The Polish C1 exam: what it looks like and how it differs from B2
Published 28 October 2026
The state Polish exam at C1 has the same parts as B2 — listening, reading, grammar, writing and the oral — and the same bar: 60% of the points in each. It differs in the level of the texts and in a longer oral part: up to 20 minutes rather than 15. C1 does not run at every sitting: the next ones are 10 April 2027 and 27 November 2027.
In short
- The C1 written part lasts up to 250 minutes — the same as B2; the oral up to 20 minutes, against 15 at B2.
- You pass with at least 60% of the points in every part — the four written modules and the oral. B2 and C2 work the same way.
- The Commission publishes 7 C1 papers from the 2021–2024 sittings for free. The next adult C1 sittings: 10 April 2027 and 27 November 2027.
What does the C1 exam look like?
| What | B2 | C1 |
|---|---|---|
| Written part | up to 250 minutes | up to 250 minutes |
| Written modules | listening, reading, grammar, writing | the same four |
| Oral part | up to 15 minutes | up to 20 minutes |
| Pass mark | 60% in every part | 60% in every part |
The minutes for each module are printed on the paper; the regulation gives only the written part's total. The oral comes after the written part, the same day or the next.
How many points do you need?
At least 60% in each written module and in the oral (§23 of the regulation). It is not an average: strong reading does not make up for weaker grammar, and one part below the bar means the whole exam again — what then is in one part below the bar.
When can you sit C1?
Not at every sitting. The state exam has several sittings a year and each covers different levels. In the Commission's calendar the next adult C1 sittings are 10 April 2027 and 27 November 2027. Calendar read on 19.09.2026; you register with a centre, not the Commission. Every sitting at every level: exam dates.
Where are the C1 sample tests?
On the Commission's site, under past exam papers: 7 C1 papers from the 2021–2024 sittings and 3 at C2 (as of 28.10.2026). They are real sittings' papers. How to use them, and what they cannot do: exam papers.
Our library has no C1 papers — it holds B1 and B2. This post describes the exam; you cannot practise it here.
Do you need C1 for citizenship?
No. The Citizenship Act asks for a state certificate at B1 or above. C1 is proposed by one of the amending bills in the Sejm (print 1888), which, like the other two, has not passed; the detail is in Polish citizenship: the requirements.