Language proficiency tests can help you determine whether you know a language or not. While they aren’t necessary, many people search for them as a benchmark. This post hopes to list some options of language proficiency tests around the world.
- English
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Mandarin Chinese
- Japanese
- Korean
- Arabic
- Turkish
- Hindi
- Thai
- Indonesian
- Russian
- Swedish
- Finnish
- Norwegian
- Croatian
- Greek
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
Languages and their tests for foreigners:
English Proficiency Tests:
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Cambridge English Exams (e.g., Cambridge English: Proficiency – CPE)
TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)
PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic)
(In the US, the TOEFL is the most common English test for foreigners)
Spanish Proficiency Tests:
DELE (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera)
SIELE (Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española)
CELU (Certificado de Español: Lengua y Uso)
French Proficiency Tests:
DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française)
DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française)
TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français)
TEF (Test d’Évaluation de Français)
German Proficiency Tests:
TestDaF (Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache)
Goethe-Zertifikat Exams (e.g., Goethe-Zertifikat C1, Goethe-Zertifikat B2)
Italian Proficiency Tests:
CILS (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera)
PLIDA (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri)
Portuguese Proficiency Tests:
CAPLE – Certificado de Proficiência em Língua Portuguesa para Estrangeiros
CELPE-Bras – Certificado de Proficiência em Língua Portuguesa para Estrangeiros
Test of Portuguese for Speakers of Other Languages (Teste de Português para Falantes de Outras Línguas – TPFOL)
*Note that there are differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese
(Standard/Mandarin) Chinese Proficiency Tests:
Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (汉语水平考试 – HSK)
Hanyu Shuiping Ceshi (汉语水平测试 – HSKK)
Business Chinese Test (BCT)
Test of Practical Chinese (实用汉语水平测试 – SPT)
Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL)
Youth Chinese Test (YCT)
Japanese Proficiency Tests:
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験 – JLPT)
Business Japanese Proficiency Test (ビジネス日本語能力テスト – BJPT)
Test of Practical Japanese (実用日本語検定 – J.TEST)
Test of Japanese Communication Proficiency (日本語コミュニケーション能力テスト – J-cert)
Korean Proficiency Tests:
Test of Proficiency in Korean (한국어능력시험 – TOPIK)
Test of Korean Language Proficiency (Korean Language Proficiency Test – KLPT)
Business Korean Test (비즈니스 한국어능력시험 – B-KPT)
Test for Proficiency in Korean for Overseas Koreans (재외동포한국어능력검정시험 – KPE)
EPS-TOPIK (Employment Permit System – Test of Proficiency in Korean)
Arabic Proficiency Tests:
ALPT (Arabic Language Proficiency Test)
Test of Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL)
Arabic Language Proficiency Test (APT)
The International Arabic Language Testing System (IALTS)
The Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS) Arabic Language Test
The European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages (ECL)
Turkish Proficiency Tests:
Turkish Language Proficiency Exam (Türkçe Yeterlilik Sınavı – TYS)
Turkish Proficiency Exam for Foreign Students (Yabancı Uyruklu Öğrenci Türkçe Yeterlilik Sınavı – TOMER)
Turkish Proficiency Exam for Employment Purposes (Yabancı Uyruklu Kişiler İçin Türkçe Yeterlilik Sınavı – TYSPE)
Turkish Proficiency Exam for Turkish Citizenship (Türk Vatandaşlığına Kabul İçin Yabancılar İçin Türkçe Yeterlilik Sınavı – TURKCEFF)
Hindi Proficiency Tests:
Test for Hindi Learning and Proficiency (THLP)
International Hindi Exams (Pravesika, Parichaya, Prathamik, and more)
Kendriya Hindi Sansthan Examinations
Central Hindi Directorate (CHD) (Prathamic, Madhyama, Rashtrabhasha, Praveshika, and more)
Thai Proficiency Tests:
Thai Language Proficiency Test (TLPT)
Thai Language Test for Foreigners (TLTF)
Indonesian Proficiency Tests:
Indonesian Language Proficiency Test (Uji Kemahiran Berbahasa Indonesia – UKBI)
Indonesian Language Competency Test (Tes Kompetensi Bahasa Indonesia – TKBI)
Indonesian Language Certificate (Surat Tanda Tamat Belajar Bahasa Indonesia – STTBBI)
Russian Proficiency Tests:
Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (Тест по русскому языку как иностранному – TORFL)
