If you teach English in Italy for any number of years, you are bound to prepare students for nearly every exam on the market at one time or another. Here, a basic list of the most common exams for elementary school students:

Trinity ESOL is a division of Trinity College, and the creators of some of the most popular exams taken by Italian students. The GESE series is simply an exam in spoken English. Depending on the level, it takes from 5-15 minutes, and tests skills appropriate to Beginner-, Intermediate- and Advanced-stage learners. The examiner is a native English speaker, and travels throughout Italy for about 2 weeks on the exam itinerary, examining students in each school (public and private) on the list. A good examiner is one who has just arrived in Italy, not yet travel-weary and homesick.

The ISE is another Trinity exam, but it contains a written component. In some teachers' opinions, the ISE series isn't as difficult as Cambridge's First Certificate exam, yet somehow ranks higher on the European Framework of English language skills. It features an oral component very similar to the GESE, with a few extra minutes discussing the topic, the portfolio and conversation subject areas.

PET is a Cambridge exam. It follows KET on the hierarchy of Cambridge's ESOL certification program. In my opinion, it is more comprehensive and a better test of language ability overall. It has reading, writing, speaking and listening modules, each administered and monitored by a native English speaker with teaching experience.

Most public schools offer "external certification" by means of Trinity's GESE, but the high schools "scuola superiore" are beginning to offer KET and PET as alternatives. It's generally advised that students start with Trinity exams and, after completing a satisfactory level, move on to the Cambridge exams. Some universities will only accept one or the other.

Some of the most prestigious universities ask for Cambridge First Certificate. The Cambrige FCE is an upper-intermediate level exam comprised of rather complex grammar and listening components. A student preparing for this exam should complete at least 120 hours of study and practice. On test day, students spend  six hours at the examination facility, with just a half hour break between the first two parts and the last two.

If you want to teach English to high-school students in Italy, skip to the next FAQ.