How to register for the Polish B1 exam, step by step

Registration for the state B1 certificate exam runs through the official portal certyfikatpolski.pl — that's where the session dates, the list of centres for each session and the sign-up conditions are published. Registration usually opens about two months before the session, places are limited, and popular centres in big cities fill up fast. So the golden rule sounds boring but saves the day: be ready on the day registration opens, not after it.

Before registration opens

This is the part people skip — and then lose their place while hunting for a passport number.

• Decide which exam you actually need. For citizenship (uznanie za obywatela — citizenship by recognition**)** only the state certificate counts — TELC is not accepted. For the karta stałego pobytu (permanent residence card) no language exam is needed at all, while the EU long-term resident permit accepts both the state exam and TELC. The differences are unpacked in the B1 exam, citizenship and residence.
• Pick a session. The state exams run in several sessions a year (Saturday–Sunday), and B1 for adults is available at all 2026 sessions: 14–15 February, 25–26 April, 27–28 June, 17–18 October, 5–6 December.
• Pick a city and a centre — from the official list for that specific session. The centre list is published as a separate PDF before each session: not every centre runs every session.
• Have your document details ready. Your first and last name exactly as in your document (in Latin script, with the same characters) — that is how they will appear on the certificate.
• Have the money ready in advance. Payment is part of registration; without it, your place isn't held.
• Double-check the level and the age group — B1 for adults, not the children-and-youth variant.

What it costs

Item	Cost (B1, adults)
Exam fee	equivalent of about €150
Certificate issuance	equivalent of about €20
Total	roughly 640–730 PLN

These are the statutory maximum rates — a centre may charge less, and the złoty amount moves with the exchange rate. Always check the current fee on certyfikatpolski.pl. A detailed breakdown: how much the B1 exam costs and where to take it.

How registration works — step by step

1. Go to certyfikatpolski.pl and find the nearest session and its levels.
2. Open the centre list for that session and choose one you can realistically get to two days in a row.
3. Register following the conditions stated on the portal and by the centre. The registration procedure and payment method are defined by the official portal — do what it says there, not what forums suggest.
4. Pay within the stated deadline. A registration without payment usually guarantees nothing.
5. Keep the confirmations — both the e-mail and the proof of payment. You'll need them if any question about the lists comes up.
6. Wait for the centre's information about the exact time, address and rules for exam day.

The specific screens, forms and deadlines on the portal change, and we deliberately don't describe them here. The source of truth is certyfikatpolski.pl and the centre you chose — check with them.

What happens after you register

• The exam takes two days: the written part (listening, reading, grammar, writing) and the oral part on day two.
• The threshold is 50% in each written module separately plus 50% in the oral part — it is not an average. One weak module means retaking the whole exam.
• The certificate is a long wait — usually about 5–6 months. If you have a deadline at an office, count backwards from it: first the wait for the certificate, then the session, then registration.

Common mistakes

• Waiting "until registration closes". There are fewer places than candidates; the most convenient centres go first.
• Choosing a centre from an old list. A list is valid only for its specific session.
• Registering for the wrong level or the wrong age group.
• A misspelt surname. It goes onto the certificate — and the certificate goes to the office.
• Counting on TELC for citizenship. It is not an urzędowe poświadczenie (official state certification) and will not be accepted.
• Not budgeting the 5–6 months' wait for the certificate into the deadlines of your case.

What to do while you wait for the session

The two months before the exam are exactly the time that decides the result.

• Do one full pack of mock tests right away and see which module puts you below 50%.
• Work above all on your weakest part — usually grammar or writing.
• Practise the oral part out loud: photo description and monologue.
• Check the formalities and the differences between the exams in the FAQ.

Dates, fees, centre lists and the registration procedure are set annually and can change — always confirm the current details on certyfikatpolski.pl. This is not legal advice; confirm residence or citizenship requirements with the voivodeship office handling your case.