Prepare for the Estonian B1 language exam
Practise the four parts of the state exam in the official format. Get instant feedback on your writing and speaking, and know what to expect on the exam day.
Made by @saan_targaks school experts. Used by 3,500+ Estonian language learners.
Made by @saan_targaks school experts. Used by 3,500+ Estonian language learners.
B1 tasemeeksam
The exam is free.
Missing the window costs three months.
HARNO charges nothing to sit the B1 exam. What costs you is the calendar. Level exams run at least four times a year, registration closes on the first day of the month before the exam, and results take up to 40 days. Sit it unprepared and the next realistic date is a quarter away.
- 59.57%passed B1 in 2025: 2,278 of 3,824 candidates. Source: HARNO.
- 60 / 100points to pass. A zero in any single part still fails you.
- 4x a yearsittings, one per quarter. Registration closes on the 1st of the previous month.
Exam format
What the B1 exam asks you to do
Writing, listening and reading run as one written block. Speaking is a separate appointment. Each part is worth 25 points.
- Writingkirjutamine · 35 min · 25 points
Two tasks: a form or short notice of about 50 words, and a story or personal letter of about 100 words. - Listeningkuulamine · 30-35 min · 25 points
Four tasks, 30 questions: pictures, multiple choice, short written answers, true or false. - Readinglugemine · 50 min · 25 points
Four tasks, 33 questions: matching notices to situations, a longer text, gap-fills, and a gap-fill from a bank of letters. - Speakingrääkimine · 15 min · 25 points
A conversation on a theme, guided by an idea card, and a situation task to discuss.
Writing, listening and reading run as one written block; speaking is a separate appointment. Source: HARNO, regulation on Estonian language level exams.
Legal requirements
Who needs a B1 certificate
The requirement comes from Estonian law, not from us.
Citizenship
Estonian citizenship by naturalisation asks for Estonian at B1 (Citizenship Act § 8). You also take a separate exam on the Constitution and the Citizenship Act.
Long-term residence
The long-term resident's residence permit asks for B1 (Aliens Act § 234 (1)), together with five years of residence, a stable income, health insurance and a registered address.
Exemptions
No language exam if you finished basic, secondary or higher education in Estonian. Citizenship applicants aged 65 or older skip the writing part and sit three parts instead.
A2 is a different level: it is what the temporary residence permit for settling permanently and work-permit renewals ask for. This is general information, not legal advice. Check your own situation with HARNO or the Police and Border Guard Board.
Why preparation matters
Strong Estonian learner can still fail the exam
-
63%fail the B2 exam. Only 37 of every 100 candidates pass it. -
59%fail B1. This is the level Estonian citizenship and long-term residence require. -
31%fail A2, the first level. The higher the exam, the fewer people get through.
Language proficiency is not the same as exam success. The points go missing in four predictable places.
Task types you have never practised. Matching notices to situations, filling gaps from a bank of letters, a notice of about 50 words, a letter of about 100. A language course teaches the language, not the exam's tasks.
- The clockTwo written tasks in 35 minutes. 33 reading questions in 50. Recordings run at exam speed. Slow reading and endless rewriting eat the score.
- A zero in one part ends it.You pass with 60 out of 100, but only if all four parts score. Speaking is the shortest part and the one most candidates skip in preparation.
- The day itselfSpeaking is a separate appointment, with an examiner and a topic you draw from a card. Stress costs marks you would have earned at home.
That part you can train.
What you practise in ABC Pilot
The app covers all four parts of the exam and guides you on a daily basis.
Exam task types
Reading, listening, writing and speaking tasks built on the official formats, so nothing in the exam room is new to you.
Writing feedback in seconds
Write your answer and the app marks it, explains the mistakes and shows a better way to say it.
Speaking with speech recognition
Answer out loud in Estonian. The app recognises your speech and shows how clearly you were understood.
Listening at exam speed
Recordings play the way they do on exam day, with the same question types and the same number of tasks.
A plan from today to exam day
Enter your exam date and your assistant builds the schedule: what to practise, when to register, when to attend the free consultation.
