Celpe-Bras 2013
Celpe-Bras is the only Portuguese proficiency test in Brazil that is officially recognized by companies and education institutions in Brazil. In a country where less than 10% of the population speaks a foreign language, proficiency in Portuguese is a necessity.
What is the test?
As mentioned in the article Proficiency Test for Portuguese, Celpe-Bras is the only test in Brazil certifying proficiency in the language. It can be taken by foreigners or Brazilians citizens who do not speak Portuguese as their native language.
It is mandatory for the admission in undergraduate or graduation courses, as well as to validate the diploma of foreign professionals planning to work in Brazil.
Celpe-Bras evaluates oral and written comprehension, as well as oral and written production of the Portuguese language. The test is divided into two parts:
- Written test: it lasts three hours and is composed by two assignments integrating oral comprehension to written production, plus two assignments integrating reading and written production.
- Oral test: it lasts 20 minutes and consists of interactions related to activities and interests mentioned by the applicant in his application form and conversations about everyday matters.
Celpe-Bras evaluates four proficiency levels: intermediate, high intermediate, advanced and high advanced.
Enrollment
The enrollment to the test can be made from February 8th to March 8th at the Celpe-Bras webpage. The basic steps for the enrollment are:
- To fill in the form available at Celpe-Bras official website;
- Pay the enrollment fee (BRL 150,00);
- Present the payment receipt along with your RG, RNE or passport at the venue where the applicant will be taking the test;
- Schedule the oral test at the venue where the applicant is taking the test.
Where can I take the test?
Depending on the applicant's country of origin, it is not necessary to be in Brazil to take the test as it is offered in the following countries:
- Argentina;
- Austria;
- Bolivia;
- Chile;
- China;
- Colombia;
- Costa Rica;
- Domenican Republic;
- Ecuador;
- El Salvador;
- England;
- France;
- Germany;
- Guiana;
- Italy;
- Mexico;
- Nicaragua;
- Nigeria;
- Paraguay;
- Peru;
- Poland;
- South Korea;
- Spain;
- Suriname;
- Switzerland;
- Uruguay;
- USA;
- Venezuela.
On the test day
On the test day, the applicant must present the original personal document used for the enrollment in the test (RG, RNE or passport). The applicant will no longer be allowed to participate if his arrival occurred after the written text has started.
If the applicant gives up on the test, there is no reimbursement of the application fee.
Results and certificate
The results of the two annual editions of the test are published in August and November, respectively.
INEP (which is the branch of Ministério da Educação in charge of the exam) will issue an electronic certificate with the proficiency level reached by the applicant. The validation of this certificate is made at INEP website
Getting ready for the test
The test is not very different from any language evaluation, approaching topics that are familiar to anyone who has taken a proficiency test in any language.
Some of the topics approached in the tests are:
Individual
Personal information (profession, characteristics, preferences, etc); family and social relations (relation between relatives, aspects related to domestic work, friendship, neighborhood, etc).
Housing
Types of housing and accommodation, clothing, furniture, home appliances, tools, domestic services, fixing, real estate purchase or rental, etc.
Work and study
Characteristics, location, venues, duties, rights, schedule, salary, relationship between employers and employees, professional qualification, interviews, meetings, business travels, vacation and retiring, school, university, scholarship, tests, internship, profession, job perspectives, globalization, etc.
Transportation and Communication
Conversations, gesture and posture, Internet, newspaper, television, radio, personal and professional mailing, traffic, private vehicles and public transportation, tickets purchase, tips, customs clearance, luggage, car rental, etc.
Services
Banking, post office, public telephones, police, hospitals, firefighters, touristic information, etc.
Shopping
Real estate, cars, food, clothing, shoes, furniture, home appliances, medicines, stationery, show tickets, gifts, prices, currency, payment methods, weight, packaging, ads and classifieds, online shopping, delivery, etc.
Food
Food and beverage purchase and preparation, places, occasions and behaviors when eating and drinking, etc.
Body and health
Exercises, hygiene, aesthetics, fashion, body parts, diseases, medical and dental appointment, tests, health insurance, emergencies, accidents, medications, drugs, etc.
Leisure, travelling and art
Leisure activities, sports, beach, reading, music, movies, art, radio, television, stadiums, libraries, internet, theaters, concerts, museums, exhibitions, etc.
Science and technology
Current discussion on biomedicine, communications, transportation, energy and food subjects.
Weather and ecology
Weather types, atmospheric phenomena, weather forecast, pollution, nature preservation, etc.
Getting help
You might need some professional help to prepare yourself for the test and in many cases, the best option is to be able to study online, especially if you’re not taking the test in Brazil. If this is your case, you can try The Portuguese Hub, a school specialized in the teaching of Portuguese to foreigners.