Polish B1 Exam Format: Modules, Timing and the Pass Mark

Who takes this version of the exam

The state exam in Polish as a foreign language is open to foreigners and to Polish citizens living permanently abroad. The adult version is for candidates who are 18 on the exam day; for ages 14–17 there is a separate children-and-youth version with different tasks and an overall 50% threshold for the written and the oral part (certyfikatpolski.pl). This article covers the adult version — the one people take for citizenship and EU long-term residence.

You are in good company: according to the official statistics, 27,518 people took the exam in 2025, 21,830 of them at B1 (Commission statistics).

Five modules: order, time and points

The written part is one block, with the modules always in this order: listening, reading, grammar, writing. The whole written part takes up to 190 minutes, with a break of at least 10 minutes between modules (exam structure, guidance for candidates). The speaking part is separate, in front of the examining committee.

We checked the written modules against an official B1 exam paper (April 2024) and the speaking part against the official sample test. The current legal basis is the minister’s regulation of 14 February 2025.

Listening and reading

Recordings are played once or twice; you choose answers, mark statements true or false and match speakers to opinions. Reading ranges from short notices to longer articles, with tasks such as putting removed fragments back and matching headings to texts.

Grammar

Eight short tasks: case endings, conjunctions, comparatives, verb forms, forming questions, rephrasing with a given word, aspect and mood, prepositions. This is the module where even fluent speakers most often lose points.

Writing

You choose one of three sets and write two texts: a short one (a notice, invitation or greeting — 25 to 50 words in the 2024 paper) and a long one (a letter, review or story — 150–175 words). Each is marked for task completion, range of language and accuracy. See the B1 writing task explained.

Speaking

Up to 15 minutes and 40 points. A short chat with the committee, then you draw a set, prepare for about 5 minutes and do three tasks: describe a photo, give a short talk on a topic and act out a situation with an examiner. In the sample test, half the points are for doing the tasks and half for language: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency. See the B1 speaking exam.

The 50% rule: why your total does not decide

B1 requires at least 50% in each written module and in the speaking part (Commission FAQ); B2–C2 require 60%. An example: say a candidate scores 25 in listening, 27 in reading, 24 in writing and 30 in speaking, but 14 out of 30 in grammar. The total is above 70%, yet the exam is failed, because grammar is below 15.

What has changed and what is next

Since February 2025 the exams have been run under a new ministerial regulation, but the B1 structure is unchanged: the same five modules, times and points as in the published papers from 2021–2024 (archive of past papers). When we checked on 12 October 2026, the Commission had announced no change to the B1 format for 2027. We will update this article if it does.

Stricter rules are under discussion: the government has announced B2 and a civics test, but no bill with B2 has been filed. See B1 for citizenship and EU long-term residence.

Where to start

1. Check your level. Our free level test takes 10–15 minutes and shows how far you are from B1.
2. Do one official paper against the clock. It shows which module is your weakest. Past papers with recordings are in the Commission’s archive.
3. Register on time. Registration opens about two months before the exam — how to register and what it costs.