The exam happens in a single day. The written papers come first — listening, reading and writing — and the speaking test follows immediately after. You do not sit the speaking test alone with an examiner: it is paired with another candidate. You talk about yourself, answer the examiner’s questions, then run a role-play with your partner. The conversation is recorded.
Verified 11 August 2026 against the Centre for the Greek Language. The exact length of each paper is published per level under Δομή εξεταστικών δοκιμασιών — check the document for your own level before the exam.
Four skills, one day
At A1, A2 and B1 the exam tests four skills:
- κατανόηση προφορικού λόγου — listening;
- κατανόηση γραπτού λόγου — reading;
- παραγωγή γραπτού λόγου — writing;
- παραγωγή προφορικού λόγου — speaking.
All four are sat on the same day in a fixed order: the written papers first, then the speaking test immediately after them. There is no separate speaking day and no option to move it.
Your venue and time come from the examination centre, using the contact details on your application. In Cyprus there is only one centre — the Examination Service of the Ministry of Education in Nicosia.
Inside the written papers
Listening is built from recordings: short stories, dialogues, announcements. The tasks are not retelling but selection — match pictures to what you heard, put events in order, fill in a table, choose one answer from several.
Reading works the same way, and at the lower levels uses everyday text: notices, travel adverts, notes, event programmes. Same task types — matching, ordering, tables, multiple choice.
Writing is the only paper where you produce text from nothing. At A2 and B1 that means short connected pieces in a formal or friendly register: say what happened, ask for something, give a view on a familiar topic.
The speaking test is paired
This is the part that catches out anyone who prepared alone. At A2 the speaking test lasts 12 minutes and is examined in pairs — you and another candidate together.
Three things happen inside those minutes:
- you talk about yourself;
- you answer the examiner’s questions;
- you run a role-play with your partner — so you are speaking not to the examiner but to another candidate whose Greek you are hearing for the first time.
The conversation is recorded. Your mark comes from a recording that can be replayed, not from an impression formed in the room.
The practical consequence is simple: what needs practice is dialogue with unpredictable replies, not a monologue. A rehearsed self-introduction does nothing for three minutes of role-play.
‘A2’ and ‘A2 for professional purposes’ are different exams
This one is easy to get wrong at registration. Ελληνομάθεια has two A2s:
| A2 (Basic Knowledge) | A2 for professional purposes | |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | yes | yes, 25 minutes |
| Reading | yes | yes, 30 minutes |
| Writing | yes | not examined at all |
| Speaking | yes | yes, 12 minutes, paired |
In the professional-purposes version there is no writing paper: the rules state it outright — «Οι υποψήφιοι δεν εξετάζονται στην παραγωγή γραπτού λόγου», candidates are not examined on written production. It is a different exam and a different certificate, not an easier A2.
Before you apply, check which level your requirement actually names, and register for that one.
How it is marked
Each skill is marked separately. Strong reading does not make up for a blank writing paper: you are assessed on four scales, not one average.
That is the whole logic of preparing. If you read comfortably but freeze when you speak, your result is decided by the speaking test, and that is where the hours belong. It is why GreekBrain reports your weakest of the four skills rather than the average — an average hides exactly the part that fails people.
What to work on
- Speaking. Dialogue with unpredictable replies, not a memorised monologue. The app’s live voice role-plays are shaped like the paired task.
- Writing. Text that comes back marked: not “not bad”, but which spans are wrong and what register was missing.
- Listening and reading. The task formats themselves — matching, ordering, tables, multiple choice — rather than vague “listen to podcasts”.
- Vocabulary and grammar. Not a paper of their own; the material all four papers are built from.
Next: levels and upcoming dates, when results come out.
FAQ
How long does the Greek language exam take?
All four papers are sat in one day: the written ones first, then the speaking test immediately after. Each paper’s length differs by level and is published per level by the Centre for the Greek Language. At A2 for professional purposes, listening runs 25 minutes, reading 30 minutes and speaking 12 minutes.
Is the speaking test one-to-one with an examiner?
No. It is sat in a pair with another candidate. You talk about yourself, answer the examiner’s questions and run a role-play with your partner. The conversation is recorded.
What order do the papers come in?
Written papers first, then speaking — held immediately afterwards, the same day. There is no separate date for the oral.
Can I fail one paper and still pass overall?
Each skill is marked separately, so one failed paper is not offset by the others. The exact marking criteria are published by the Centre for the Greek Language in the exam-structure documents for each level — check the one for your level before the exam.
How is ‘A2 for professional purposes’ different from ordinary A2?
It is a separate exam with no writing paper at all: listening, reading and speaking only, leading to a different certificate. Make sure you register for the level your requirement actually names.
How will I know where and when to turn up?
The examination centre contacts you using the details on your application. In Cyprus there is a single Ελληνομάθεια centre — the Examination Service of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth in Nicosia.