Estonian level test: should you sit A2 or B1?
Twelve short questions in Estonian. Five minutes, no sign-up, no email. At the end we tell you which level to start from and which exam to book.
This is not the state exam and it does not produce a certificate. It shows where you are now, so you do not spend three months on A2 when the residence permit you are applying for needs B1.
1. Lähen homme ___ ja ostan leiba.
2. Ma elan ___ .
3. Rong väljub kell 14.35. Kuidas öelda see aeg sõnadega?
4. Kohtume homme ___ 12.
5. Ma ei ___ homme Tallinna.
6. Kohv maksab 3 eurot ja saiake 5 eurot. Kui palju maksavad need kokku?
7. Ilm oli väga halb, ___ jäime koju.
8. Poes on silt: „Pood on 24. detsembril suletud. Ostetud kauba saab tagastada 14 päeva jooksul.“ Mida see tähendab?
9. Ma helistan sulle ___, kui koosolek lõpeb.
10. Kinkekaardil on 20 eurot. Ostate toote, mis maksab 20 eurot. Kui palju raha jääb kaardile?
11. Mind ei ___ see film, ma ei vaata seda.
12. Me ___ kinno, kuigi ilm oli halb.
This is an orientation test, not the HARNO state exam. The 25% discount with code EXAM25 applies to new subscriptions.
Your requirement decides the level
What you need depends on why you want the certificate. Check your own situation before choosing a level.
Extending a temporary residence permit, and some jobs, require A2.
Long-term residence and citizenship require B1.
If the law asks for B1 and this test says A2, plan for B1 and allow more time.
What actually separates A2 from B1
Vocabulary size is the wrong measure. A2 covers everyday situations: buying something, asking for directions, agreeing a time, understanding a short notice on a door. B1 means connected speech: retelling a news item, explaining an opinion, reading a text with unknown words and still getting the point.
The written part shows the gap most clearly. A2 asks for a message of about 30 words. B1 asks for an essay where you take a position and defend it. The speaking part follows the same line: at A2 you answer simple questions, at B1 you talk for two or three minutes on a topic.
How the twelve questions work
Six tasks at A2 level and six at B1, all in Estonian. One correct answer out of three. Guessing will not help much: the options differ in grammatical form and in the order of events.
The recommendation is driven by the B1 block. It tells you whether the basic exam is now beneath you: solve more than half of those six and A2 stops being the right target.
What your result means
Four or more correct in the B1 block. You are ready for B1 in terms of language. What is left is format. The exam tests timing as much as knowledge, so practise against a clock, not in a textbook.
Two or three correct in the B1 block. You are in between. Start at A2 but do not linger: from this base, B1 usually takes two to three months at 30–40 minutes a day.
Zero or one correct in the B1 block. Start at A2. That is not a setback. A2 is the level most people actually need, and it is the easier exam to pass. From scratch it usually takes three months or more.
What preparation costs at your level
A2 is €29 a month, B1 is €49 a month. With code EXAM25 that becomes €21.75 and €36.75, and the discount stays for the whole subscription, for new subscriptions. You can cancel whenever you like and keep access until the paid month ends.
Inside you get exam-format tasks for every part: listening, reading, writing and speaking with feedback. Written answers are checked automatically, so you can see which marks were lost.
Questions people ask
Is this the official exam? No. It is a twelve-question orientation test. The official exam is run by HARNO and has four parts this page does not: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
How long does it take? Five to seven minutes. If one question holds you up for more than a minute, pick an answer and move on. Otherwise you measure stubbornness, not Estonian.
Can I take it again? As often as you like. The questions do not change, so a second attempt measures memory more than progress.
I speak no Estonian at all. Which level? A2. The first few tasks can be solved with everyday logic, and that is a normal place to start.