CELPE-Bras

Overview

Celpe-Bras is Brazil's official certificate of proficiency in Portuguese as a foreign language, run by INEP (the national education research institute) with Brazil's education and foreign affairs ministries. It was created in 1994. It judges how well you use Portuguese in activities that combine listening, reading, speaking and writing. Universities accept it for undergraduate and postgraduate admission, Brazilian employers use it, and it is also accepted in validating foreign professional diplomas. The institution asking for it decides how long a result stays valid and what level it needs.

Who can apply

Taking the exam is voluntary. It is open to foreigners and Brazilians, living in Brazil or abroad, whose first language is not Portuguese. You need a passport or an identity document valid in the country where you register.

Exam pattern

The exam has two parts, and each part is scored from 0 to 5.

Written part

Four tasks, to be completed in up to three hours in total.

Oral part

A 20-minute conversation with an interviewer, with a second examiner observing without taking part.

Fill in the registration questionnaire in detail, since it shapes the first stage.

Marking and results

Each written task gets a mark from 0 to 5 from two independent markers, judged on context, discourse and language. If their marks differ by more than one point, a third marker reviews it. The written result is the average of the four tasks.

In the oral part, the interviewer gives one overall mark and the observer marks six criteria: listening comprehension, interaction, fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The final oral mark is the average of the two examiners' marks.

Your certification level is the lower of your written and oral results. You must reach at least Intermediate in both parts to be certified.

INEP does not review results on request, because the double and triple marking is built in. The only way to improve is to sit another edition.

Important dates

The exam is held twice a year, in Brazil and abroad. For the second 2026 edition:

• Registration ran from 27 July to 6 August 2026, with fee payment until 7 August.

• Tests take place on 20 to 23 October 2026 in Brazil and 24 to 27 November 2026 abroad.

Fees

Each test centre sets its fee, within a maximum that INEP sets in the call for the edition. For 2026/2, the call suggested R$259 at centres in Brazil, and the equivalent of US$ 190 abroad at private centres or those linked to Brazil's foreign ministry. The FAQ quotes R$247 and US$ 115 as the limits of the previous edition. Check with your chosen centre.

How to apply

1. Register in the INEP Celpe-Bras system during the registration window, giving a valid email and phone number and filling in the questionnaire.

2. Choose your test centre carefully. You cannot register at one centre and sit the exam at another.

3. Contact the centre to learn how to pay the fee and prove payment. The centre confirms your registration, and unconfirmed registrations cannot sit the exam.

4. Bring an original passport or photo ID to the exam.

Candidates with specific needs can request adjustments through the system with supporting documents during registration.

After the exam

Results are published on the INEP site and in the official gazette. Certificates are issued online, only to candidates who reached at least Intermediate.