Assessing A1 Writing in Italian: A Rubric for Teachers (CILS, CELI, PLIDA)

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If you teach Italian as a foreign language or are preparing a student for an A1 certificate, sooner or later you face the same question: how do I assess an A1 written text objectively? In this article you will find what the CEFR expects at this level, what the three main A1 Italian certificates actually ask in writing, a ready-to-use rubric that I also use in my own lessons, three sample texts with scores and practical tips to prepare students.

What A1 writing involves

According to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), at A1 a learner can:

• fill in a form with personal details (name, nationality, address, age);
• write a short, simple message, such as a postcard, a note or a brief email to greet, thank or give information;
• link words and phrases with very basic connectors such as e (and) or poi (then); in class, I also accept ma (but) when it appears naturally.

The aim is not a correct text but an understandable one that answers the task using basic structures (present tense, articles, main agreements).

The three A1 certificates and their writing tests

Awarding body	A1 exam	What the official documents say about writing
University for Foreigners of Siena	CILS A1	Writing section of 30 minutes with two tasks: a description (about 20-40 words) and a form or request for information or services (about 15-30 words).
University for Foreigners of Perugia (CVCL)	CELI Impatto (A1)	The written paper includes a section of items scored 0.5 points per correct answer (B.1) and one extended writing task (B.2) marked from 0 to 4 on a competence scale. Note that CELI 1 is already A2.
Società Dante Alighieri	PLIDA A1	Four skills assessed (listening, reading, writing, speaking); to pass, candidates must reach at least 18/30 in each of the four skills.

All three refer to the CEFR descriptors, but each body has its own tasks, timings and marking criteria, published in its official documents and sample papers. Before preparing a student, always download the official materials of the exam they will sit: it is the safest way to know which text types are required and how many words are expected. Details can change from one exam session to the next, so check the current rules on the awarding body’s website.

What these exams have in common is a clear message for teachers: at A1 the texts are short. Students are not asked for long compositions but for two or three correct, clear and complete pieces of writing.

Practical tips for preparing students

• Answer every point in the task. If the prompt asks where you are, who you’re with and what you’re doing, each missing point counts against the result.
• Short, clear sentences. At this level subject + verb + complement works best: three simple, correct sentences beat one long, confused one.
• Stick to the required length: neither too short nor much longer.
• Proofread: use the last minutes to check agreements (la ragazza bella, not il ragazza bello), present-tense verbs and spelling.
• Learn the set phrases for opening and closing: Ciao Marta, / Caro Paolo, / Un abbraccio, / A presto!
• Practise forms: name, surname, date and place of birth, address, nationality, profession. They are typical A1 tasks.
• Time the writing: practise with the time limit of the real exam, so that students learn to plan, write and check.

Analytical rubric – A1 written production

Total score: 20 points (pass mark: 12/20)

Criterion	Descriptors	Points
1. Task fulfilment and completeness	Excellent: addresses every point of the task and respects the required length. Adequate: addresses the main points; some omissions don’t affect the meaning. Inadequate: off-topic, too short or incomplete.	0–5
2. Communicative effectiveness	Excellent: the message is clear at first reading. Adequate: the message is understandable but requires some effort from the reader. Inadequate: the text is confused or incomprehensible in several places.	0–5
3. Grammatical accuracy	Excellent: good control of A1 structures (present tense, articles, agreements); only slips. Adequate: frequent errors in agreement or conjugation, but basic structures remain clear. Inadequate: serious, constant errors that block understanding.	0–5
4. Vocabulary and spelling	Excellent: A1 vocabulary appropriate to the context; spelling and punctuation largely correct. Adequate: limited or repetitive vocabulary; spelling errors that don’t change the meaning. Inadequate: inappropriate or invented vocabulary, strong interference from the first language.	0–5

How to read the score

• 18–20: A1 fully achieved.
• 15–17: solid A1, with minor formal inaccuracies.
• 12–14: A1 sufficient.
• below 12: A1 not yet achieved: work on basic structures or on understanding the task.

Note: this is a teaching rubric for classroom practice, not the official marking scheme of any certification body.

The rubric in practice: three sample texts

Task: Scrivi un’email a un amico italiano. Di’ dove sei, con chi sei e che cosa fai (25-35 parole).

