Exam dates, registration and the day itself

The proficiency exam sits about four times a year, each level on its own day. You cannot pick a date freely — once a deadline passes, the next chance is a quarter away.

Registering

• Registration goes through EIS (eis.harno.ee).
• The whole year's sittings open for registration at once, on 1 January.
• Each sitting's registration closes on a fixed date, weeks before the exam — for the September sittings that is typically the start of August; for November, the start of October.
• Registration is free, as is the exam itself.

Confirmed dates and each sitting's deadline are on the exam dates page, together with the date they were last checked against Harno's own calendar.

Where the exam is held

Exam centres are in Tallinn (Pae Gümnaasium, Pae 5), Tartu (Jakobi 2), Narva (Narva Eesti Gümnaasium, Kraavi 1) and Jõhvi (the Jõhvi site of Ida-Virumaa Kutsehariduskeskus, Kutse 13). Pärnu (Tammsaare Kool) runs twice a year and only if at least 12 people register.

On the day

• The exam starts at 10.00 sharp. Latecomers are not admitted — arrive 15–20 minutes early.
• Bring photo identification.
• The paper is written by hand, in black or blue ink.
• On a multiple-choice item, two answers counts as wrong — if in doubt, commit to one.
• Outside help — a phone, a dictionary, a neighbour's paper — means zero points.
• Speaking starts 15–20 minutes after the written part ends, and it is recorded.

After the exam

The result arrives within 40 days and appears in eesti.ee and EIS. You have 30 days to appeal. Score below 45%, or miss the sitting without a valid reason, and you cannot register for the same level for six months.

Timing your preparation

The commonest mistake is registering before ever doing a full-length paper against the clock. Sit a mock before the deadline, read the result part by part, and let that decide whether you register for this sitting or the next one. See also what share of candidates actually pass.