Polish citizenship language exam (B1): requirements & how to prepare

To confirm Polish citizenship by recognition (uznanie za obywatela polskiego), most applicants must prove Polish at level B1 with the official state certificate — the egzamin certyfikatowy z języka polskiego jako obcego. It is the single most common reason people take this exam: B1 accounts for roughly 82.8% of all candidates.

What the B1 exam looks like

The exam has five modules, and you must reach the pass mark in every module separately — there is no averaging and no compensation between parts. One weak module fails the whole exam.

• Listening (rozumienie ze słuchu) — ~25 min, 30 points.
• Grammar (poprawność gramatyczna) — ~45 min, 30 points.
• Reading (rozumienie tekstów pisanych) — ~45 min, 30 points.
• Writing (pisanie) — ~75 min, 30 points.
• Speaking (mówienie) — up to ~15 min before a two-person commission, 40 points.

To pass B1 you need at least 50% in each module. The written part runs in one block on a Saturday; the oral is on the following day.

Where, when and how much

The exam is administered by the Państwowa Komisja at 65 authorized centres in Poland and abroad, on fixed session dates through the year. The fee is around €150 plus a certificate fee. Register through an authorized centre and always confirm dates on the official calendar.

How to prepare

Because the exam is scored per module, the safest preparation is to practise all five parts under real time limits, not just vocabulary. Do full, timed mock exams so the durations and the "pass every module" rule feel familiar, and review the parts you are weakest in.

You can start free: try a B1 practice overview and a timed B1 mock, browse the B1 question bank, and see how the real day works on the exam-day guide. When you want unlimited full mocks and AI writing feedback, compare plans.