B1 exam – fees and registration at an exam centre

The state exam fee until 31 December 2026

Until the end of 2026, the Act sets maximum fees in euro, separately for each level and group. A centre may charge less, but not more – so the amounts in zloty differ between centres and depend on the euro exchange rate. We describe how the whole exam works in the guide to the B1 exam.

The Act also lists a fee of €20 for issuing a certificate – it applies to a certificate issued without an exam, on the basis of a diploma or school-leaving certificate (check who is entitled to a certificate without an exam). If a centre quotes a price clearly higher than the equivalent of €150 for B1, ask what it includes.

The state fee from 1 January 2027

From 2027, the limit is no longer given in euro but as a percentage of the average salary for the third quarter of the year preceding the exam. The names of the groups also change: instead of "adults" and "children and young people", there are people aged 16 and over and people under 16.

On top of this comes PLN 100 for issuing the certificate – after you pass the exam, this is a separate fee that you pay to the centre within 7 days of being informed that you passed. The limit for the 2027 sessions can be calculated only after the average salary for the third quarter of 2026 is announced; we will add it here. Applications to the State Commission, for example for a certificate without an exam, for a duplicate or for a re-check of the written part, are submitted through NAWA. See what else is changing in the exam.

The exam fee and the cost of a course are two different things

You pay the exam fee to the exam centre, not to a language school – and you pay it whether you prepare on your own or on a course. Pol-Langua is not an exam centre and does not charge fees for the state exam.

At Pol-Langua you prepare for B1 on an online B1 course – in a group of up to 5 people or one-to-one – and check that you are ready at a mock exam with assessment of writing and speaking. We choose the scope of the course after a trial lesson with a level diagnosis.

Registering for the exam step by step

Registration takes place at the exam centre of your choice – there is no single central form for all candidates. The steps are as follows:

1. Choose a session. Check in the exam calendar whether the session that suits you includes level B1.
2. Find a centre. The list of centres for a given session appears on certyfikatpolski.pl, usually about two months before the exam.
3. Check the centre's conditions. Within 14 days of the announcement of the session schedule, the centre publishes the exam date and the type of identity document you must show at the exam.
4. Apply and pay. You give the centre your details, indicate the exam date and level, and pay the fee according to the centre's rules.
5. Watch the deadline. The centre must enter you in the State Commission's database no later than a month before the exam, so registration closes earlier than the session itself.
6. Bring your document. On the day of the exam, the board checks your identity before the written part begins.

Example: the registration deadline for the session on 5–6 December 2026

The regulations give a simple calculation backwards from the exam date. The centre must register you in the State Commission's database no later than a month before the exam, so for the session on 5–6 December 2026, registration at the centres must close at the beginning of November 2026 at the latest – and in practice often earlier, because the centre needs time for payments and formalities.

What to ask the centre before registering

Centres differ in price, registration deadline and the organisation of the oral part, so it is worth asking a few questions before you pay:

• How much is the fee and by when must it be paid?
• Which identity document should I bring – a passport, a residence card or another?
• When is the oral part – on the day of the written part or the next day – and at what time?
• How will the centre notify me of the result, and how do I collect the certificate? (Read how this works after the exam.)

Tip: at popular centres, places run out quickly. Arrange your study plan so that you can register as soon as the list of centres is published, rather than waiting until you are "sure" you will manage to prepare. If you are not sure you will be ready in time, book a trial lesson – we will assess your level and draw up a plan for the session you choose.