Portuguese has two official exams for learners, one from Brazil and one from Portugal. CELPE-Bras is Brazil's exam, run by INEP with Brazil's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it's the only Portuguese certificate the Brazilian government awards. CAPLE is the University of Lisbon's exam center for Portuguese as a foreign language, and it writes and marks its own exams.
Bubblegum is a language app with separate Brazilian and European Portuguese lessons, so you can read the variety your exam uses. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes each lesson at your level, and there's a European Portuguese one to try below.
What Are the CELPE-Bras Levels?
CELPE-Bras is one exam for everyone. Your written part and your speaking part are each scored from 0 to 5, and your level comes from the lower of the two scores.
- Intermediário
Intermediate
- Score 2.00 to 2.75
- Intermediário Superior
Upper intermediate
- Score 2.76 to 3.50
- Avançado
Advanced
- Score 3.51 to 4.25
- Avançado Superior
Upper advanced
- Score 4.26 to 5.00
A score under 2.00 gives no certificate. The written part has four tasks in three hours: you watch a video, listen to audio and read two texts, and write a text for each one. The speaking part is a 20-minute conversation, face to face. The certificate is digital only.
What Are the CAPLE Exams?
CAPLE has one exam for each CEFR level, each with its own name. All of them test reading, writing, listening and speaking. The time in each row includes every part except the breaks.
- ACESSO
A1
- About 1 hour 35 minutes
- €60
- CIPLE
A2
- About 2 hours
- €95
- DEPLE
B1
- About 2 hours 30 minutes
- €115
- DIPLE
B2
- About 3 hours 30 minutes
- €135
- DAPLE
C1
- About 4 hours
- €155
- DUPLE
C2
- About 4 hours 50 minutes
- €170
You pass a CAPLE exam with 55 percent or more. From 55 to 69 percent you get Suficiente, from 70 to 84 percent Bom, and from 85 percent up Muito Bom. CAPLE certificates have no time limit, and there are about 100 CAPLE centers in 35 countries.
When Are CELPE-Bras and CAPLE?
CELPE-Bras runs twice a year and CAPLE three times a year, with extra CIPLE dates in Portugal.
| Exam | 2026 dates | Sign-up |
|---|---|---|
| CELPE-Bras, first edition | April 28 to May 1 | February 24 to March 6 |
| CELPE-Bras, second edition | October 20–23 in Brazil · November 24–27 abroad | July 27 to August 6 |
| CAPLE | May 12–14 · July 14–16 · November 3–5 | Closes October 20 for November |
Sign-up for both 2026 CELPE-Bras editions has closed, and INEP will set the 2027 dates in a new official notice. For the second 2026 edition, results come out on December 15, 2026 in Brazil and January 15, 2027 abroad. Each CELPE-Bras test center sets its own fee, and INEP lists the test centers outside Brazil.
How to Prepare with Comprehensible Input
In CELPE-Bras, your first two writing tasks start from a video and an audio clip, so listening counts from the start. You can build up to it with comprehensible input: Portuguese you understand most of, so the new words make sense from what's around them.
- Pick Your ExamIf you're moving to Brazil, take CELPE-Bras. If you're moving to Portugal, take a CAPLE exam.
- Match the AccentBrazilian and European Portuguese sound different. Listen to the one spoken where you'll use your certificate, with the words on screen.
- Try an Old ExamINEP shares past CELPE-Bras papers, and CAPLE shares sample papers for some exams. Write your answers out in full, as you would on the day.
This lesson is about greetings and café chats in European Portuguese. Open it at Level 2 and move up one level at a time.
Greetings and Café Chats at Six Levels
From Bubblegum’s guide Everyday Greetings and Café Interactions in Portuguese. It works here the way it works inside Bubblegum.
I can handle simple exchanges.
Chat at Home
João enters the house and speaks to his mother.
Hello, mother! How are you?
I am well, but life is not easy.
I need a break and a normal conversation.
The day is better now.
Frequently Asked Questions About Portuguese Exams
Which level do I need for Portuguese nationality?
CAPLE says CIPLE, its A2 exam, is the lowest level accepted for Portuguese nationality.
Does a CELPE-Bras certificate expire?
INEP sets no expiry date. Each university or government office decides whether to accept older results, so ask the one you're applying to.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- INEP: Celpe-Bras (who runs it, twice a year in Brazil and abroad)
- Diário Oficial da União: Edital nº 92 de 8 de julho de 2026, Celpe-Bras 2026/2 (format, scoring, levels, dates)
- Diário Oficial da União: Edital nº 8 de 20 de fevereiro de 2026, Celpe-Bras 2026/1
- INEP: Celpe-Bras frequently asked questions (validity set by each institution)
- INEP: Celpe-Bras past papers
- INEP: Celpe-Bras test centres abroad
- CAPLE, Universidade de Lisboa: about CAPLE (certificates without a time limit, about 100 centres in 35 countries)
- CAPLE: ACESSO (A1) exam page, with the DUPLE (C2) and other exams at /exame/2 to /exame/6
- CAPLE: DIPLE (B2) exam page
- CAPLE: FAQ (CIPLE for nationality, DIPLE for universities)
- CAPLE: exam sessions (épocas) and 2026 calendar
