Italy Diplomatic Competition 2026 English Test Dates

Italy held the compulsory English written paper for its 2026 diplomatic-career competition on June 24 at 9:00 AM in Rome. The paper lasted three hours and formed the middle day of five consecutive written tests from June 22 through 26.

English also appeared in the one-hour aptitude test and returns in the oral stage. To reach oral examination, candidates need at least 70/100 in written English, a five-paper average of at least 70, and at least 60 in every other written paper.

The competition is for 35 trainee Secretaries of Legation. Start a free SpeakShark conversation for general current-affairs speaking and use MAECI rules for the diplomatic concours.

Key takeaways

• The aptitude test ran June 4, 2026.
• Written English ran June 24 at 9:00 AM.
• English writing lasted three hours.
• Dictionaries were not allowed.
• Written English requires at least 70/100.
• Oral dates are assigned individually with at least 20 days notice.

In this guide: calendar | aptitude | written English | threshold | oral | second language | scoring | positions | status | research | FAQ

Italian diplomatic competition 2026 calendar

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MAECI, published exact aptitude and written dates.

Both aptitude sessions and all five written papers took place at the Ergife Palace Hotel in Rome.

The written calendar notice served as the official convocation. Candidates used computerised procedures and ministry-provided tablets with keyboards.

The oral stage has no universal public date in the competition notice. The commission schedules candidates after marking and sends individual notice through certified email.

English in the aptitude test

The aptitude test screens candidates before the five written compositions.

The 50 questions span:

1. International-relations history from the Congress of Vienna.
2. Public international law and European Union law.
3. Political economy, economic policy and international economics.
4. English.
5. Logical reasoning.

The notice does not publish a fixed number of English items inside the 50-question total. Candidates should not turn a coaching distribution into an official sectional count.

The aptitude test used no dictionary. It only decided progression and did not enter the final competition score.

For comparison, the French Foreign Affairs Secretary competition has no equivalent 50-question stage, while INSP English is an oral threshold after written admissibility.

June 24 written English paper

The written English paper addresses international current affairs or topics connected to diplomatic activity.

The paper is described as a composition in English, not a translation into Italian. Candidates need to analyse and write about an international or diplomatic issue directly in English.

The ministry publishes the 2026 written prompts after administration. Those prompts are the correct evidence for the realised task, while the notice defines the broader domain.

General writing support can include English speaking and writing skills, English vocabulary and speaking skills, and beginner speaking mistakes. MAECI prompts remain the competition source.

English has the highest individual written threshold

Written qualification uses three simultaneous conditions.

A candidate averaging 72 overall can still fail to reach the oral stage after an English score of 69. Conversely, an English score of 80 cannot repair a 59 in law or the second language.

This threshold is stricter than the other individual written minima because English itself must reach the same 70 level as the overall average.

The five written papers are:

1. International-relations history.
2. Public international and EU law.
3. English.
4. Political and international economics.
5. French, Spanish or German selected by the candidate.

All five count toward the written average. The one-hour aptitude score does not.

Oral English and individual scheduling

English is part of the combined oral examination.

The candidate holds conversations on international current affairs or topics related to diplomatic activity in:

• English.
• The selected second compulsory language.

The oral also covers the written subjects and additional areas such as Italian public law, state accounting, civil and private international-law fundamentals, consular law, ministry organisation, and political and economic geography.

The candidate must also discuss an international current-affairs topic chosen by the commission president. The task evaluates clear and concise expression, persuasive argument and public speaking. A practical computing test is included.

The whole oral receives one score. A candidate needs at least 60/100 to pass.

The commission creates the calendar after written qualification. The ministry sends each candidate:

1. An individual certified-email notice.
2. The assigned oral date.
3. At least 20 days advance notice.
4. The marks from each written paper.

As of August 28, there was no one oral English date for every candidate. That is a feature of individual scheduling, not missing evidence that can be filled with an unofficial estimate.

For general speaking, practise English conversation topics for adults, English job interview role plays, office small talk, and practice speaking alone. Start free speaking practice without treating it as MAECI scoring.

Second and optional language rules

Every candidate selects one second compulsory written language:

• French.
• Spanish.
• German.

The June 26 written paper has the same three-hour duration and international or diplomatic subject domain as English. Its individual written minimum is 60 rather than English's 70.

The selected second language also appears in oral conversation.

Candidates could request optional oral tests in other foreign languages, but not:

1. English, because English is already compulsory.
2. The language selected for the second written paper.

Optional oral languages use international-current-affairs conversation and can add limited points after the candidate passes the main oral.

