My A2 European Portuguese Exam Experience

I took the A2 European Portuguese exam in October, earlier in the year than I’d done the A1 the year before. I didn’t want such a long lead time again. These exams must be booked quite early, so I planned for enough time to prepare but not so much that I’d lose momentum.

📚 How I Prepared

My preparation was similar to the A1:

• I practised the speaking sections with my tutor.
• I worked through exam papers to get familiar with the format.

This combination worked well for me again, giving me both structure and real interaction practice.

🏫 On the Day

The exam was at the same school in Viseu as the A1, which was part of the reason I had chosen to take the earlier exam: to get a feel for the location.

This time, though, things were better organised. It was a Saturday, so the school was mostly empty, and I was allowed to use their car park, which made everything less stressful. I even had a quick chat with the security guard in Portuguese so that boosted my confidence!

📄 The Exam Format

The structure was very similar to A1:

• Speaking (with another student this time)
• Reading and writing
• Listening

I found the speaking section more challenging because we were supposed to interact with each other, and the student I was paired with wasn’t following the instructions. They only responded to the examiner instead of engaging with me.

As before, listening was the hardest part for me. I have a hearing difficulty at a certain pitch, so even in English I sometimes struggle to understand speech. The speed and clarity made it tough.

The Speaking was left until last and I was the last one so I had to wait a long time which was frustrating because of my drive back home, it would have been much better to give us a schedule.

⚠️ No Surprises and That’s a Good Thing

Unlike my A1 experience, there were no surprises in terms of timing or format. Everything ran to plan, and I felt well-prepared for what was expected.

💬 Would I Recommend the A2 Exam?

Yes, especially if you’re aiming for Portuguese citizenship, since this level is required.

I was really glad I had done the A1 first. It gave me a good understanding of the process, the format, and the environment. That experience made the A2 feel more manageable.

🧭 Final Tips

• Do as many practice exams as possible.
• Read all the instructions carefully. Some other candidates clearly hadn’t, and it cost them and disrupted the exams.
• If you can, take the A1 first. It really helps you approach A2 with more confidence.

If you’re preparing for the A2, I wish you luck, it’s absolutely doable, and a meaningful step forward in your learning journey.