Polish exam day: what to bring and what is not allowed — telc and the state exam
Published 3 October 2026
For both exams, bring photo ID. Beyond that the rules part ways: the state exam forbids writing in pencil and using correction fluid, while telc explicitly allows pencils, an eraser and a sharpener. Your phone, watch and notes stay outside the room at both.
In short
- Both exams: photo ID; phone, dictionaries and notes stay outside the room.
- State exam: no pencil and no correction fluid, in one at a time by the list, a break of at least 10 minutes between modules.
- telc: pencils, pens, an eraser, a sharpener, a drink in a clear bottle with no label; arriving after the announcements have begun excludes you.
What to take into the room
- ✓ photo ID
- ✓ a pen
- ✕ your phone and any device that records or sends information
- ✕ dictionaries, notes
- ✕ pencil and correction fluid — not to be used
- ✓ photo ID
- ✓ pencils, pens, a sharpener, an eraser
- ✓ a drink in a clear bottle with no label
- ✓ tissues
- ✕ jacket, bag, phone, watch — handed in before the exam
- ✕ dictionaries, textbooks, notes
The state exam: what to know before you go in?
- ID. The Commission requires photo ID, shown at the door. Which document your centre accepts, it must announce on its website (§3 of the regulation).
- Punctuality. Candidates go in one at a time, at the set hour, in the order of the list.
- What to write with. The Commission's guidance: no pencil and no correction fluid. Bring a pen — two, better.
- What not to bring. Aids and any device that sends, receives or records information (§12(2)). Bringing one in means the exam is stopped and annulled (§19).
- During the exam. You may not talk to other candidates, and the board does not explain tasks (§13). You sign the paper (§15).
How the day runs
The written part takes up to 190 minutes at B1 and up to 250 at B2, in modules. Between modules there is a break of at least 10 minutes, during which you leave the room (§16). Finish a module early and you hand in and leave. The oral comes after the written part — the same day or the next (§17).
telc: what do the regulations say?
- ID. Before the exam you show a valid official identity document with a photo (§4).
- Lateness. Anyone arriving after the announcements have begun is excluded from the exam (§4).
- What you may bring: pencils, pens, a sharpener and an eraser; a drink only in a clear bottle with no label; tissues (§5).
- What you hand in before the exam: jacket, bag, phone, watch and anything else not on that list. Dictionaries, textbooks and notes are not allowed, nor are smart watches or glasses that can record (§5).
- Answers go on the answer sheet — nothing written in the test booklet is marked (§4).
How the day runs
The written part is 115 minutes without a break. The oral is in pairs, after preparation. If the parts fall on different days, telc allows no more than 7 days between them.
What to watch if you are preparing for both?
| State exam | telc | |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID | yes | yes |
| Pencil | not to write with | allowed |
| Correction fluid / eraser | no correction fluid | eraser allowed |
| Drink | the Commission's guidance is silent | clear bottle, no label |
| Lateness | punctuality required | after announcements begin — excluded |
| Breaks in the written part | at least 10 min between modules | no break |
| Oral | same or next day | at most 7 days after the written |
A centre's own requirements may go further than the rules — the time to arrive, a cloakroom. Read what the centre sends after you register.
How the listening runs in both exams: how many times the recording plays. When the sittings are: dates.