Czech Language Exam for Citizenship

If you want to get Czech citizenship, you must meet certain conditions. A Czech language certificate at level B1 is one of the conditions for most people.

The certificate can also help you if you are looking for a job in the Czech Republic where you need to speak Czech.

The Czech language exam can be quite hard. It takes a whole day and has several parts. But you can prepare well and raise your chances of success.

I also regularly help people prepare for the Czech citizenship language exam. I see that it can be hard to understand all the information.

So in this article, I will give you basic information about the exam and show how I can help you.

Two types of exam

There are actually two different types of exam you can take to get citizenship. You can choose which type of exam to sign up for.

Each type has its own features. Both are official, and after you pass, you get a certificate that you need for citizenship.

❓ What are the differences between the two exams, and how do you sign up for them?

Exam for citizenship

You can find all the important information about the citizenship exam (also in English and several other languages) on its official website.

On the website, you can also find information about how to sign up for the exam and a sample test of the exam, with a sample audio recording.

You sign up for the exam online. On the form, you write where you want to take the exam (in which city) and if you want to take it on a weekday or on the weekend. Then you wait for an email with your exam date (this will come at least two weeks before the exam) and payment details.

This means you cannot choose the exact date in advance. You just wait for it.

The Czech citizenship exam has four parts: READING, LISTENING, WRITING, and SPEAKING.

The first part is READING. It has four different tasks, and you have 50 minutes for all of them together.

The next part is LISTENING. Listening also has four tasks, and each task has several questions. You will hear each recording twice.

It is good to know that in both READING and LISTENING parts, only one answer is correct (so if you don't know the answer, you can just choose one).

Next is the WRITING part. In writing, you get two tasks and 60 minutes for both of them together. The first task is a questionnaire (you answer specific questions, for example how you liked a hotel where you stayed). The second task is writing a letter to a friend about a specific topic.

The last part is SPEAKING. In the speaking part, you will work in a pair with another candidate, and you get the tasks together.

There are three SPEAKING tasks in the citizenship exam.

Speaking tasks:

1. You introduce yourself and answer questions from the examiner. The questions can be about your family, job, hobbies, holidays, and other life topics.
2. You get a card with pictures and a topic, and you talk about them. Then the examiner asks more questions, and you must answer them. Topics on the card can be, for example, sports, cooking, housing, or travelling.
3. You and your partner (in your pair) talk together like friends about a specific situation or thing, based on the card you get. For example, you might plan to go to the cinema, a restaurant, or buy a gift for a friend together.

To pass the citizenship exam, you must get at least 60% of the points overall and at least 60% in each of the three parts of the exam. In one of the written parts of the exam, you can score as little as 50% (but your overall score must always be at least 60%).

Certified Czech Exam for Foreigners (CCE) - B1

Information about the Certified Czech Exam for Foreigners is on the official UJOP website.

There you will also find a sample test and its audio recordings, so you can try the sample B1 certified exam before your real exam.

You also register for this exam online on the official UJOP website. There you choose the exact place and date of the exam right when you register, so you know your exam date from the beginning.

In some parts, the certified exam is a bit different from the citizenship exam.

Both exams are at language level B1, but one type of exam might be easier for you than the other. Before you register, you can try the sample tests for both exams and then decide.

The certified exam also has four parts: READING, LISTENING, WRITING, and SPEAKING. Each part has the same number of tasks and the same time limit as the citizenship exam. But the tasks themselves are a bit different, except for WRITING.

The writing part has the same type of tasks as the citizenship exam.

SPEAKING tasks in the certified B1 exam:

1. You get two photos on one specific topic, and first you talk about them alone (you describe them in detail). Then the examiner asks more questions on the topic, and you answer them. Topics are about everyday life.
2. You tell a story about something you experienced, on a topic you are given. This could be, for example, a travel story, a holiday story, or your experience with your first job. Then the examiner asks you follow-up questions.
3. Just like in the citizenship exam, you plan something together with the examiner (for example, when and why you will go to the cinema).

In the certified exam, you are not in a pair with another candidate during the SPEAKING part. Instead, you only talk with the examiner.

For this exam too, you need at least 60% of the points in every part to pass.

Czech Life and Institutions Exam

If you want to apply for Czech citizenship, you also need to pass the Czech Life and Institutions Exam, besides the language exam. In this exam, you will get 30 questions about the Czech Republic (geography, history, culture, and laws). For each question, you see four answers, and only one is correct. So if you don't know the answer, it is better to guess than to leave the question blank.

All questions come from a full question bank. It has 300 questions and is available on the website with the correct answers, so you can prepare for the exam by yourself.

You can also try the online interactive sample test.

You can register for the Czech facts exam online on the UJOP website.

How to prepare for the Czech language exam

If you are not sure what it means to have language level B1, you can look, for example, at the textbook Czech Step by Step 2. The words, grammar, audio recordings, and conversation situations in this textbook match level B1.

I also recommend that you start with the sample tests (you can check the READING and LISTENING parts by yourself, and then talk about the WRITING and SPEAKING parts with your teacher).

This will show you what is already easy for you in the exam, and what you may still need to practice.

How I can help you prepare

Besides the language part, it is also important to handle the exam emotionally. Nerves can sometimes make things harder. So we will also talk about your feelings and how to keep stress under control.

I will also teach you strategies that can help you get bonus points in the exam (especially in the WRITING and SPEAKING parts).

You can also read a my article, where I show how I helped an American student Margot prepare for the B1 exam.

And if you have very little time to prepare, you can see how you can prepare with me effectively every day, whenever you have time. I wrote about this in this blog article.