What to expect on the CEnT English Test

Honest, no-hype information about the exam — what we know, what we don't, and how to calibrate your preparation.

Overall difficulty

Moderate — tests CEFR B1 and B2 English proficiency. The main focus is on dependent prepositions, cloze passage context, and academic reading comprehension.

Question style

Multiple-choice (5 options, 1 correct). Questions evaluate grammar tenses, conditionals, passive voice, prepositional collocations, and reading comprehension.

Time per question

2.0 minutes per question. Take your time to read full passage context before answering cloze gap-fills.

What this platform covers

Reading Comprehension: main idea extraction, topic sentences, author tone, keyword scanning
Grammar & Structure: past simple vs present perfect, 1st/2nd/3rd conditionals, passive voice, reported speech
Cloze Tests & Prepositions: dependent prepositions (good at, interested in), despite vs although, phrasal verbs
Academic Vocabulary: formal synonyms (commence, purchase), antonyms, word formation prefixes/suffixes

What it does not cover

Official unreleased live test questions — CISIA does not publish live test papers
CEnT computer lab webcam proctoring rules
TOEFL / IELTS equivalency score conversions

Exam-day tips

1There is NO penalty for wrong answers on the CEnT — answer every single question!
2For cloze passage gaps, check whether a noun or full clause follows a connector (e.g. despite + noun vs although + clause).
3Aim for 24+ points out of 30 to secure CEFR B2 level certification.
4Pay attention to dependent prepositions: 'look forward to' is always followed by an -ing gerund.

Recommended preparation resources

Official CISIA Public Website: https://www.cisiaonline.it/
Official Free Sample PDFs: https://www.cisiaonline.it/area-tematica-tolc-inglese/

Community signal

Candidates emphasize that cloze passage connectors and dependent prepositions (like 'interested in', 'apologize for') account for most quick score gains on the CEnT.

Independent preparation material. Not affiliated with or endorsed by CISIA. Question content is authored independently for practice purposes. Official free CISIA sample PDFs can be accessed directly on cisiaonline.it.

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