State exam session — 5–6 December 2026in 30 days
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Polish state certificate exam

The Polish C1 exam

The C1 certificate is issued by Państwowa Komisja ds. Poświadczania Znajomości Języka Polskiego jako Obcego. This page covers who needs it, how the exam works, when the sessions are, what it costs, how to register and how to prepare.

Check your levelFree C1 tests

Who needs the C1 certificate

  • Work and study that need fluent Polish: teaching, translation, work with documents. The exact level is set by the employer or university — check with them.
  • Citizenship and the EU long-term resident permit: B1 or higher is required, so C1 also counts.

Requirements checked against the statutes as of 1 November 2026. Before you apply, confirm them with the voivodeship office.

How the exam works

Five parts: four written and one oral. To pass, you need at least 60 % in each part separately — a high score in one part does not make up for another.

PartTime
Rozumienie ze słuchu · Listening30 min
Rozumienie tekstów pisanych · Reading1 h
Poprawność gramatyczna · Grammar1 h
Pisanie · Writing1 h 30 min
Mówienie · Speaking20 min

Writing is two texts from one set, about 400 words in total.

More on the parts and task types

Upcoming C1 sessions

  • 24–25 April 2027
  • 27–28 November 2027

Adult sessions. Dates follow the Commission’s schedule; check before registering on certyfikatpolski.pl

Fees and registration

In 2026 the C1 exam fee is at most €180; the exam centre sets the exact price. The Commission charges €20 for the certificate, and some centres include it in the price. From 1 January 2027 the cap is a share of the average wage (7 % for B1 and B2, 9 % for C1), and candidates pay 100 zł for the certificate.

  1. Choose a session and an exam centre from the list on certyfikatpolski.pl. Centre lists are published about two months before the exam.
  2. Register on the centre’s website, by its rules and deadline. The centre must enter you in the Commission’s database at least one month before the exam, so register early.
  3. Pay the fee to the centre: registration does not count until you pay.

The centre gives you the result within 3 days of receiving the exam record. The Commission issues the certificate within 30 days of the record. You can view your paper or ask for re-marking within 21 days of the result.

How to prepare for C1

  1. Take the level check: see your weak parts and get a plan up to the session.
  2. Do timed tests for each part, as in the exam.
  3. Write texts by type and see them marked against the Commission’s criteria.
  4. Practise speaking: photo description, monologue and a spoken role-play with the examiner.
  5. Two or three weeks before the exam, take a full mock exam and the official papers with answer keys.

Mock exam C1Official samplesExercises

FAQ

Is the C1 exam hard?

The main trap is the 60 % threshold in each of the five parts. Even an excellent reading score will not save you if writing or speaking falls short. So prepare every part, not just your strong ones.

Can I retake just one part?

No. The rules do not carry passed parts over to the next attempt; you retake the whole exam. There is no waiting period: you can register for the very next session.

How long is the certificate valid?

Indefinitely: the state certificate has no expiry date.

What is the minimum age?

In 2026 the adult exam is for people aged 18 or over on exam day; there are separate youth sessions for ages 14–17. From 1 January 2027 the adult group starts at 16.

Can I take the exam online?

No, the exam takes place at an exam centre in front of an exam board. You can prepare online: all five parts are here in the exam format.

Read also

Zdałem is an independent trainer, not affiliated with Państwowa Komisja. Official rules, dates and centre lists are on certyfikatpolski.pl