Language requirements for admission to our degree programmes
We remind you to check the level required for admission to the degree programme and to provide mandatorily a language certificate from among those accepted by the University before:
31 July for limited access programmes;
31 August for open access programmes.
Degree programmes held in English
All candidates with a qualification obtained abroad, regardless of their citizenship and residence, who intend to enrol in a degree programme of the University of Padua are required to demonstrate an adequate knowledge of English, corresponding to a B2 level and in accordance with the teaching regulations of the relevant degree programme.
If you obtain one of the language certificates listed herein by achieving at least the minimum score given below, you are eligible for admission to the English-taught degree programmes and curriculums.
The minimum scores apply to all degree programmes and curriculums delivered in English except for English Studies (curriculum of the Master’s degree programme in Lingue e letterature europee ed americane), which requires knowledge of English at C1 level but does not require an official certificate
Only certificates obtained no more than five years before the start date of the selection process (2nd November) are accepted.
Certificates that are not listed here will not be accepted (e.g. Duolingo).
B1
Minimum score required: 70
B2
Minimum score required: 80
C1
Minimum score required: 95
B1
Minimum score required: 5.0
B2
Minimum score required: 6.0
C1
Minimum score required: 7.0
B1
Cambridge English Entry Level Certificate in Esol International B1 Preliminary (PET)
Minimum score required: 160
B2
Cambridge English Level 1 in ESOL International – B2 First
Minimum score required: 173
C1
Cambridge English Level 2 in ESOL International – C1 Advanced (CAE)
Minimum score required: 180
B1
Integrated Skills in English - ISE I
B2
Integrated Skills in English - ISE II
C1
Integrated Skills in English - ISE III
B1
Oxford Test of English - OTE
Minimum score required: 95
B2
Oxford Test of English - OTE
Minimum score required: 126
B1
GA Entry Level Certificate in ESOL International Entry 3 (Classic B1)
B2
GA Level 1 Certificate in ESOL International (Classic B2)
C1
GA Level 2 Certificate in ESOL International (Classic C1)
B1
PTE General 2 (ESOL International Entry 3)
B2
PTE General 3 (ESOL International Level 1)
C1
PTE General 4 (ESOL International Level 2)
B1
Level 2 Intermediate
B2
Level 3 Upper Intermediate
C1
Level 4 Advanced
B1
Minimum score required: 50
B2
Minimum score required: 65
C1
Minimum score required: 76
Degree programmes held in Italian
As per the Ministerial Circular concerning admission to Italian-taught degree programmes, students should have at least a B2 level in Italian to be certified by 31 August.
The language certificates accepted are the ones issued as part of the CLIQ quality system (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità), which brings together the current language certificate institutes (Perugia Foreigners' University, University for Foreigners of Siena, Università Roma Tre, Società "Dante Alighieri"), and those issued by the University for Foreigners "Dante Alighieri" of Reggio Calabria, also in agreement with the Italian Cultural Institutes abroad or other accredited institutes (by way of example: CELI, PLIDA etc.).
The language requirement may also be checked by means of the online test ITA L2 to be taken remotely, in collaboration with CISIA (details available on the relevant web page).
Knowledge of another foreign language (e.g. English) may be required for admission; check the teaching regulations of the degree programme you would like to be admitted to.
You will not need to present a language proficiency certificate if:
- You obtained your entry title by completing your previous education entirely in English (if you are applying to a Bachelor's degree your entry title will be your Upper secondary Education; if you are applying to a Master's degree your entry title will be your Bachelor's degree);
- You are a native English speaker coming from one of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America;
- You are sitting the IMAT, the mandatory entry test to be taken to access the English-taught programme Medicine and Surgery.
If you fall into one of the categories below, you are exempt from the Italian language certificate:
- students with European Union citizenship;
- students with non-European Union citizenship residing in Italy with a valid residence permit;
- students who obtained an upper secondary school diploma from Italian state schools and equivalent abroad;
- students in possession of one of the secondary school qualifications referred to in Annex 2;
- students who obtained a qualification in Italian Language and Culture from the Perugia Foreigners' University and the University for Foreigners of Siena;
- students with Chinese citizenship participating in the Marco Polo project who passed the final exam of the (10 or 11-month) Italian language course with at least a B1 level.