The citizenship exam and B1: two exams, not one

Applying for Estonian citizenship means passing two different exams. They get confused constantly, because both are called "the citizenship exam" in conversation.

1. The language exam at B1

The Citizenship Act requires Estonian at level B1. That is proved by a Harno proficiency certificate — a certificate from a language school or a course does not count for this.

B1 has four parts: listening, reading, writing and speaking. The written part runs two hours; speaking is up to 20 minutes on the same day. You pass on at least 60% overall with no part scored zero. The full structure is in the exam guide, and you can practise with the B1 mock.

One exception: applicants aged 65 and over are excused the writing part only. The other three parts still have to be sat.

2. The exam on the Constitution and the Citizenship Act

This is a separate exam, not a part of the language exam.

• 24 multiple-choice questions.
• 45 minutes.
• A pass needs at least 18 correct answers — which allows six mistakes.

The questions cover the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act: how the state is organised, fundamental rights, and how citizenship is acquired and lost. We run a mock of this exam in exactly that format.

Which one first?

In practice most people take the language exam first, because it is the slower of the two: four sittings a year, registration closing weeks ahead, and a result that can take 40 days. The Constitution exam is essentially factual study and can be finished faster.

If the B1 exam goes badly — below 45% — you must wait six months before re-sitting. That alone can delay a citizenship application by half a year.

What we provide

• B1 mock exam — full length, results part by part.
• Citizenship exam mock — 24 questions, 45 minutes, the same pass mark.
• Exam dates — when the next B1 sitting is and when registration closes.

Keeleproov issues no certificates and is not affiliated with Harno or the Police and Border Guard Board. The conditions of an application are always confirmed by the authority itself.