Čeština pro cizince - Instructions for the applicant

Instructions for the applicant

Instructions for the APPLICANT for the Examination of the Czech Language for Permanent Residence in the CR as of 1 July 2010

BEFORE THE EXAMINATION

A) Centrally Set Dates

The examination of the Czech language shall take place on the entire territory of the Czech Republic every Wednesday and further every second Saturday of the month (unless this day is a bank holiday). The applicant who applies for an examination without the Voucher of the Ministry of the Interior or Confirmation of Having Failed the Examination shall be able to sit the examination only twice a year on a spring and autumn date, namely on the Saturday of testing between March and May or between September and November according to the conditions set by the school.

B) Who Can Apply for the Examination

Applicants who request a Permit for Permanent Residence in the CR are given preference in enrolling for the examination. They must submit these documents:

a) Voucher issued by the Ministry of the Interior for a free examination

or

b) Confirmation of Having Failed the Examination, which the applicant received from the school on the day he/she failed the examination.

The applicant who does not have either document listed in point a) or b) may apply only for the spring or autumn date. The specific Saturday when the examination will take place is set by the school.

C) When, Where and How to Apply for the Examination

The applicant may apply for the examination in schools where examinations take place in person, by telephone, by fax or by email. The information on these schools and their contact information can be found on this website (or at www.check-your-czech.com). The information on the schools that implement the examination is also provided by the employees of the regional workplaces of the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior (www.mvcr.cz), where the applicant can pick up a Voucher for the examination.

The applicant applies for the examination in the selected school and provides the school with the following data: first name and surname, date of birth, place of birth, citizenship and the number of his/her travel documents. The applicant also submits the Confirmation of Having Failed the Examination if repeating the examination. Should the applicant not apply in person, he/she must send a photocopy of the Voucher or Confirmation of Having Failed the Examination by post, fax or email. In such cases, the applicant must submit the originals of these documents again to be checked on the day of the examination.

Based on the check of these documents, the employee of the school announces the date of the examination to the applicant. The school sets the date according to its specific conditions and the applicant must respect the date set. The school may but does not have to respect the desire of the applicant.

D) Fees for the Examination

If the applicant submits the Voucher for a Free Examination of the Czech Language, he/she has the right to one examination at no charge. If the applicant repeats the examination, he/she must pay a fee for the examination of 1,500 CZK. This fee is always paid before the examination.

E) New Type of Tests

The examination of Czech for Permanent Residence in the CR comprises a written and oral part. The written part tests reading comprehension, listening comprehension and writing and takes a total of seventy minutes. In the written part, the applicant needs to gain a minimum of thirty-six of thesixty possible points to pass.

If the applicant successfully passes the written part, he/she still has to sit the oral part, which tests speaking and lasts ten minutes. The applicant needs to gain a minimum of twelve of the twenty possible points.

Sample examinations can be found by the applicant on this website (or at www.check-your-czech.com). A printed model version of the examination is available at the schools, the regional workplaces of the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior (www.mvcr.cz) and the Foreign Nationals Integration Support Centres. There is also a new handbook Prepare with Us for the Examination of the Czech Language for Permanent Residence in the CR for applicants for the examination. There is more information on the handbook in the section Handbook.

ON THE DAY OF THE EXAMINATION

Upon registration, the applicant must submit his/her travel document and the original of the Voucher or Confirmation of Having Failed the Examination.
An applicant who arrives late to the examination cannot sit the examination on the given day; he/she must subsequently negotiate another date with the school.
Upon entry of the testing room for the written and oral examinations, the applicant shall receive a tag with a number code. The examiners will only know the number of the applicant; they will not know his/her name or other personal data.
After entry of the testing room, the examiner will take the applicant to his/her place. The applicant will place his/her travel document and tag with the number on the desk. Both of these things shall lie on the desk for the entire period of the examination.
The applicant must always turn off his/her mobile telephone in the testing room.
The applicant places aside his/her bags, books, dictionaries, notebooks, recording devices, mobile phone and other things so that they are in a place that everyone can see but are not close to the applicant.
During the written examination, the applicant may not leave the room; we therefore recommend going to the restroom before the beginning of the written part of the test.
The applicant may enter the testing room only upon the instructions of an employee of the school.
After the written part of the examination has finished, the applicant submits all of the components of the examination (i.e. the answer sheets and the instructions) and the tag with the code.
During the written examination, the applicant will receive information on when and where he/she will be familiarised with the results of the written examination.
An applicant who has failed the written examination may repeat the examination up to four times in a row. He/she must pay for each subsequent examination. If the applicant fails the examination, he/she shall always receive a Confirmation of Having Failed the Examination from an employee of the school. This Confirmation must be submitted in the application for another examination. Should he/she not submit this Confirmation, he/she must wait a longer period for the examination, often up to six months.
An applicant who has successfully passed the written part will draw for the order in the oral examination. Applicants with health problems and pregnant or nursing women will be given preference in sitting the oral examination.
After the draw, the employees of the school inform the applicants of the time and place of the oral examination. The applicant shall arrive for the oral examination on time according to the time set.
Before entry of the room where the oral examination will take place, the applicant presents his/her travel document and again receives a number code.
After finishing the examination, the applicant shall await the results.

AFTER THE EXAMINATION

The applicant, who has successfully passed the oral part of the examination shall receive a Certificate Proving the Knowledge of the Czech Language.
The applicant who fails the oral part of the examination may repeat the examination up to four times in a row. He must pay for each subsequent examination. Should the applicant fail the examination, he/she will receive a Confirmation of Having Failed the Examination from an employee of the school.
If the applicant wants to take a revision examination at the same school, we recommend that he/she register for the next available date immediately, as soon as he/she receives the Confirmation of Having Failed the Examination.
We warn all applicants for the examination that based on the codex of testing it is not possible to look personally into the documentation on the examination, i.e. in the examination given and the answer sheets!