The Penha campus of the University of the Algarve (UAlg) welcomed a total of 68 foreign residents on Saturday, April 21 for a Portuguese exam which, if passed, gives the students the right to obtain Portuguese nationality.
The exam (Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira) is divided into three components – Reading Comprehension and Written Expression; Oral Comprehension; and Oral Expression.
In a nutshell, it aims to establish whether or not the student has the basic ability to communicate in day-to-day situations.
The exam is carried out at the ESGHT school at UAlg’s Penha campus in Faro thanks to a protocol with the CAPLE centre of the University of Lisbon.
Four other more advanced exams (B1, B2, C1 and C2) will also be held at the Penha campus until the end of May, while a second round of exams is scheduled for October and November.
The UAlg board stresses that the CAPLE exams are recognised by several institutions and Portugal and abroad for “professional, social and educational purposes”.
Since 2011, the university has welcomed over 1,400 foreign students, which is why it says it provides a “fundamental service to the Algarve’s foreign community” by showing “respect and valuing diversity”.
The Resident contacted UAlg to find out how the exams went but we did not receive a response before going to press.
michael.bruxo@algarveresident.com
