The Ilà-B1 Certificate aims at establishing whether achievers’ competence in MSA matches B1 level of CEFR, certifying that such a competence enables them:

• to understand the main elements of a speech concerning familiar topics (study and work environment, leisure and free time, etc.), and current events broadcast and released by mass media, as long as the speech is relatively slow and clear;
• to participate in communicative exchanges typical of social interaction, which may occur during travels and contacts with the reference culture(s);
• to take part in conversations about personal, professional or daily life-related topics without any previous preparation;
• to describe experiences, events and ambitions, and express reasons for opinions and projects through statements linked to each other in a simple way;
• to tell a story or the plot of a fiction (book, film, series, etc.) with reference to personal impressions and reactions.

The linguistic variety of reference for Ilà-B1 is then MSA, meaning the language of the Arabic education system, largely used in modern and contemporary literature, by the press, mass media and in oral productions characterized by a certain formal level. Moreover, MSA is the variety of Arabic language generally mastered by non-speaking Arabic users, who have attended school, academic or permanent learning courses. Nonetheless, thanks to the cultural and linguistic range and richness of the Arab world, MSA used for Ilà-B1 can echo some regional varieties, especially in terms of lexis and syntax.

The skills Ilà-B1 certifies specifically include both the oral and the aural ones, being represented by production, interaction and comprehension.

As for those functions of the communicative skills tested during the exam according to the specifications of each paper, see the B1 Level Syllabus section.

The exam consists of 3 papers:

1. Presentation
2. Interaction
3. Listening