Pass the Estonian state language exam with confidence

ExamsPoint covers A2 and B1 — the two most requested levels of the official Estonian language state exam (eesti keele tasemeeksam) on the Council of Europe CEFR scale. A2 is the "basic user" level for everyday situations; B1 is the "independent user" level for work, study and services. For everything about each one — requirements, structure, registration and exam-day rules — read the full A2 guide and B1 guide.

A2 is required for a temporary residence permit to settle permanently in Estonia and for many employment permits once you have lived here 5 years. B1 is required for the long-term resident's permit (the EU "permanent" status), for Estonian citizenship (together with a separate Constitution and Citizenship Act test), and for many regulated jobs — teachers in Estonian-medium schools, much of the public sector, rescue and police staff, and many medical and customer-service roles. Which level applies depends on your exact situation, so confirm it with the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) or the Language Inspectorate before you register.

You do not have to sit the exam if you obtained your basic, secondary or higher education in Estonian. For the citizenship language requirement, applicants aged 65 or over are exempt, and reduced requirements apply to some people with disabilities or limited legal capacity. Always confirm your own exemption with PPA in advance — do not assume it.

The exam has four parts — reading, writing, listening and speaking — each worth 25 points, for 100 in total. You pass with at least 60% overall (60 of 100), and no single part may score 0, so you cannot skip a section. Reading and listening are marked by key; writing and speaking are marked by trained assessors against published criteria for content, vocabulary, grammar, format and (for speaking) fluency and interaction.

Reading (≈50 min): match situations to notices, comprehension of a longer text, and gap-fill tasks — about 30 items at A2, 33 at B1. Listening (≈30–40 min): announcements, interviews and conversations with multiple-choice, true/false and short-answer tasks; every recording is played twice. Writing (≈30–60 min): a form or short message plus a longer note or, at B1, an opinion text. Speaking (≈15–20 min): a face-to-face interview with an examiner (and usually a partner), a picture or question card, and an idea card where you plan something together.

Register online in the Examinations Information System (EIS) at eis.harno.ee. Log in with an ID-card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID (you need an Estonian personal ID code and a valid email), open Registration, click Register, choose the language proficiency examination and your level, then pick a region and date. Check your details, click Confirm application, and you get an email confirmation with the venue. Registration closes on the 1st day of the month before the exam. No Estonian ID code? Send Harno a paper application in person or by post instead.

The Estonian language proficiency exam is completely free of charge — there is no registration or sitting fee, and re-sits are free too. (This is separate from any private course fees. ExamsPoint is a preparation tool, not the exam itself.)

Exam centres run in Tallinn (Pae Gümnaasium, Pae 5), Tartu, Jõhvi (Ida-Viru Kutsehariduskeskus, Kutse 13) and Narva (Narva Eesti Gümnaasium, Kraavi 1) on every exam date, and in Pärnu (Pärnu Tammsaare Kool) on some dates if at least 12 people register. You choose the city when you register. The exam starts at 10:00; arrive 20–30 minutes early with photo ID. The written part takes 2–4 hours depending on level, then speaking follows after a short break (occasionally on a nearby date). Current dates are shown in EIS. Addresses can change between sessions, so always check your EIS confirmation.

Bring a valid photo ID — an ID-card, residence-permit card or passport. Without it you cannot sit the exam. Phones, smart watches, notes and dictionaries are not allowed in the room; paper and pens are provided. Arrive early, because latecomers can be refused entry once the exam has started.

Results are published no later than 40 days after the exam, in EIS. The certificate is electronic only — no paper certificate is issued. You, PPA, the Language Inspectorate and employers can retrieve it from the state portal eesti.ee and from EIS. An A2 or B1 certificate does not expire, though you may be asked for a fresh copy from the portal.

You fail if you score below 60% overall or if any part is 0. Anyone who scores below 45% of the possible points, or who is absent without a valid reason, can only re-register after six months. A score of 45–59% is still a fail, but is generally not held to the 6-month wait — you can book the next open date in EIS. There is no limit on the number of attempts otherwise. With a documented valid reason for missing the exam, contact Harno about re-registering sooner.

Yes. After results are published you can request to review your exam paper, and within the deadline stated with your results you can submit a formal challenge (appeal) to Harno if you believe the marking is wrong. The written and speaking parts are the ones most often reviewed, since they are assessor-marked.

Yes. Every one of our 100 mock exams (25 per section) is built to the official Harno format — the same task types, item counts, points, and time limits as the real sitting. Reading and listening are scored instantly; writing and speaking give structured feedback (speaking uses an AI assessment against the B1/A2 criteria) so you can see exactly where you stand and what to fix.

As you pass mock exams in every section and keep a 60%+ average across at least 10 exams, your on-site readiness certificate gradually sharpens into focus and then unlocks with a short animation. It is a practice readiness check — a sign that you can sit the real exam with confidence — and is not an official certificate. Only Harno issues the state certificate.

As a rough guide: about one month of focused revision if you are already close to the level, two months for steady preparation, or three months (or more) if you are starting from a lower base. Consistency matters more than total hours — a full mock exam in one skill every few days, with review of your mistakes, moves you faster than long passive study.

Yes. Every practice page is responsive and works on phone, tablet and desktop. Once you are signed in, your completed mock exams, scores, section progress, study time, streak and readiness are saved to your account automatically and shown on your Progress page.

Yes. The first practice set in each section is free with no card required, so you can try the real exam format first. A Premium plan unlocks all 100 mock exams, full progress tracking and the readiness certificate. See the Pricing section above for the current plans.