This exam is designed for all foreigners age 16 and over who want or need to prove their level of communication competency in the Czech language.
Exam characteristics
The Czech Language Certificate Exam for foreigners verifies all five levels of achieved communication competency in accordance with the criteria specified in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Parts of the exam
The exam consists of several parts. The length and content of the individual exam subjects depends on the level you choose.
Level | Reading Comprehension | Listening Comprehension | Grammar/lexical test | Writing | Speaking* |
A1 | + Writing 60 minutes | 20–25 minutes | none | in the Reading Comprehension part | 5–8 minutes (per person) |
A2 | 40 minutes | 25–30 minutes | none | 40 minutes | 10–13 minutes (per pair) |
B1 | 50 minutes | 35–40 minutes | none | 60 minutes | 15–18 minutes (per pair) |
B2 | 60 minutes | 40–45 minutes | 30 minutes | 80 minutes | 18–21 minutes (per pair) |
C1 | 60 minutes | 50–55 minutes | 50 minutes | 90 minutes | 23–27 minutes (per pair) |
* The order of candidates for the oral part of the exam is determined by a draw. The exam ends at latest by 7 p.m.
There are breaks between the individual subtests of the written part of the exam.
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Which level should I enrol for?
The CCE–B2 a CCE–C1 exam is recognised for demonstrating Czech language skills among civil servants who are applying for employment. More information is available in Act No. 234/2014 Coll., on civil service, and MŠMT Decree No. 175/2015 Coll.
The CCE exam is also recognized for proving the Czech language knowledge of pedagogical staff (foreigners). The exact level of knowledge of Czech is not determined (Act No. 563/2004 Coll., On pedagogical staff), it is usually decided by the employer (i.e. the school principal). However, if you want to apply for the recognition of professional qualifications pursuant to Act No. 18/2004 Coll., On the recognition of professional qualifications and other qualifications of nationals of European Union member states and some nationals of other states, the assumed knowledge of Czech is at least at level B2. More information can be found here.
When deciding on the level to apply for, use the self assessment grid based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. You may find the translation of the grid in many other languages here.