Updated 25/08/2026
Permanent residence is very important for many expats in the Czech Republic, and often a Czech language exam is required. But there’s no need to worry. You can prepare well for the permanent residence exam. In this article, you’ll learn what parts the exam consists of, where to find important and very useful materials, and how to work with them.
Two Types of Exams
In the Czech Republic, you can take either the Exam in the Czech Language for Permanent Residence or the Czech Language Certificate Exam CCE – A2. Both exams are official, and if you pass, you’ll receive a certificate required for applying for permanent residence. The exams are similar and are at the same level, but the tasks are a bit different.
Exam for Permanent Residence
You can find all the important information about the permanent residence exam (also in English or Russian) on the official website.
In the PREPARATION FOR THE EXAM section, you’ll find three PDF publications – two model tests and a study guide. I recommend reading all of them and completing all the activities. If you do, you’ll know what to expect in the exam and be well prepared. You can also try the model test online (PRACTICE TEST) directly on the website, where you’ll immediately see the correct answers and your score as a percentage.
The website also has an important section called INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS, where you can watch practical communication situations that may appear in the exam.
The permanent residence exam consists of four parts – reading, writing, listening, and speaking. You need to score at least 60% in total from the reading, writing, and listening sections. Speaking is assessed separately.
Do you want to read Czech texts, listen to Czech podcasts, and watch Czech videos, but don’t know where to find adaptations suitable for your Czech level?
The first activity in the exam is READING – it has 5 tasks, and you have 40 minutes to complete them. Then comes WRITING – there are two tasks, and you have only 25 minutes for them. One task is a form that you need to fill out, and in the second task, you have to write an excuse, an invitation, or a request based on the instructions. After that, there’s a 15-minute break, and then the LISTENING activity continues. Listening takes about 40 minutes. There are 5 tasks in total (5 audio recordings), and you hear each audio twice. You need to score at least 60% in total from these activities.
Afterwards, you wait for the SPEAKING test. Speaking lasts about 15 minutes and includes 4 tasks.
Speaking Tasks:
- You will get 8 questions on two different topics from the examiner, and you will have to answer them briefly (in a complete and grammatically correct sentence). The topics are from everyday life – for example, your home, family, work, etc.
- You will get two cards with different situations (for example, booking a hotel room or arranging a car repair at a garage), and based on the information on the card, you will have to ask questions and find out specific information (for example, ask about the price of a one-night stay).
- You will tell a story in the past tense based on the pictures you are given. You will speak on your own and have to say what happened according to the pictures.
- You will get a card with three pictures and have an informal dialogue with the examiner in which you have to talk about all three things shown on the card and finally agree on one specific thing (for example, what gift to buy for your mother).
Czech Language Certificate Exam (CCE) - A2
Information about the Certified Czech Language Exam for Foreigners can be found on the official website.
There, you’ll also find a model test along with its audio recordings, so you can try the test before the actual exam. You’ll also see what the exam tasks look like.
The first activity in the exam is READING – it has 4 tasks, and you must complete them within 40 minutes. The second activity is LISTENING, which also has 4 tasks (4 audio recordings), and you hear each audio twice.
Then comes the WRITING activity, where you have two tasks. The first is to write an informal email (for example, inviting a friend to a party). In the second task, you write a diary entry in the past tense (for example, writing about your weekend at the cottage).
Speaking Tasks:
The last activity is SPEAKING – it has three tasks.
- In the first task, you answer the examiner’s questions (for example, about your family, your work, your hobbies, etc.).
- In the second task, you will get a card with four photographs. You will choose two photographs and describe them in detail on your own (you will say what you can see in them). Then, the examiner will ask you some additional questions, which you will answer.
- In the third task, you will have a formal dialogue with the examiner. You will get a card with a topic and pictures, and you will use them to ask questions and get the information you need from the examiner. The topic could be, for example, making a doctor’s appointment.
For this exam, you need to score at least 60% in each part.
Before each exam, I also recommend thoroughly going through the textbook Česky krok za krokem 1 or Čeština expres 1–4. If you know the vocabulary and grammar from the textbook, understand the audio recordings, and can respond to the communication situations in the books, you’ll be well prepared for the exam.
It’s also important not to be extremely nervous during the exam—and that’s something you can practice. There are also good strategies for speaking and writing well in the exam. You can practice what’s good to say and what’s better to avoid saying or writing, so you can earn the highest possible score.
How I Can Help You Before the Exam
📝 First, we’ll try the official model test, and based on the results, we’ll focus on practicing the areas that are the most challenging for you.
🗣️ I’ll teach you important strategies for WRITING and SPEAKING.
✍️ In each lesson, we’ll practice sets of WRITING and SPEAKING activities based on the exam structure.
We’ll go through topics that typically appear in the exam, so you won’t be surprised on exam day.
☀️ We’ll practice developing a positive mindset and how to reduce nervousness as much as possible.
