Is CIPLE or PLA faster to get A2 certified?

CIPLE is faster if you are already at A2: roughly 2 to 4 months to register, sit the exam and receive results. PLA takes 2 to 6 months of course time. The real difference is predictability. With PLA you know the timeline from the start rather than waiting on CAPLE's calendar.

Updated September 2026 · 2 min read

The honest comparison

CIPLE, if you are already at A2. Register, wait for the exam date, sit it, wait up to about six weeks for results, then roughly 21 working days for the certificate to reach your centre. Around three months from exam day to document, plus however long finding a slot takes.

CIPLE, if you are not at A2 yet. Add your study time on the front. That is where the honest answer stops being short.

PLA. An A2 course runs 150 to 200 hours. Depending on format that is roughly 2 to 6 months, and you receive the certificate shortly after completing the course.

Why predictability often beats raw speed

The CIPLE timeline has one unbounded stage: finding an available session. Sessions run a handful of times a year, popular centres fill within hours of registration opening, and the portal is unreliable enough that people spend months on this step alone.

A PLA course has a start date and a length. You can put it in a calendar. That is worth a great deal when a citizenship deadline is driving the decision, and it is why "faster on paper" and "faster in practice" can come apart.

The failure case changes the answer too

If you sit the CIPLE and fail, you wait for the next session your centre offers, which can be months, and pay the full fee again. A route that is faster when it works can be slower on average once you account for that.

PLA's ongoing assessment spreads that risk rather than concentrating it on one morning.

How to decide

Are you already near A2? If yes, CIPLE is probably faster, assuming you can register. If no, a structured course gets you there and certifies you in one process.

Can you get a slot? If the portal has beaten you for months, that question has already answered itself.

Is CIPLE or PLA cheaper for getting A2 certified?

CIPLE has the lower upfront cost if you pass first time: typically 90 to 120 euros. PLA course fees vary enormously. Government-subsidised courses can be free or very low cost for eligible residents, while private courses run from a few hundred euros to over a thousand.

How much does the CIPLE exam cost to sit?

Typically between 90 and 120 euros, depending on the centre and the country. Fees are set by the centre rather than being one global price, so confirm with yours before budgeting. A retake costs the full fee again, which is the part that makes an unprepared first attempt expensive.

Can I get A2 Portuguese certified for free in Portugal?

Possibly, through a subsidised PLA course. Government-subsidised courses can be free or very low cost for eligible residents, and they are the only realistic route to a free A2 certificate. The CIPLE exam always carries a fee, typically 90 to 120 euros, with no free option.