What should I bring to the CIPLE exam?

Valid photo identification that matches the document you registered with. That is the one item you cannot be admitted without. Bring your registration confirmation and candidate number too, plus pens. Know the address and the travel time in advance, and arrive early, because being rushed wrecks your first paper.

Updated September 2026 · 2 min read

The one thing that gets people turned away

Identification. It has to be valid, it has to have your photo, and it has to match the document you used to register. A mismatch between your registration and the ID in your hand is not something the invigilator can wave through on the day.

Check this the week before, not the morning of. If your passport or residence card expired since you registered, that is a problem you want to discover with time to contact your centre.

Bring these too

Your registration confirmation and candidate number. You will want the candidate number again later to look up your results, so having it recorded somewhere permanent helps.
Pens. Bring spares. Do not assume the centre supplies them.
The address, written down, and a realistic travel time. Centres are often inside university buildings where the room is not obvious from the street.

Check your name on the attendance sheet

This is the highest-value two seconds of the whole day and almost nobody knows to do it.

The spelling of your name on the attendance sheet is the spelling that goes on your certificate. If it is wrong, you must report it to your centre in writing within 5 working days. After the certificate has been issued, fixing a name means paying for a duplicate and returning the original.

Look at the sheet when you sign it. Read your own name. It costs nothing.

Arrive early

Not for the invigilator's benefit. Reading is likely to be your first paper, it is part of the heaviest component, and arriving flustered costs marks on material you actually know. Give yourself enough margin that a late bus is an inconvenience rather than a crisis.

How long does the CIPLE exam take on the day?

Budget most of a morning. The reading paper runs about 45 minutes, writing about 45, and listening about 30. The speaking interview is separate and short, usually 10 to 15 minutes with one or two examiners. Exact timings vary by session, so treat these as planning figures rather than a promise.

How often is the CIPLE exam held each year?

A handful of times a year rather than on demand. International sessions run in May, July and November, and there are other dates depending on the centre and country. Not every centre offers every session, so missing a registration window or failing can mean waiting months for the next opportunity.

Is the CIPLE exam in European or Brazilian Portuguese?

European Portuguese, throughout. The texts, the recordings and the examiners all use the European standard. Brazilian vocabulary and spelling cost real marks in reading and writing, and the accent difference is hardest in listening, where reduced vowels and faster rhythm can make a familiar phrase unrecognisable.