About the exam
The state certificate exam in Polish as a foreign language (Państwowy egzamin certyfikatowy z języka polskiego jako obcego) is offered at levels B1, B2 and C1. The exam has five parts, and to pass you must reach the pass mark in each part separately.
The format, timing and requirements may change. Before the exam, check the official website certyfikatpolski.pl. The data below is a guide for practice.
The five parts of the exam
Rozumienie ze słuchu — Listening
Listening comprehension: announcements, short messages, conversations, interviews.
Task types:
- multiple choice a / b / c
- true or false (TAK / NIE)
- filling in a missing word or piece of information
- matching statements to what you hear
Listening rule: the recording for the first task is played once, the recordings for the other tasks twice. In this trainer your browser reads the recordings aloud in a Polish voice; the play counter is kept even if you reload the page.
Rozumienie tekstów pisanych — Reading
Reading comprehension: notices, letters, articles, prose extracts.
Task types:
- short texts with multiple choice a / b / c (“Z tego tekstu wynika, że…”)
- a long text with TAK / NIE statements
- inserting removed fragments A–H into a text
- matching headings to parts of a text
- choosing the right word in brackets
Poprawność gramatyczna — Grammar
Grammatical accuracy (poprawność gramatyczna): word forms and structures.
Task types:
- choosing the correct form
- writing the correct form of the word in brackets
- sentence transformations (saying the same thing in other words)
Pisanie — Writing
Two texts from one set: a short one (part a) and a longer one (part b). There are three sets — you choose one and write both texts.
Task types:
- part a: a notice, an invitation, a short letter or message
- part b: a letter (informal or formal), a complaint, a story, a description, an article, an essay
Mówienie — Speaking
The oral part with an examiner: three tasks, each with its own time limit.
Task types:
- describing a picture
- a monologue on a given topic
- a role-play: the examiner plays a part and creates obstacles, and you negotiate
Time by level
| Part | B1 | B2 | C1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 25 min | 30 min | 30 min |
| Reading | 45 min | 1 h | 1 h |
| Grammar | 45 min | 1 h | 1 h |
| Writing | 1 h 15 min | 1 h 30 min | 1 h 30 min |
| Speaking | 15 min | 15 min | 20 min |
The test timer in the trainer follows this table. When time runs out, the test ends automatically and the answers given so far are scored. You can pause a practice test — there is no such option in the real exam.
Pass marks
- B1: at least 50% of the points in each part.
- B2: at least 60% of the points in each part.
- C1: at least 60% of the points in each part.
The test result shows your points, percentage and ZALICZONO (pass) or NIE ZALICZONO (fail) according to the pass mark for your level.
Writing: text length
| Level | Part a | Part b | Set, total |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | 20–50 words | 150–180 words | 200 words |
| B2 | 30–150 words | 150–270 words | 300 words |
| C1 | 80–200 words | 200–320 words | 400 words |
Each topic has its own word count, while the total per set is fixed; the tolerance is ±10%. Columns a and b show the range seen in the Commission’s 2022–2024 exams.
Speaking: time per part
| Level | Picture | Monologue | Dialogue | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | 4 min | 4 min | 7 min | 1 min |
| B2 | 4 min | 5 min | 7 min | 1 min |
| C1 | 5 min | 6 min | 8 min | 1 min |
The speaking part timings for B2 and C1 are approximate: check the exact values on certyfikatpolski.pl.
In the trainer, speaking is scored out of 40: task completion 7 + 7 + 6 and language accuracy 20 (grammar 8, vocabulary and style 8, coherence and register 4). With AI connected, two “examiners” score you and the average is taken; without AI you get a simplified score plus self-assessment. The trainer’s score is a guide — your exam result may differ.
Official samples
Task collections and sample tests are published by the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language. We only link to them: the materials open on the official site in a new tab.
“Official samples” section: answer sheet and key-based checking
How to practise
Choose a level and a part, or take a full mock exam. Practise grammar separately in the exercises and letter structure in “Written text forms”. Tasks and instructions are in Polish, as in the exam; the interface, hints and explanations are in the language you choose.