Progress you can see
See what you have completed and which of the four parts still needs work.
Create a free account
Email only. We send a one-time code, so there is no password to remember.
Set your exam date
The app builds the plan backwards from the day you sit the exam.
Practise the four parts
Ten minutes on the bus or an hour at home. The app keeps your place.
Walk in prepared
You already know the layout, the timing and the task types.
Crafted by Estonian educators, not AI.
The content comes from the classroom and Harno. ABC Pilot is made with @Saan Targaks, Estonian language teaching experts with more than eight years of teaching experience, and follows HARNO's published exam materials and sample tasks.
Plans and pricing
One subscription for the whole preparation cycle. Cancel whenever you like.
€49.- / month
Full B1 exam preparation
- All four exam parts: listening, reading, writing, speaking
- Instant AI feedback on writing
- Speaking practice with Estonian speech recognition
- Personal plan built around your exam date
- Progress tracking and analytics
- Support from Estonian language teachers
€290.-
All levels A2-C1
lifetime access
Access from A2 to C1, no expiry
All new tasks and course updates
AI assistant and personal study plan
One payment, no monthly subscription
Get lifetime access lifetime access
Access from A2 to C1, no expiry
All new tasks and course updates
AI assistant and personal study plan
One payment, no monthly subscription
A free account gives you the basic tasks. Upgrade when you want the full exam simulation.
All prices include Estonian VAT (KM) at 24%. Refunds follow our Terms and Conditions and Estonian consumer law. Payments are processed by Stripe.
Check that the email in the app matches the email you pay with, or your subscription will not link automatically.
All prices include Estonian VAT (KM) at 24%. Refunds follow our Terms and Conditions and Estonian consumer law. Payments are processed by Stripe.
Check that the email in the app matches the email you pay with, or your subscription will not link automatically.
Questions about the B1 exam
Short answers to what people ask us most.
It is the state language exam at B1 level (eesti keele B1-taseme tasemeeksam), organised by HARNO, the Education and Youth Board of Estonia. It has four parts: writing, listening, reading and speaking. B1 is the level required for Estonian citizenship and for the long-term resident’s residence permit.
60 out of 100. Each part is worth 25 points, and no part may score zero, so 60 points with a zero in speaking is still a fail.
Yes. HARNO states that the exam costs nothing. You register through EIS, the state examination information system, or on paper at a HARNO information point.
Level exams run at least four times a year, one per quarter. Registration closes on the first day of the month before the exam, so plan around that deadline.
If you score below 45 points, or miss the exam without a good reason, you cannot sit it again for six months. Between 45 and 59 points there is no statutory waiting period, so you can register for the next session. Results take up to 40 days.
No. You can register for B1 directly.
Yes. The one exception is citizenship applicants aged 65 or older, who skip the writing part and sit listening, reading and speaking.
The interface is in English and Russian. The tasks themselves are always in Estonian, exactly as they are in the exam.
No. ABC Pilot is an independent preparation service. The exam is run by HARNO, and registration happens through official channels.
See the format before you pay
Create a free account and work through the tasks. If the format fits the way you learn, upgrade to the B1 plan.
Preparing for A2 instead? Read our guide to the A2 Estonian language certificate.
Questions about payment or access? Write to support@abcpilot.eu.
ABC Pilot is an independent exam preparation service run by ABC Exams OÜ, registry code 16404952, Tallinn, Estonia. We are not affiliated with HARNO or any Estonian state authority. Exam facts on this page follow HARNO’s published materials and the regulation on Estonian language level exams. For exam dates, registration, residence permits and citizenship, always check the official channels.
Questions about payment or access? Write to support@abcpilot.eu.
ABC Pilot is an independent exam preparation service run by ABC Exams OÜ, registry code 16404952, Tallinn, Estonia. We are not affiliated with HARNO or any Estonian state authority. Exam facts on this page follow HARNO’s published materials and the regulation on Estonian language level exams. For exam dates, registration, residence permits and citizenship, always check the official channels.