The qualification this course targets is the Certificat de nivell inicial de català (A1), aligned with the CEFR. Where you sit it depends on where you live:
• The CPNL (Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística) runs free Inicial (A1) courses for adults that lead to the certificate, all over Catalonia.
• University language services certify A1 through common interuniversity exams coordinated by CIFALC — open to the public, not only students.
→ Course & certificate routes, official portal: llengua.gencat.cat/en/serveis/aprendre_catala/a-catalunya
→ How the certificate levels work (A1 → C2): intercat.cat/en/certificates
The Institut Ramon Llull (IRL) runs the official exams abroad (150+ host sites, typically each May; registration opens in late winter). Be aware: the IRL ladder starts at Bàsic (A2) — there is no separate IRL A1 paper. So if you live abroad, this course is either (a) your preparation for an A1 sitting at a university CIFALC centre, or (b) the first, solid half of the road to the IRL A2 Bàsic, whose format the mock exam below mirrors at A1 difficulty.
→ What the IRL exams are: llull.cat/english/aprendre_catala/certificats_intro.cfm
→ How registration works: llull.cat/english/aprendre_catala/certificats_inscripcio.cfm
A1/A2-level Catalan certificates test four skills. Weighting varies slightly by convener, but the shape is stable:
| Paper | What happens | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Comprensió oral (listening) | Short dialogues/announcements, played twice; tick true/false or multiple choice | ~15–20 min |
| 2. Comprensió lectora (reading) | Notices, short e-mails, simple texts; matching and multiple choice | ~30 min |
| 3. Expressió escrita (writing) | Fill in a form with personal data + write a short text (note/postcard, ±40 words) | ~30 min |
| 4. Expressió oral (speaking) | Personal questions (name, origin, family, routine, likes) + a simple role-play | ~10 min |
Reward: communication over perfection. Full short sentences (Em dic… / Soc de… / M'agrada…); correct ser/tenir; numbers and times said confidently; the vaig + infinitive past; asking for repetition in Catalan rather than freezing (Pots repetir, si us plau? earns goodwill — silence doesn't).
Traps: ① *Tinc trenta — age needs anys: Tinc trenta anys. ② *Soc un professor — no article with jobs: Soc professor. ③ agreement — *M'agraden el cafè (singular → agrada). ④ pronouncing every letter — final infinitive -r and final -t after n/l are silent. ⑤ answering Com estàs? with *Soc bé — it's Estic bé / Molt bé. ⑥ forgetting possessive articles — la meva germana, never *meva germana.