What the examination looks like
In this short information video, Ha Thanh Špetlíková will introduce you to the form of the exam for permanent residence. She will tell you what parts the exam has and how many points you need to get. She will also give you information on where to find exam preparation materials. The video is subtitled.
How the examination transpires
- Registration for the examination0:06
The examination can be taken only at selected schools. You can register via the Online application or in person at the school. In order to register, it is necessary to have a valid passport (travel document) and a Voucher for a free Examination in the Czech Language for the purposes of a permanent residence permit on the territory of the CR (issued by the DAMP MI CR). Register early enough to avoid problems.
- Written examination: reading 6:00, listening7:24, writing 8:50
The written part contains reading (25 minutes), listening (35 minutes) and writing (15 minutes). It is necessary to write all of the answers on the answer sheet. You need to get a minimum of 12 of the 20 points from each part to pass.
- Result of the written examination10:03
If you successfully pass the written part, you will take the oral part of the examination on the same day.
- Oral examination10:44
During the oral examination (10 minutes), you will answer questions and speak according to the pictures. You need to get at a minimum 12 of the 20 points in order to pass.
- Overall result of the examination12:58
If you successfully pass the written and oral parts of the examination, you will receive a Certificate of Knowledge of the Czech Language.
- You can find more information on the examination here and in the Handbook for the Examination.
The Ten Rules of the Examination
- Please be punctual!
- In the examination room, please turn off your mobile phone!
- You have to put all of your things in the place designated!
- Place the card with the registration number on the desk!
- Do not forget to place your travel document on the desk as well!
- During the written examination, you may not go anywhere, not even to the toilet!
- You must work independently!
- Listen carefully to what the examiners tell you!
- At the end of the exam you will receive a Certificate if you have successfully passed the exam!
- Please note that it is not possible to look at the tests in person after the tests!
When the examination takes place
The examination takes place twice a month:
- Wednesdays in odd weeks from 9:00 AM or in even weeks from 1:00 PM,
- usually the second Saturday in the month from 9:00 AM.
It is necessary to verify the availability of the date with the school. There is more information in the Online application.
How much the examination costs
The cost of the examination is CZK 1,500. When you take the examination the first time, you can use a Voucher for a free Examination in the Czech Language for the purposes of a permanent residence permit on the territory of the CR, which is issued at your request by a workplace of the Department of the Residence of Aliens (DAMP). With a Voucher, you do not pay anything for the examination. If you repeat the examination, you must pay the school CZK 1,500 for the examination.
Who has to take the examination
Third-country nationals (outside the EU and EEA) who apply for a permanent residence permit must take the Examination in the Czech Language under the following conditions:
- either they are applying for permanent residence after 5 years of residence in the CR,
- or they have an EU Blue Card.
You can find more information on permanent residence and the necessary requirements here.
A document proving the required knowledge of the Czech language does not have to be submitted by someone who:
- has not reached the age of 15 or someone who is more than 60 years old,
- proves that in the course of the 20 years preceding the application for a permanent residence permit he/she has been a pupil of:
- a primary school (min. 1 school year),
- or a secondary school (min. 1 school year),
- or a student of a higher education institute with teaching in the Czech language or a study programme focused on the Czech language at a university (min. 1 academic year),
- submits a confirmation that he/she has passed one of the examinations stipulated by Government Decree No. 31/2016 (on proving knowledge of the Czech language for the purposes of obtaining a permanent residence permit):
- a school-leaving certificate with a mark from the Czech language,
- a certificate of a state language examination from the Czech language, with which he/she passed at a language school with the right to give a state language examination,
- a confirmation that he/she passed a state final examination, state rigorous (viva voce) examination or state doctoral examination at a university in the framework of a study programme that took place in the Czech language,
- a certificate of an examination in the Czech language as a foreign language for Level A1 or for a higher level. (This examination must be taken at an institution that has been certified by ALTE and is a member of this organization. Currently, the only such an institution in the Czech Republic is the Institute of Language and Preparatory Studies of Charles University.)
- proves that he/she has a physical or mental handicap that would influence his/her ability to communicate.