The Russian Language Test (РКИ)
Certificate of Russian as a Foreign Language (Сертификат русского языка как иностранного – СРЯКИ)
Russian Language State Exam (ЕГЭ по русскому языку)
Test of Russian as a Foreign Language for Professional Purposes (ТРКИ для профессиональных целей)
Swedish Proficiency Tests:
Swedish for Immigrants (Svenska för invandrare – SFI)
Swedish Test (Swedish as a Foreign Language – TISUS)
Swedish Language Test (Svenska språktest – SSL)
Test in Swedish for University Studies (Tisus – Test i svenska för universitets- och högskolestudier)
Test of Swedish as a Second Language (Test i svenska som andraspråk – TISAS)
Skolverket’s Language Tests
Finnish Proficiency Tests:
National Certificate of Language Proficiency (Valtionhallinnon kielitutkinto – YKI)
Finnish Language Certificate (Suomen kielen tutkintotodistus – S2)
Certificate of Finnish Language Proficiency for Immigrants (Kotoutujien kielitutkinto – KK)
Vocational Qualification in Finnish (Ammatillinen suomen kielen tutkinto)
Norwegian Proficiency Tests:
Norwegian Language Test (Norskprøve)
Test of Norwegian for Adult Immigrants (Prøve i norsk for voksne innvandrere – A1-A2 and B1-B2)
Bergenstesten (Test i norsk – høyere nivå)
Test in Norwegian for Higher Education (Test i norsk – høyere nivå)
Test of Norwegian – Workplace (Test i norsk – arbeidsliv)
Croatian Proficiency Tests:
Croatian Language Certificate (Potvrda o poznavanju hrvatskog jezika)
Croatian Language Exam for Foreigners (Hrvatski za strance)
Croatian Language Test for Citizenship (Hrvatski jezični ispit za stjecanje državljanstva)
Test of Croatian as a Second or Foreign Language (Test iz hrvatskog kao drugog ili stranog jezika)
Greek Proficiency Tests:
Certificate of Attainment in Greek (Πιστοποίηση Ελληνομάθειας – ΠΕΚ)
Greek Language Exam for the Certificate of Greek Language Knowledge (Γνώση της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας – Πιστοποίηση Γλωσσομάθειας)
Greek Language Certification Exams for Adults (Ενηλίκων Ελληνομάθεια – Πιστοποίηση Ενηλίκων)
Czech Proficiency Tests:
Czech Language Certificate Exam (Zkouška z českého jazyka pro trvalý pobyt)
Certificate Exam in Czech as a Foreign Language (Zkouška z českého jazyka pro cizince)
Czech Language Exam for University Admission (Zkouška z českého jazyka pro účely přijímacího řízení na české vysoké školy)
Certificate of Proficiency in Czech (Potvrzení o znalosti češtiny)
Czech Language Exam for Citizenship (Jazyková zkouška pro občanství České republiky)
Danish Proficiency Tests:
Danish Language Test (Prøve i Dansk 1, 2, and 3 – PD1, PD2, PD3)
Danish Test for Adult Foreign Language Learners (Dansk Prøve – Danskuddannelse 3 – Danskuddannelse for voksne udlændinge)
Danish Language Examination for Selective Vocational Education and Training (Danskprøve 3 – Erhvervsuddannelser – Danskuddannelse for voksne udlændinge)
Danish Language Test for Citizenship (Statsborgerskabsprøven)
Dutch Proficiency Tests:
Dutch as a Foreign Language (Nederlands als Vreemde Taal – NT2)
Civic Integration Examination (Inburgeringsexamen)
State Examination of Dutch as a Second Language (Staatsexamen Nederlands als Tweede Taal – NT2 State Exam)
Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal (CNaVT)
A Note on European CEFR Levels:
Many countries will use the European Framework (A1-C2) levels to determine proficiency. This isn’t a test, but a general set of guidelines. Some nations’ tests will follow this framework. Here’s a quick explanation of those levels:
A1-A2: This is the beginner stage, but most books don’t assume you’re at 0. It assumes you know basic vocab, which you can obtain from travel books or intro books. “A0” is not a level, but can refer to someone who is just getting started.
B1-B2: These are the intermediate levels and you will be able to have all sorts of conversations by B2. If you’re buying materials at these levels, be prepared to know 2k+ words and understand most grammar concepts.
C1-C2: These are the advanced levels. Some native speakers can’t even pass their countries’ C2 tests as they can be nitpicky on minor details. At this point books won’t be your best friend – try to get real experience by talking to people. The focus at this level is understanding social norms, jokes, word play, culture, etc.
These are just a few examples of language proficiency tests available for different languages. It’s important to research and choose the appropriate test based on your language learning goals, target proficiency level, and requirements of educational institutions or employers.