Catalan for public-sector jobs in Catalonia

Key rules

• Job group: The Catalan level you need depends on your post's job group, from A2 for agrupaciones profesionales up to C1 for groups A1 and A2.
• Eliminatory: When Catalan is an access requirement, missing the level excludes you.
• Merit points: Where Catalan counts as merit, the call sets its own point scale.

The short answer

In Catalan public selection, Catalan is mostly a requirement to get in, not a bonus. The level depends on the job group of the post. Without the level, you can be excluded or fail the language test. Some calls also give points for Catalan, so read the call for your post.

Which level your group needs

For Generalitat de Catalunya posts, the usual levels are:

• Groups A1 and A2: level C1 (higher).
• Group C1: level B2 (intermediate).
• Group C2: level B1.
• Agrupaciones profesionales: level A2.

Some specific posts ask for more than the usual level. Local administrations, such as town halls, may also differ. The call for your post sets the level that counts for you, and levels can change by decree.

Required level or scored merit

A Catalan level is eliminatory when the call makes it an access requirement. If you don't have it, you are out or you fail the test. This is the normal case in Catalonia.

It is only scored when the call treats Catalan as a merit. This happens in some concurso phases, which are selection stages that award points for merits. There, a certificate above the required level can earn extra points, and the points rise with each level. There is no single official scale for all administrations. Each call sets its own, so find the scale in the call.

How you prove your level

Certificates from the Direcció General de Política Lingüística (levels A2 to C2) prove your level. Check which certificates your call accepts. If it accepts none for you, or provides for its own test, the call will describe a specific Catalan test. Plan to sit it.

Watch for disproportionate demands

Courts have limited language requirements that are out of proportion to a post's real functions. If a level looks too high for the job, take it up with the body that issued the call.

Use the checklist below to work through your call step by step.

Checklist

• Find your post's job group in the call (A1, A2, C1, C2 or agrupaciones profesionales).

• Match your group to the usual Catalan level: C1 for groups A1 and A2, B2 for group C1, B1 for group C2, A2 for agrupaciones profesionales.

• Read the call to see if Catalan is an access requirement that excludes you without it, or only a scored merit.

• Check whether the post asks for a higher level than usual for its group.

• Look for a specific Catalan test in the call if no certificate is accepted, and plan to sit it.

• Find the point scale for Catalan certificates in the call if Catalan counts as merit, and see whether a higher certificate earns points.

What to watch out for

• Missing the level can exclude you: In Catalonia a Catalan level is often an access requirement. Without it you can be excluded or fail the test. Read the call before applying and confirm you hold the level for your post's group, or can sit the test.

• Do not assume the language only earns points: Catalan is only scored where the call treats it as a merit. Many other regions work that way, but Catalonia mostly does not. Look in the call for whether the test is eliminatory or scored.

• Levels can differ from the usual: Some posts require a higher level than the usual one for their group, and local administrations may differ from the Generalitat. Use the level written in your call, not the general group level.

Frequently asked questions

Can a higher Catalan certificate give me extra points?

Sometimes, but only where the call counts Catalan as a merit, as in some concurso phases. In those cases a certificate above the required level can give points, with a scale that rises per level. Each call sets its own scale, so there is no single official one.

Which Catalan level do I need for a Generalitat post in group C1?

For a group C1 post, the usual requirement is level B2 (intermediate). Group A1 and A2 posts usually need C1, group C2 needs B1, and agrupaciones profesionales need A2.

What if I have no Catalan certificate for the post?

If the call does not provide a certificate route, it can hold a specific Catalan test instead. Certificates from the Direcció General de Política Lingüística, from A2 to C2, prove your level. Check in the call which option it accepts.

Can a language requirement be too high for the job?

Yes, courts have limited language requirements that are disproportionate to a post's functions. If a level looks too high for the duties, ask the office that runs the call to explain it.