English therefore cannot be treated as an optional bonus language. It is compulsory at aptitude, written and oral stages.

How final merit is calculated

The base final score combines:

The final base formula is the average written score plus the oral score. Optional and title points are then applied under the notice.

The 2026 reform allowed an optional oral subject from five areas, including cybersecurity and AI, Italian cultural promotion, development cooperation, sports-event organisation, and public communication. For the 2026 edition, that fifth oral subject was optional.

The ministry approves and publishes both the merit ranking and the winner list after eligibility verification.

Thirty-five trainee diplomatic positions

The competition offered 35 trainee Secretary of Legation positions.

The five reserved positions required the correct access degree and at least five years of effective service in the ministry officials area.

Unused reserved places could go to other suitable candidates under the notice. The reserve does not increase the total beyond 35.

The 2026 budget law also authorised competitions and hiring of up to 35 trainee Secretaries of Legation annually for 2026, 2027 and 2028, but each year's procedure still needs its own notice.

What candidates should check next

Candidates who sat the written week should:

1. Monitor the MAECI diplomatic competition page and portal.
2. Keep the certified email address active.
3. Watch for written-results communication.
4. Verify all five written marks against the qualification rules.
5. If admitted orally, use the assigned date in the individual notice.
6. Prepare English and the selected second-language conversations.
7. Confirm any optional subject and optional languages declared in the application.

The ministry's FAQ confirms that oral notice is individual and arrives at least 20 days before the test.

For source discipline, see questions before booking an English test. The aptitude calendar, written convocation, personal certified email and final ranking serve different functions.

Candidates comparing Italian language requirements should keep Italian teacher English-certificate points, Italy concorsi English requirements, and IELTS dates in Italy separate from the diplomatic competition.

How we researched this guide

On August 28, 2026, we checked the MAECI competition portal, 16-page competition notice, May written-calendar notice, official test-description page and ministry FAQ.

The calendar supplied the exact June 24 English date, time, venue and digital delivery. The notice supplied aptitude marking, written thresholds, oral English, scoring and the 35 positions. We searched for a public common oral date and preserved the notice's individual certified-email system instead of inventing one.

We did not import a fixed English aptitude question count, claim dictionaries were allowed, copy protected prompts or use SpeakShark customer data.

We are a speaking improvement tool. We are not an exam preparation provider, and we are not affiliated with MAECI, the Italian diplomatic service, the Italian government or any exam board. For test format, booking and official practice material, go to the exam body directly. Use SpeakShark to make your spoken English stronger, and use official material to learn the test.

FAQ

The compulsory English written test was held in Rome on June 24, 2026, starting at 9:00 AM. Candidates had three hours. It was the third paper in a five-day written sequence running June 22 through 26 at the Ergife Palace Hotel, using a ministry-provided tablet and keyboard.

The one-hour aptitude stage contains 50 multiple-choice questions across international history, international and EU law, economics, English and logical reasoning. A correct answer earns one point, a wrong answer loses 0.25, and candidates need at least 60% of the maximum, meaning 30 points, to enter the written stage.

Candidates need a five-paper written average of at least 70 out of 100 and an individual English composition score of at least 70. Every other written paper must score at least 60. English therefore has a higher individual threshold than history, law, economics and the selected second language.

English returns during the combined oral examination as a conversation about international current affairs or diplomatic work. The selected second written language is also tested through conversation. The oral stage includes the written subjects, additional legal and institutional subjects, public speaking on current affairs and a practical computing test.

The examination commission sets the oral calendar after written marking. Each admitted candidate receives an individual certified-email notice at least 20 days before the assigned oral date, together with written marks. As of August 28, there was no single official public oral date applying to every 2026 candidate.

The competition offered 35 trainee Secretary of Legation positions. Five were reserved for eligible Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials with the required degree and at least five years of service in the officials area. Unused reserved places could be awarded to other suitable candidates under the notice.

For general spoken English, start free daily practice. Premium costs $10 for one month, $25 for three months, or $69 for one year. See pricing.

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Sources

1. MAECI competition portal, checked for aptitude and written dates.
2. 2026 diplomatic competition notice, checked for scores, English and positions.
3. Official written-test calendar, checked for June 24 details.
4. MAECI diplomatic-test guide, checked for the current oral scope.
5. MAECI diplomatic competition overview, checked for official process context.
6. MAECI competition FAQ, checked for individual oral notice.
7. Italian Official Gazette competition publication, checked for the legal competition notice.
8. SpeakShark pricing, checked for current free and paid options.

MAECI can change oral schedules, notices, rankings and candidate requirements. Confirm the competition portal and individual certified email before acting.