speaking is marked out of 12: getting the message across up to 4, grammar up to 4, vocabulary up to 3, pronunciation and intonation up to 1.
How much does the CILS B1 Cittadinanza cost, and how do I book it?
Siena sets the exam fee at 100 euro, in Italy and abroad, and centres may add their own fee: Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, for example, adds a 30 euro registration fee. Book through a CILS exam centre, not with Siena directly; the exam is on paper at the centre and cannot be taken online. Siena lists more than 15 CILS exam centres in Rome, including Scuola Leonardo da Vinci (Piazza dell'Orologio 7), DILIT International House (Via Marghera 22), Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri (Piazza Bologna 1), CLA Sapienza, John Cabot University, Upter, EF, Engim, CPIA 1 Lazio and CPIA 2 Roma. Each centre sets its own dates.
When do I get my result?
About 40 to 45 working days after your papers reach Siena, which is roughly two months after the exam.
Is there a free Italian course in Rome?
Yes, at the state CPIA adult education centres, though CPIA 1 Roma's standard course aims at A2 rather than B1. The Lazio region's PRILS project listed free B1 courses of 80 to 100 hours at the CPIA for people from outside the EU, but that page was last updated in March 2022, so ask the CPIA what runs now. Our comparison of Italian classes in Rome includes CPIA 4 Roma.
How we compared
This page is published by Echoa, one of the options compared. Every price comes from the source linked for it below, the provider’s own website unless named otherwise, on the date shown. The page is drafted with AI from those sources, then checked against them before it is published. Prices are compared on one basis, preparation for the CILS B1 Cittadinanza in Rome; Echoa is priced by the month, and any other option priced differently says on its card what its price buys. Options under “also checked” were looked at too and are not compared here, because they are priced on another basis or weren’t picked. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- CILS B1 Cittadinanza sample papers (free), checked 2026-11-06
- Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Rome, checked 2026-11-06
- Europass Italian Language School (online), checked 2026-11-06
- DILIT International House Rome, checked 2026-11-06
Also checked, not picked here: Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri (Rome), Expats Living in Rome, CPIA 1 Roma (state adult education centre), Preply (online tutors).
Other sources: regione.lazio.it, prefettura.interno.gov.it, cils.unistrasi.it, cla.unipd.it, iicstoccarda.esteri.it, unimi.it, cms.plida.dante.global, certificazioneitaliano.uniroma3.it, italiano-bello.com.
Related reading: learn Italian with Echoa · Italian classes in Rome · Italian classes in Milan · Babbel vs Pimsleur for Italian