CIPLE A2 Exam: Complete Word List by Category (2026)

If you're preparing for the CIPLE A2 exam, vocabulary is the biggest obstacle. The exam tests a specific, predictable set of words that appear again and again across all four sections: reading, listening, writing, and speaking.

This article gives you the complete CIPLE A2 word list organized by the 12 official exam categories. Bookmark it, study from it, and use it alongside your exam preparation.

What Is the CIPLE A2 Exam?

The CIPLE (Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira) is the official A2-level Portuguese language exam required for Portuguese citizenship and long-term residency. It is administered by CAPLE (Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira) at the University of Lisbon.

To pass, you need at least 55% overall (Suficiente) and at least 25% of the marks in each component (Reading & Writing, Listening, Speaking). A strong score in one block cannot save a component that falls below that floor. This is why vocabulary organized by topic is so important.

The 12 CIPLE A2 Vocabulary Categories

Category 1: Daily Life & Routines (~120 words)

Appears heavily in Reading and Writing sections. These words describe everyday activities, family relationships, and household life.

Portuguese          English
acordar             to wake up
pequeno-almoço      breakfast
almoço              lunch
jantar              dinner
cozinhar            to cook
limpar              to clean
família             family
vizinho             neighbor
rotina              routine
sempre / nunca      always / never

Category 2: Government Services (~90 words)

Critical for the Writing section. CIPLE writing tasks frequently involve formal letters to Portuguese institutions.

Portuguese                 English
requerimento               formal request / application
comprovativo              proof document
autorização de residência  residence permit
preencher                 to fill in a form
prazo                     deadline
renovar                   to renew
NIF                       tax number
Finanças                  Tax Authority
Segurança Social          Social Security
Câmara Municipal          City Hall

Category 3: Housing & Living (~85 words)

Portuguese      English
arrendamento    rental
senhorio        landlord
inquilino       tenant
renda           rent
condomínio      building fees
obras           renovations / repairs
aquecimento     heating
andar           floor / storey
rés-do-chão     ground floor
mudança         moving house

Category 4: Employment (~80 words)

Portuguese             English
contrato de trabalho   employment contract
salário                salary
candidatura            job application
entrevista             interview
férias                 annual leave
baixa médica           sick leave
despedimento           dismissal
horário                schedule
turno                  shift
demitir-se             to resign

Categories 5–12: Healthcare, Education, Shopping, Transport, Emergencies, Social Integration, Finance & Documents, Time & Scheduling. Each of these categories contains 45–75 words that appear regularly in CIPLE exam papers. The full list of all 1,000 words across all 12 categories is available in the Prep2Go CIPLE A2 Anki deck

How Many Words Do You Actually Need?

The CIPLE A2 exam contains approximately 400 unique vocabulary words across a typical exam paper. To be comfortable across all four sections, preparation guides recommend knowing 800–1,000 words.

The free preview on AnkiWeb gives you 100 words — enough to test the format, but not enough to pass reliably.

Study Strategy: How to Use This Word List

• 8 weeks before: Start with Categories 1–4 (daily life, government, housing, employment). These appear most frequently.
• 6 weeks before: Add Categories 5–8 (healthcare, education, shopping, transport).
• 4 weeks before: Complete remaining categories and combine with practice tests.
• 2 weeks before: Review weak categories only. Take two full mock exams.
• The day before: Review your 50 most difficult words. Don't learn new vocabulary.

Get the full 1,000-word CIPLE A2 deck: prep2go.study/shop/ciple-a2-anki-deck

Source: CAPLE - Camões Institute for Portuguese Language Certification

Category Priority Matrix for Faster Results

A complete list is useful only if you transform it into exam behavior. That means weekly cycles: learn, retrieve, use, and test. Learn words in thematic blocks. Retrieve them with spaced repetition. Use them in short writing prompts. Test them with timed reading/listening tasks. Candidates who follow this loop usually improve faster than those who just increase raw deck size.

Another practical optimization is threshold tracking. Set a weekly goal of 85% recall for old cards and 65-70% recall for new cards. If your recall drops below that range, reduce new additions and increase review sessions. This keeps your retention stable and prevents the common crash that happens 10-14 days before exam day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 1,000 words enough to pass CIPLE A2?

For most candidates, 1,000 well-selected words with audio and sentence practice are enough for a stable pass attempt. Coverage quality matters more than absolute quantity.

Should I study words by frequency or by topic?

For CIPLE, topic-first is usually better because task prompts are thematic. Inside each category, prioritize high-frequency words first.

Continue with best vocabulary apps, then run a full mock at /ciple to validate readiness.