CILS is the official qualification of communicative linguistic competence in Italian as a foreign language and is aimed at foreign or Italian citizens (residing in Italy and abroad). To take the exam, it is not necessary to have special qualifications, nor to have passed a lower level CILS exam. The CILS tests are not related to particular methods or types of language courses. Each level of the certification attests to a communicative ability in different situations and contexts. The validity of each level of certification for foreigners who want to carry out activities in relationship with Italian institutions (for professionals and studies) is established by the document of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Coordinated System of Certifications of Italian for Foreigners, Rome, 1998