B1 bez stresu · All guides

Polish B1 exam: questions and answers

As of 26 October 2026

Here are the practical questions people ask before and after the B1 exam: when you get your result, how long the certificate takes, what happens if you fail one part, what to bring and what to do if you lose your certificate. The answers are based on the ustawa o języku polskim (Polish Language Act), the regulation of 14 February 2025 on exams in Polish as a foreign language, and certyfikatpolski.pl. The 2025 regulation applies until 31 December 2026. From 2027, details such as registration and result deadlines will be set by a new regulation, which we had not found in the Dziennik Ustaw (Journal of Laws) as of 26 October 2026, so check these deadlines with your centre. Where the Act changes on 1 January 2027, we say so separately.

When will I get my B1 exam result?

Your result comes in writing from the exam centre where you took the exam. The centre has 3 days to send it, counted from the day the exam board hands it the exam report.

The rules don't say how many days after the exam the board has to hand over the report, so ask your centre for a rough timeline. Your result is shown as a percentage in the supplement (suplement) to the certificate.

How long does it take to get the B1 certificate after passing?

The Państwowa Komisja (State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language) issues the certificate within 30 days of receiving the exam report and attachments, and sends it to the centre. The centre must then pass it on to you without delay.

Until the end of 2026, the fee for issuing the certificate is the equivalent of EUR 20. From 1 January 2027 the certificate will cost 100 zł, payable to the centre within 7 days of being told you passed. The Commission then sends the certificate to the centre within 30 days of the centre transferring the certificate fee.

If you need the certificate for an application at a government office, book the exam well ahead of time.

Can I see my exam paper afterwards?

Yes. Within 21 days of receiving your result you can ask the centre to let you see a copy of your exam paper, and the centre has to arrange it.

If you disagree with the marking of the written part, you can apply to the State Commission for a re-mark within the same 21 days. The certificate is not issued until that request has been decided. The re-mark costs EUR 20 (or the equivalent in złoty) now, and from 1 January 2027 it will cost 20% of the maximum fee for that exam.

What happens if I fail one part of the exam?

At B1 for adults you need at least 50% of the points in each module of the written part and in the oral part. If you fall short in a single part, even by one point, you fail the whole exam, however good your total score is.

Neither the Act nor the regulation provides for carrying over a part you passed to a later session. If you want to be sure how this works when you register again, ask your centre.

How soon and how many times can I retake the exam?

According to the State Commission, there is no waiting period after a failed exam. You can sign up for the very next session. The rules don't limit the number of attempts either.

You pay the centre separately for each attempt. Before you sign up again, look at which part went worst and practise it under time pressure, for example with the timed mock exam in the B1 bez stresu app.

Does the B1 certificate expire?

No. The State Commission says the certificate is valid indefinitely. So you can take the exam early, before you meet the other requirements for a residence card or citizenship.

I've lost my certificate. Can I get a duplicate?

From 1 January 2027 the Polish Language Act covers this explicitly. If your certificate is destroyed or lost, you can apply for a duplicate within 25 years of receiving it.

• You apply to the State Commission through NAWA (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange), online or on paper.
• The Commission decides within 60 days.
• The duplicate costs 100 zł, paid into NAWA's account within 7 days of being told your application was approved.
• NAWA sends the duplicate within 7 days of receiving the payment.

The rules in force until the end of 2026 don't describe a duplicate procedure. If you've lost your certificate now, call the Commission's office: +48 22 390 35 37 (Monday 13:00-15:00, Tuesday to Friday 9:00-11:00).

What ID do I need to bring to the exam?

You need an identity document with a photo. Before the exam starts, the chair of the exam board checks everyone's identity.

The centre has to state exactly which document it accepts, on its website and at its premises, within 14 days of the session schedule being announced. Check this before exam day.

Can I use a dictionary during the exam?

No. You may not bring any reference materials into the exam room, or any device that can send, receive or record information. So a dictionary app on your phone is out too.

If a candidate brings such materials or devices in, the chair stops the exam for that person and cancels it. From 1 January 2027 the Act states plainly that a cancelled exam counts as a fail.

Is the oral exam on the same day as the written exam?

The oral part takes place after the written part, either on the same day or the next day. Your centre gives the exact time in its schedule.

At B1 the oral part lasts no more than 15 minutes. You draw one set of tasks.

What is the deadline to register for the exam?

Under the regulation in force until the end of 2026, the centre must enter you in the State Commission's database no later than one month before the exam. That means you have to sign up more than a month before the exam. Each centre sets its own registration and payment deadline, so don't leave it until the last minute.

What if I get sick or can't make it to the exam?

The rules don't cover refunds when a candidate doesn't show up, for example because of illness. Cancellation and refund rules are set out in the centre's terms and conditions, so read them before you pay.

The Act provides for refunds in two situations: when the centre withdraws from running the exam, and when the exam doesn't take place for reasons the centre isn't responsible for.

You have to arrive on time, as set out in the schedule. The Commission doesn't say what happens if you're late, so ask your centre.

Can I withdraw in the middle of the exam?

Yes. Just tell the chair of the exam board. This is noted on your exam paper and added to the exam records.

Can a person with a disability take the exam with adjustments?

Yes. Under the regulation, the centre must provide people with disabilities, depending on the type of disability, with:

• access to the room where the exam is held,
• extra lighting in the room,
• enough space to sit down comfortably at a desk,
• a desk suitable for a wheelchair user.

From 1 January 2027, assistants of people with disabilities or special needs will be allowed in the exam room. A person with an orzeczenie o niepełnosprawności (official disability certificate) due to a hearing or speech impairment that makes the oral part impossible will be exempt from it, and the result will be based on the written part. Tell the centre about your needs when you register.

Can I take the B1 exam outside Poland?

Yes, although there aren't many centres abroad. The list of authorised institutions (as of 1 October 2026) includes centres in Ukraine (Lviv, Lutsk, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv), Italy (Turin), the UK (London) and Germany (KoKoPol).

Being authorised doesn't mean a centre runs the exam in every session. Before each session, check the list of centres on certyfikatpolski.pl.

How old do you have to be to take the adult B1 exam?

According to the State Commission, the adult exam is for people who are 18 or older on the day of the exam. The children and young people's exam is for those aged 14-17. The exam is open to foreigners and to Polish citizens who live permanently abroad.

From 1 January 2027 the Act splits candidates differently: people who are 16 or older on the day of the exam (levels A1-C2) and younger candidates (levels A1-B2).

Information as of 26 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Your exam centre confirms the practical details, and the urząd wojewódzki (provincial office) confirms the requirements for your residence or citizenship case.