Estonian language levels: A2, B1, B2, C1

The Estonian proficiency exam is sat at four levels: A2, B1, B2 and C1. A level is not the name of a course or a count of years studied — it is a description of what you can do in Estonian.

The same four parts at every level

Whichever level you choose, the exam tests listening, reading, writing and speaking. What changes is how long and how difficult the texts are, and how much you have to produce yourself.

• A2 — everyday language: short notices, signs, simple conversation. Written part 1 h 50 min.
• B1 — familiar situations at work, at an office and at home: a letter, an application, an explanation. Written part 2 h.
• B2 — longer texts and arguing your own position. Written part 3 h 5 min.
• C1 — difficult, abstract text and fluent, precise expression. Written part 3 h 15 min.

The pass mark is the same at every level

The level does not change the marking rule: you pass on at least 60% of the total with no part scored zero. A higher level is not harder because the bar is higher — the bar is identical, the tasks are not.

Which level you need

Citizenship requires B1, which the citizenship guide explains. In any other case the requirement comes from the body or the rule that applies to you. We publish no table of jobs and levels here, because a table that has gone out of date is worse than none.

How to choose

The reliable way is to sit one full-length mock at a level and read the result part by part. If three parts clear the bar and one scrapes it, that level is right and you know what to drill. If two parts fall short, look one level down.

Start with the B1 mock, or take one part at a time from the question bank. How many people actually pass at each level is in the difficulty guide.