State Exam B2 BASIC​

Duration: 55 minutes
Maximum points: 30
Minimum points: 18

This section consists of 3 texts, based on which the candidate completes the assigned tasks. The texts are usually articles from Czech periodicals and media outlets such as seznam.cz, prozeny.cz, blesk.cz, etc. You must rely solely on the information provided in the text. This section assesses your ability to understand and work with written text.

MOST COMMON TASK TYPES:

• 
  Fill in the blanks with one word each.
• Determine whether the statements are true or false.
• Insert the given words into the text. Use each word only once.
• Insert the given headings into the blank spaces according to their meaning.

SCORING:

• For open-ended answers, spelling and grammar are not evaluated; accuracy and clarity are the deciding factors. No points are deducted for incorrect answers.
• A correct answer is usually awarded 0.5 points or 1 point.

Duration: 85 minutes
Maximum score: 30
Minimum score: 18

The writing section consists of two parts. In Task 1, the candidate chooses one of the two given topics and writes an essay on it. The essay on the first topic should be 230–260 words long. Task No. 2 is a fixed topic; the length is 35–40 words.

MOST COMMON TASK TYPES:

Optional topic

• informal letter
• narrative, essay, description

Mandatory topic

• advertisement
• formal letter—request, complaint, thank-you note, order

SCORING:

Optional topic – maximum points: 23

• content alignment with the prompt, coherence of the text, appropriate length
• grammatical accuracy, spelling, punctuation
• syntactic level (use of conjunctions and connecting expressions, complex sentences)
• lexical accuracy and richness
• form and style

Mandatory topic – maximum points: 7

• content alignment with the prompt, length
• grammatical and lexical accuracy and precision
• form and style

15–20 minutes

Duration: 40 minutes
Maximum score: 30
Minimum score: 18

Listening comprehension typically consists of 3 audio clips, based on which the candidate completes the assigned tasks. The texts are usually articles or interviews (dialogues) from Czech periodicals and media outlets such as seznam.cz, prozeny.cz, blesk.cz, etc. You must rely solely on the information provided in the text.

MOST COMMON TASK TYPES:

• filling in words or phrases in the text
• determining whether the given statements are true or false
• selecting the correct answer from the options

SCORING:

• Each correct answer is usually awarded 1 point. An incorrect answer or providing more than one answer for a single item is scored as 0 points.
• Grammar and spelling errors are not penalized unless they interfere with the clarity of the answer.

Duration: 55 minutes
Maximum score: 30
Minimum score: 18

The grammar and vocabulary test typically consists of 10 tasks and assesses the practical use of Czech and the ability to apply grammar and vocabulary in context.

MOST COMMON TASK TYPES:

• filling in words in a text based on meaning (conjunctions, prepositions, word forms)
• declension of nouns and pronouns, correct case endings
• forming compound sentences (especially the conditional mood)
• finding and correcting errors in a text
• verb forms (future tense, imperative mood, aspect)
• comparison and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs
• distinguishing between words with similar meanings

SCORING:

• Each task has different grading criteria. In some cases, the entire form must be correct; in others, a minor error is tolerated.
• Scores range on a scale of 1 – 0.5 – 0.25 – 0 points.