International Certificate of Competence in Arabic (CIMA)


Next exam date: June 6th, 2026


At Cadmus, we give our students and those interested, the opportunity to obtain official certificates from the prestigious Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, whose Arabic language department enjoys international recognition. This means you can obtain an Arabic certificate for any of the levels set out in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2) — all without having to travel outside Spain.


The International Certificate of Competence in Arabic (CIMA) is the first globally recognised certification to validate your level of Modern Standard Arabic, and it is offered only at centres accredited by the Arab World Institute in Paris. There are currently around 80 accredited centres worldwide — and Cadmus is the very first examination centre in Barcelona.


How the exams work

The exam work much like the University of Cambridge exams for English or the American TOEFL. They are sat in person and consist of an oral part (an interview), a listening test and a written test, all carried out at our centre in Barcelona and then sent to Paris for marking.


The exam is made up of four parts:

  • Listening comprehension (audio): 60 minutes
  • Reading comprehension: 50 minutes
  • Written expression (three texts of 40–100 words each): 60 minutes
  • Oral expression (three topics chosen by the examiner): 10 minutes


A few key details:

  • The exam is open to anyone over 15 years of age. It costs €156 (€136 for Cadmus students) and lasts approximately four hours.
  • As long as you reach at least level A1, you will receive a certificate accrediting your level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2.
  • Each candidate receives a certificate confirming both their overall level and their level in each individual competency.


Dates and registration

  • The next session takes place on 6 June at our school in Barcelona, from 10:00 to 14:00.
  • The deadline to register for the exam is 16 March.
  • Students registered for the exam are invited to attend an information session — which includes a partial mock exam — at our centre on Saturday 16 May.


To register, simply get in touch with us at arabe@cadmusbarcelona.com