Examinations and certificates
Catalan universities organise several exam sittings to obtain official language certificates, including the CLUC and other certificates. If you have any questions about the exams held at your university or about the certificates that it issues, please contact the language service.
Other university language level tests
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
In addition to the CLUC, the universities offer other certificates, issued by university language schools or language services. These certificates are recognised by all Catalan universities, the Government of Catalonia and many companies and entities and certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language as required by Catalan universities.
Language proficiency certificate of the Catalan universities (CLUC)
The CLUC, the Catalan universities’ language proficiency certificate, is a seal to identify the various language certificates issued by the language services of the Catalan universities, in accordance with the guidelines approved by the Inter-university Council of Catalonia (CIC). These certificates must meet the requirements established by the Association of Language Centres in Higher Education (ACLES) and are recognised by the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE).
The examinations that have the CLUC seal assess and certify levels of proficiency in English, French, German, or Italian according to the levels defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). With this inter-university certificate, you can certify having the level of proficiency required to complete bachelor’s degree courses at Catalan universities, have credits recognised (according to current regulations at each university), and enter calls for applications for mobility grants and other grants and scholarships. It is also valid for certifying level B2 language proficiency when you are looking for a job or promotion in the workplace.
Tests to obtain EOI certificates
The Catalan Ministry of Education also organises exam sittings to obtain certificates of proficiency in several languages at various levels from the Official Schools of Languages. These sittings may be ordinary or extraordinary.
The Catalan Ministry of Education also organises exam sittings to obtain certificates of proficiency in several languages at various levels from the Official Schools of Languages. These sittings may be ordinary or extraordinary.
Official table of certificates
The official tables for recognition of certificates and qualifications accrediting foreign language proficiency in the Catalan university system are found here: https://portaldogc.gencat.cat/utilsEADOP/PDF/8306/1829549.pdf
The Inter-university Council of Catalonia (CIC) is the body responsible for this subject throughout the whole university system. In 2015, the CIC Board approved the first Agreement on the recognition of certificates and qualifications accrediting foreign language proficiency, which was published in the Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (DOGC) and included a table of certificates and diplomas that accredit knowledge of a third language (i.e. English, French, German and Italian) at level B1 or higher, according to the European Council’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
This Agreement was later modified and updated by the CIC Board and published in the DOGC: Resolution EMC/122/2017, of 23 January, publicising the Agreement of the Board of the Inter-university Council of Catalonia amending the Agreement of 24 April 2015 on the recognition of diplomas and certificates of proficiency in foreign languages. https://dogc.gencat.cat/ca/pdogc_canals_interns/pdogc_resultats_fitxa/?action=fitxa&mode=single&documentId=774989&language=ca_ES
Subsequently, the CIC Language Policy Committee approved several updates to the tables of certificates and diplomas, the last of them in the session held on 4 November 2020, which is the document at the beginning of this section, and which, as mentioned, is currently the official document for recognition of certificates and degrees accrediting foreign language proficiency in the Catalan university system.
The official tables for recognition of certificates and qualifications accrediting foreign language proficiency in the Catalan university system are found here: https://portaldogc.gencat.cat/utilsEADOP/PDF/8306/1829549.pdf
The Inter-university Council of Catalonia (CIC) is the body responsible for this subject throughout the whole university system. In 2015, the CIC Board approved the first Agreement on the recognition of certificates and qualifications accrediting foreign language proficiency, which was published in the Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (DOGC) and included a table of certificates and diplomas that accredit knowledge of a third language (i.e. English, French, German and Italian) at level B1 or higher, according to the European Council’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
This Agreement was later modified and updated by the CIC Board and published in the DOGC: Resolution EMC/122/2017, of 23 January, publicising the Agreement of the Board of the Inter-university Council of Catalonia amending the Agreement of 24 April 2015 on the recognition of diplomas and certificates of proficiency in foreign languages. https://dogc.gencat.cat/ca/pdogc_canals_interns/pdogc_resultats_fitxa/?action=fitxa&mode=single&documentId=774989&language=ca_ES
Subsequently, the CIC Language Policy Committee approved several updates to the tables of certificates and diplomas, the last of them in the session held on 4 November 2020, which is the document at the beginning of this section, and which, as mentioned, is currently the official document for recognition of certificates and degrees accrediting foreign language proficiency in the Catalan university system.
Certifying level B2 proficiency
Law 1/2018, of 8 May, amending Law 2/2014, on tax, administrative, financial and public sector measures, establishes that students who start a bachelor’s degree at a Catalan university in the 2018-2019 academic year and subsequent years must, on completion of their degree, certify knowledge of one foreign language among those established in the university entrance exams (PAU), with a level of proficiency equivalent to B2 in the European Council’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The Law established a four-year moratorium on applying the requirement to certify level B2 proficiency in a foreign language, which would have applied to students who had started studying for their university bachelor’s degrees in the 2014-2015 academic year or after. Therefore, generally, only students who start bachelor’s degree studies from the 2018-2019 academic year are required to present certificates of level B2 proficiency. However, some Catalan universities have their own academic regulations on certifying a specific level of proficiency in another language (usually B1 or B2), in general or for certain studies or centres, for bachelor’s degrees.
The CEFR established common criteria throughout Europe to define communication skills in a specific language. According to the CEFR, progressive knowledge of a language is divided into the following levels: A1 (Breakthrough), A2 (Waystage), B1 (Threshold), B2 (Vantage), C1 (Effective Operational Proficiency) and C2 (Mastery). Level B2 indicates that the user has limited functional command of a language and can use it effectively in everyday situations.
The foreign languages that can be accredited at level B2 are those established in the university entrance exams (PAU), which are considered languages of the Catalan education system. These are currently: English, French, German and Italian.
According to Law 1/2018, accreditation of level B2 can be obtained through certificates demonstrating language knowledge at level B2 or higher that are recognised as equivalent to the CEFR. These certificates are listed in the table of certificates and diplomas that certify knowledge of a foreign language, attached to the CIC Board’s Agreement on recognition of certificates and qualifications accrediting foreign language proficiency.
