Due to numerous questions from potential participants of the state examinations in Polish as a foreign language, we would like to kindly inform you that, in accordance with the Polish Language Act, there are two possibilities to obtain the state certificate in Polish as a foreign language. These are:
- taking an examination organised by an approved body,
- the procedure for submitting an application together with certain documents confirming the acquisition of an education in Poland.
Entitlement to issue a state certificate certifying knowledge of the Polish language is held only by the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language..
Issuing a certificate on the basis of a passed Polish language exam
In accordance with Article 11a(1) Laws on the Polish language The way to obtain a certificate in Polish as a foreign language is to pass the state examination in Polish as a foreign language.
Only entities authorised to organise certificate examinations are responsible for organising the registration process for state examinations in Polish. The current list of authorised entities is available on the website: https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja-i-nauka/lista-podmiotow-uprawnionych-do-organizowania-egzaminow-z-jezyka-polskiego-jako-obcego.
The schedule of examination sessions is set by the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language.
The schedule of examination sessions for 2022 is available on the website: https://certyfikatpolski.pl/aktualnosci/terminy-sesji-egzaminacyjnych-w-2022-roku/.
Issuing a certificate without examination
In accordance with the provisions of Laws on the Polish language persons fulfilling certain conditions may obtain a certificate of proficiency in Polish without passing a state examination.
These conditions are laid down in Article 11a(4): A person referred to in paragraph 1 who is a university graduate who completed her studies in Polish, or a secondary school or a post-secondary school that holds a secondary school certificate, operating in the education system of the Republic of Poland, upon application and payment of the certificate fee, receives the certificate without having to pass an examination.
According to the above article, only three documents are eligible to apply for a certificate without having to pass an exam:
- (a) a secondary school leaving certificate obtained in the Republic of Poland,
- (b) a first-cycle degree obtained in the Republic of Poland,
- (c) a second-cycle degree obtained in the Republic of Poland (or a diploma of a uniform 5-year master's degree).
The procedure for issuing certificates is regulated in §30 Regulation of the Ministry of Education of 26 February 2016 on examinations in Polish as a foreign language http://www.
At the same time, we would like to inform you that the use of a false certificate or the counterfeiting or alteration of an authentic document may lead to criminal liability under Article 270 of the Penal Code.
http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU19990900999/U/D19990999Lj.pdf