Frequently asked questions

Candidates are free to decide the level at which to take the exam. The level depends on why you need a Certificate of Slovene. If, for example, you need proof of knowledge of Slovene in order to obtain Slovene citizenship, the basic level is enough. If you need proof of knowledge of Slovene for other official purposes (e.g. for professional or study reasons), first find out from the relevant authority (e.g. the employer, the school) which level of competence they require from you.

The exams are in line with the Common European Framework:

Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language	The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Breakthrough level	A1 Basic User: Breakthrough
Basic level	A2 Basic User: Waystage
	B1 Independent User: Threshold
Intermediate level	B2 Independent User: Vantage
Advanced level	C1 Proficient User: Effective Operational Proficiency
	C2 Proficient User: Mastery

Information about exam dates can be found here. Exam dates are scheduled one year in advance. There are four exam periods scheduled per year at the breakthrough, basic and intermediate levels, and two per year at the advanced level. All exams providers administer exams during the same week.

Yes. If the scheduled exam dates are not suitable for you, you can make a request for an individual exam date. The price for an individual exam is higher and you can take it only at the Examination Centre. Examination centre does not administer individual exams at the Breaktrhrough Level (A1).

You can register for the breakthrough and basic level Slovene language exam at any of the institutions that provide the exam in the current year. You can find the list of exam providers here. You can register no later than ten (10) days before the announced examination date or on a date set by the exam provider; this is done at the institution where you would like to take the exam. For the intermediate level or the advanced level exam, you can register only at the Examination Centre.

Register for the exam by filling out a registration form and paying the bill for the exam. Send the completed registration form by regular or electronic mail to the exam provider of your choice; you may also register in person. After you have registered, you will receive a bill. This must be paid no later than ten days before the exam. Before the exam you will receive by mail an invitation stating the precise details about the time and place of the exam.

Only after you have paid for the exam are you registered for it. You do not need personal identification to register for the exam.

Another person can register you for the exam, in accordance with the described procedure.

You may only register with one exam provider during a single exam period.

Yes. If you have registered for an exam and if you have already paid for the exam, but cannot attend it (for example, due to illness), you can deregister from the exam. You can do this in person, by phone, or by e-mail up to two working days before the exam date. In this case you will either be scheduled to take the exam during the next exam period (at the same institution), or you will receive 85% of the exam costs back. If you have deregistered from an exam, you may not register anew for an exam during the same exam period.

If you withdraw from the exam without deregistering, you must register again to take an exam; payment in full is required. We therefore recommend that you deregister in time if you do not plan to take the exam.

The exam fee is set each year and is published in the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Arts’ schedule of fees. The fee is the same at all institutions that provide the exam.

When you register for the exam the provider will issue a bill which you can pay at any bank or post office (also from abroad); this must be done at least ten days before your selected exam date. Send the exam provider proof of payment via e-mail or regular mail, or show it in person at least ten days prior to the exam date. Upon receipt of proof of payment the exam provider will send you an invitation to the exam.

Candidates who have not paid for the exam or have not submitted proof of payment will not receive an invitation and will not be allowed to take the exam.

Yes, but only at the breakthrough and the basic level.

Breakthrough level

If you qualify under the Labour Market Regulation Act (article 8. a) you are entitled to take a Slovene language course and the breakthrough level (A1) exam free of charge. When registering fort he exam, you are required to submit a Certificate of Eligibility for a free first Slovene language exam at the breakthrough level issued by the Employment Service of Slovenia. The exam provider retains this Certificate.

The costs of the examination are covered by the Employment Service of Slovenia.

Basic level

Yes, but only at the basic level. If you qualify under the Regulation on the methods and scope of programs providing assistance in the integration of foreigners who are not citizens of the European Union, you are entitled to take the basic level exam free of charge. However, when registering, you are required to submit a Certificate of Eligibility for a free first Slovene language exam at the basic level. The exam provider retains this Certificate.

The costs of the examination are covered by the Ministry of the Interior and the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
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If you deregister in time (no later than two days before the exam date), the exam provider will reschedule your exam for the next exam period. It is also possible to get a refund – 85% of the costs. This refund is to be arranged at the institution at which you are registered for the exam. 

If you have paid for the exam but not taken it and not deregistered in time, the institution at which you are registered will not refund your money. In the event of another registration for the exam you will be required to pay the entire fee once again.

The exam dates are set for the entire calendar year. You can find information about them here. The written and the oral sections of the basic level exam are usually administered on the same day. After you register, your chosen institution will mail you an invitation containing information about the time and date of the exam.

You may take the exam only if you have registered for it (if you have filled out the registration form and paid for the exam). You must bring valid photo identification to the exam as proof of identity. You must write the exam only with an appropriate pen (not a pencil); everything else will be provided at the exam.

If you take the advanced level exam, you will be using a Faculty of Arts computer.

The Slovene exam takes place in different ways, depending on the individual level.

The written and the oral sections of the breakthrough level exam are usually administered on the same day. You can get information on the basic level exam format at this link.

The written and the oral sections of the basic level exam are usually administered on the same day. You can get information on the basic level exam format at this link.

The written and oral sections of the intermediate level exam are usually administered on the same day. You can get information on the intermediate level exam format at this link.

The entire advanced level exam usually takes place on a single day. Candidates take the exam on computers (provided by the Examination Centre). You can obtain information on the advanced level format at this link.

More information about how the exam takes place is available at this link.