Text A

Ciao Marta, sono a Lugano con la mia famiglia. Siamo in vacanza e il tempo è bello. Mangiamo la pizza e facciamo una passeggiata sul lago. Sono molto felice! Un abbraccio, Paolo

Score: 19/20. All points addressed (1: 5), clear message (2: 5), correct structures (3: 5), appropriate vocabulary (4: 4, only the closing formula could be varied).

Text B

Ciao Marta, io sono a Lugano. Io con mia famiglia. Noi mangia pizza e vado lago. Bello! Ciao, Paolo

Score: 11/20. The three points are present but incomplete (1: 3); the message is understandable with effort (2: 3); frequent errors: missing verb, noi mangia, vado lago (3: 2); simple vocabulary but understandable (4: 3). Not yet sufficient: work on the verb essere and on verb agreement.

Text C

Lugano. Pizza. Bello.

Score: 4/20. Too short, no verbs, the task is not fulfilled (1 point for each criterion).

Comparing sample texts with students, and asking them to correct the weaker ones, is a very effective classroom activity: it makes the criteria visible and turns marking into learning.

Using the rubric in class

• Share the criteria beforehand so students know what is expected.
• Use a correction code (for instance V = verb, A = agreement, S = spelling) so that students can correct their own texts.
• Give feedback on one criterion at a time when the text is weak, to avoid discouragement.
• Re-assess after two or three weeks with a similar task to show progress.

Common A1 writing errors and how to give feedback

Most A1 mistakes are predictable. If you know them in advance, you can mark faster, comment more kindly and plan the next lesson. The table shows five frequent ones, taken from the sample texts above and from my own classroom experience.

Error	Example	Suggested feedback
Missing verb	Io a Lugano.	Ask: “What is the verb here?” Elicit Io sono a Lugano.
Verb not agreeing with the subject	Noi mangia la pizza.	Underline subject and verb; ask the student to match them: noi mangiamo.
Missing article or possessive structure	con mia famiglia	Show the model con la mia famiglia and ask for two more examples with the same pattern.
Missing preposition	vado lago	Give the pattern verb + preposition + place: vado al lago.
Gender agreement	il ragazza bello	Use colours: one for masculine, one for feminine; correct to la ragazza bella.

A useful principle for A1 feedback: correct what blocks communication first (missing verbs, missing key information) and leave finer points, such as an unusual closing formula, for later.

Practice: score this text yourself

Use the rubric above and the same task (Scrivi un’email a un amico italiano. Di’ dove sei, con chi sei e che cosa fai, 25-35 parole).

Text D

Ciao Marta, sono a Lugano con mia famiglia. Siamo in vacanza. Mangio la pizza e faccio passeggiata sul lago. Un abbraccio, Paolo

Suggested solution: 15/20. Task fulfilment 3: all three points are there, but the text has only 22 words, below the required length. Communicative effectiveness 5: the message is clear at first reading. Accuracy 3: con mia famiglia needs the article (con la mia famiglia), faccio passeggiata needs una, and mangio does not match siamo (the writer is describing “we”, so mangiamo and facciamo). Vocabulary and spelling 4: appropriate and correct. Result: a solid A1 with small formal inaccuracies. Teachers may differ by a point on one criterion: what matters is that the reasons are consistent and shared with the student.

Questions to reflect on

• Which criterion of the rubric would you weight more for a complete beginner, and why?
• How can you involve students in scoring a text, so that they understand the criteria instead of fearing the mark?
• When a text is very short, as at A1, how do you separate “too little language” from “too little effort”?

If your students are real beginners, point them to my free Italian grammar course A1: it covers the building blocks that these texts rely on, from the alphabet to nouns and articles.

Keep reading

• Italian language certifications: CILS, CELI and PLIDA
• The CILS exam: how it works
• Which CELI level to choose

Preparing for an A1 exam?

I can support you or your students with corrected, commented writing practice. Book a free trial lesson, take the free level test or join the waiting list for my structured courses.

Sources

• Council of Europe – Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (self-assessment grid, A1 writing)
• Council of Europe – CEFR global scale (A1 descriptor)
• Centro CILS, Università per Stranieri di Siena – Il livello CILS A1 (document hosted by the Italian Cultural Institute of Buenos Aires)
• Centro CILS – I livelli CILS
• CVCL, Università per Stranieri di Perugia – CELI Impatto (A1): criteri di valutazione e punteggi
• CVCL – Esami CELI generici (levels and CEFR correspondence)
• Società Dante Alighieri – Regolamento PLIDA

The rubric, the sample texts and the classroom advice come from my own experience teaching Italian to foreigners.