Basing on the Art.51, part 1 of the Language Act (ПАЭ, 1995, 17/18, 334; 1996, 31/32, 739; 35, 773; 1997, 54, 1110; RT I, 1998, 98/99, 1618; ПАЭ, 1999, 2, 1; 15, 275) the Minister of Education decides:

1. To assert the Procedure of conducting the language proficiency exam in order to define the level of proficiency (added).
2. To recognize non-valid the decision of the Minister of Culture and education from 9 July 1993, Nr. 10 On Organizing the Estonian Language Training for the Language Non-proficient Grownup Population (RTL, 1993, 16, p. 438)

The Minister of Education Tхnis Lukas
Chancellor Peep Ratas

1. General provisions

1. The present Order establishes the procedure of registering for the exam conducted in order to define the Estonian language proficiency (further – Exam), the procedure of the exam and also the exam for the people with special needs, appraising and making official the results of the exam, solving the applications, complains and particular opinions.
2. The exams are brought by the State Exam and Qualification Centre (SEQC). (The decision of the Minister of education from 5 April 2002 Nr. 30, in force from 14 April 2002)
3. The proposals for improvement of the procedure and development of the exam system can be made to the Minister of Education by the counseling commission of the Minister.
4. Within the exam 4 skills are checked:

1. Listening and understanding;
2. Reading and understanding;
3. Writing skills;
4. Spoken language.

1. The Lowest level;
2. The Medium level;
3. The Highest level.

7. The stuff of the State Examining Commissions (further-Examining Commission) is approved by the Minister of Education by his decision.
8. The Stuff of the Examining Commission includes 2 examiners one of whom is the chairman of the commission.
9. The examiner is a philologist, who has at least a graduate degree.
10. The work of the examiners is paid in the correspondence with the amount of people been examined. The travel expenses are compensated in an order decided by the Government of the Republic.
11. The educating and qualification promotion of the examiners is organized by the SEQC. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)

12. 12. The tests are provided by SEQC. The form of the test in which the structure, types, amount of the assignments and estimated for their fulfillment time is published as an example. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
13. The SEQC provides the development of a new test for each coming exam. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
14. The SEQC is responsible for the exam materials. The compilers of the tests, examiners and others related according to their office to the tests are obliged to keep the assignments and tests in secret. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)

15. The registration for the exam is held in the publicly announced centers. Persons registering for the exam must submit:

• the completed application form;
• the copy of valid ID
• the document certifying the lack of eye vision, hearing, speech or physical abilities (further – person with the special needs)

16. It is possible to register only for one exam at the same time. The repetition exam can be taken only in tree months after the first exam had been taken. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
17. When registering for the exam the applicant is given a note providing the information about the organization of the exam and pre-exam consultations.
18. Within 30 days since the registration the SEQC in written form provides the person registered with the information about the date, time and place of the exam. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)

19. The Exam is held once a month, on the same days in all the centers.
20. The Exam is held only in those centers where at least 10 people had registered. If during the months less than 10 people had registered the exam doesn't take place in this center but the SEQC proposes the applicants to take the exam in the nearest center. The maximum amount of the group at an exam is 18 persons. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
21. The SEQC prepares the examination material sets and organizes their delivery to the examination center. The set consists of:

• the accompanying letter about passing the exam works to the contact person at the examining centre;
• the accompanying letter about passing the exam works to the SEQC;
• the version of the test in a sealed envelope;
• the form of the protocols about the procedure of the exam;
• the form of the protocols about passing the exam works;
• the form of the protocol on apprising the exam (about the written and spoken part);
• the envelope for returning the exam works;
• the envelope for returning the protocols.

25. The exam is appraised by the examining commission according to the instruction approved by the decision of the SEQC Principle. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
26. The exam is passed in the case if the person examined has fulfilled 60 % of the possible amount.
27. The results of the exam are made official by the examining commission in the exam protocols (further – protocol).
28. The protocols are signed by the Chair-man and the member of the examining commission. The particular opinion of the examining commission member is marked in the protocol.
29. The results of the exam are told to the ones taking the exams within 30 days starting from the date of the exam. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
30. After appraising the works the Examining commission sends the exam materials to the SEQC. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
31. The persons who had passed receive the certificate of language proficiency issued by the SEQC and based on the exam protocol. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
32. Is not valid. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
33. The certificated is given to the person who has to put his signature.
34. The exam materials are archived in the SEQC for 5 years. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)

35. When checking the language proficiency from the ones with the special needs it is allowed to:

1. Persons with the special needs are allowed to take the exam on the dates different from the others;
2. To free the persons with the special needs from the assignments which they can not fulfill due to their deficiency.

37. The person can complain to the principle of the SEQC on the work of the examining commission and dispute the result of his taken exam within 10 days since receiving the results of the exam. (The decision of the Minister of Education from 5 July 2002, Nr. 30, in force from 14 July 2002.)
38. The complains and particular opinions are decided in the Commission of Appeal.
39. The stuff and the procedure of work of the Commission of Appeal are decided by the order of the Minister of Education.
40. The Commission of Appeal examines the submitted complains and particular opinions and informs the person complaining or the person having the particular opinion about its decision within 30 days starting from the day the complain or the particular opinion had been received.

Sourse: Unofficial translation