No. Anybody can register for the exam, regardless of whether or not they have previously attended a Slovene language course. Various educational institutions in Slovenia organize and administer various Slovene courses; among these are shorter and longer preparatory courses for the Slovene language exam. Usually one has to pay for these courses.

If you attend a free Slovene language course in accordance with the Regulation on the methods and scope of programs providing assistance in the integration of foreigners who are not citizens of the European Union, you are entitled to a free exam at the basic level. You can obtain information about this from the competent administrative unit.

Candidates often ask at the exam itself whether they have passed. The examiners do not give immediate information about results. The final grade is given when all of the examination sections have been marked and rated. All sections of the exam are reviewed a second time at the Examination Centre; the Centre issues the relevant documents on the basis of the results.

The exam results will be made known no later than 30 work days after the exam. Your examiners cannot give you information about your results. All sections of the exam are reviewed once again at the Examination Centre, which, on the basis of the results, issues the relevant documents.

The grade is descriptive (pass/fail). Candidates who have passed the exam will receive from the Examination Centre a Certificate of Slovene for the Breakthrough, Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced level. Along with the Certificate, you will receive an insert containing information about results in the individual sections of the exam.

If the candidate did not pass the exam, the Examination Centre will send a statement of results.

The Examination Centre will mail the documents to those candidates who took the exam at the Examination Centre. If the examination was administered by an external provider, that provider will deliver the documents (within 30 work days at the latest after the exam was taken).

Though exam providers never give information about examination results by telephone, we can, at your request, send information via e-mail about whether or not you have passed.

Yes, but in keeping with the law on protecting personal data, that person requires your authorization; this authorization must be certified by a notary or an administrative unit. Another person can collect the documents about your results if they are authorized to do so.

If you have lost your Certificate, you can ask the Examination Centre to provide a duplicate Certificate. You must write a request on email [email protected] and submit a copy of your ID and your mailing address. There is an obligatory fee for issuing a duplicate Certificate (7,00 euros).

Yes. If you want to look at your examination, the Examination Centre can arrange an appointment and discussion with an expert staff member who will also explain why you received a particular grade on the exam. All examinations are retained for at least hall of a year after completion of the exam.

Yes. You may view your examination material along with another person. In accordance with the law on protection of personal information, the other person can only view your exam if you are accompanying him/her or if that person has your authorization certified by a notary or an administrative unit.

Yes. You can re-take the exam in the next exam period. The number of re-takes on regular exam periods is not limited. However, the re-taking of individual exams is only possible after two months from the last individual exam.

We do not recommend that you take the exam in successive exam periods without having also prepared for the exam in the meantime.

No, you may not repeat just one section of the exam. The exam can only be taken in its entirety.

In 2020 the results were:
– at the basic level 65 % of candidates passed
– at a intermediate level 51 % of the candidates passed
– at the advanced level 32 % of the candidates passed.

 You can find more detailed information on this in the annual reports of the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language.

The assessment standards or criteria are laid down in the Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language education programme.

After the exam, candidates can look at their exam papers and discuss their answers; they will also receive an explanation about the grade awarded. Appointments for looking into the exam documentations must be arranged in advance.

Candidates can appeal against the exam procedure (within eight days of the exam) or against the exam result (within eight days of having receiving the result). The appeal must be justified and written in Slovene. Address for appeals:

Izpitni center Centra za slovenščino kot drugi in tuji jezik 
Pritožna komisija Izpitnega centra
Trubarjeva cesta 3
SI-1000 Ljubljana

An example of a complaint.

In the event of an appeal, the Appeals Commission for meets no later than 30 work days after having received an appeal. The Appeals Commission’s decision is final.

It is very difficult to say how much Slovene a person knows. The level of your Slovene will become evident only at the exam. The first indicator of whether the chosen level is appropriate for you – that is, too easy or too demanding – are the sample tests (for breakthrough level, for basic level, for intermediate level and for advanced level) If you attempt the sample test under conditions matching those of the exam (e.g. in terms of time allowed and so on), your result will provide at least an approximate indication of whether or not you have chosen the appropriate level.

There is no particular textbook to help candidates prepare for the exam. You can, of course, attend any Slovene course you would like, study with any teacher, etc. We recommend that the very least you take the sample test (for breakthrough level, for basic level, for intermediate level and for advanced level) before the exam. That way you will familiarize yourself with the exam as a whole and the entire exam situation, as well as with the types of questions included on the exam. You can check your results against the key. It is also helpful if before the exam you converse as much as possible in Slovene, read Slovene newspapers, and listen to the radio and watch TV in Slovene. This will certainly help you pass the exam.

Individuals with special needs can – on request and on providing a doctor’s confirmation and recommendation – arrange to have an adapted Slovene language exam. This means that they can have additional time to write, larger print on the exam, and so on. Each such situation is handled individually.

Breakthrough level

Illiterate persons who are registered at the Employment Service of Slovenia are directed to take a special examination based on listening comprehension and speaking at the breakthrough level (A1). Whether or not a person is illiterate is determined by the Employment Service.

A certificate received by a person who has successfully passed this type of exam is valid solely for the purposes of the Labour Market Regulation Act.

Basic level

Illiterate persons who are requesting Slovene citizenship and who are, as illiterate individuals, directed to take the Slovene language exam, take a special examination that is based on listening comprehension and speaking. Whether or not a person is illiterate is determined by the Ministry of the Interior.

A Certificate received by a person who has successfully passed this type of exam is valid solely for the purposes of obtaining Slovene citizenship.

No. Any certificate of attending any Slovene language course is an internal document issued by the course provider and it is not a publically recognized document; it cannot be used for official purposes.