The Greek language certificate (Ellinomatheia): six levels, 60% in every skill, and what it costs
The Ellinomatheia certificate (Πιστοποίηση Επάρκειας της Ελληνομάθειας) is the Greek state's certificate of Greek as a foreign language, issued by the Centre for the Greek Language (ΚΕΓ) in Thessaloniki. It has six levels, A1 to C2, matched to the European framework, and one rule above all: you must reach 60% in every skill. Fail one skill and you fail the level.
Everything below was read on 17 October 2026 on greek-language.gr: the exam dates and fees page (updated 10 July 2026), the page on what the certificate is for, the exam structure tables and the Centre's exam guide (2022 edition). Greece's separate citizenship exam, the ΠΕΓΠ, is a different test with its own rules; it is in our ΠΕΓΠ guide.
The pass rule: 60% in each skill, separately
A1 to B1 test four skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking, 25% each. B2, C1 and C2 add a fifth, use of language, and each of the five is worth 20%.
To be certified you must score at least 60% in every skill. The Centre's guide is explicit: if you fail even one skill, you fail overall. Your result shows pass or fail for each skill, so you know which one to work on.
A pass is graded Καλώς (good), Λίαν καλώς (very good) or Άριστα (excellent), not with a number.
What the B1 exam looks like
Reading: 4 tasks in 40 minutes. Listening: 2 tasks in 25 minutes, from a recording. Writing: 2 parts in 55 minutes. Speaking: 12 minutes, two candidates in front of two examiners.
Our reading of the arithmetic: with four skills at 25% each, a B1 candidate needs 15 of 25 in each one. A strong reading score cannot carry weak speaking.
Higher levels take longer. Writing is 85 minutes at B2 and 115 minutes at C2, and the use-of-language paper is 30 minutes at B2 to C2.
Dates and fees
The main sitting is in May, in Greece and abroad. For May 2027, the written exams are on 11, 12 and 13 May, with speaking straight after, and registration runs from 1 February to 14 March 2027. The fee is €90 for A1, A2 and B1, and €100 for B2, C1 and C2.
An extra October sitting runs only in Greece, for B1 and A2 for professional purposes. In 2026 it falls on 23 October, with registration from 1 to 15 September.
In Cyprus the exams run through the Ministry of Education's examinations service, which announces its own dates.
Detailed results reach exam centres in the second half of July, and certificates by the end of September. Within two months of the results you can ask for a re-mark, for a €60 fee.
What the certificate is used for
The Centre lists the uses itself. B1 counts as proof of Greek for long-term resident status under article 107 of Law 4251/2014. B2 lets a non-Greek apply to a Greek university. C1 lets an EU citizen prove very good Greek for a public-sector post. Many professions in Greece also ask for a level.
In the United States, the certificate counts towards the Seal of Biliteracy in states including New York, Illinois, California, Ohio, Virginia and New Jersey.
How many sit it: the Centre's own table shows 8,769 candidates in 2024 at 144 exam centres, up from 3,692 in 2020.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Banking on a high total to cover one weak skill.
Preparing every skill to at least 60%.
The Centre's guide says a fail in a single skill is a fail overall.
Taking the Ellinomatheia B1 for Greek citizenship.
Checking which exam the route asks for.
Greek naturalisation needs the ΠΕΓΠ, a separate exam with its own 70-point rule; B1 Ellinomatheia is what counts for long-term residence.
Writing in capital letters.
Writing in lower case.
The guide asks for lower-case letters in writing and in the note-taking reading tasks.
Questions
What is the pass mark for the Greek language certificate?
At least 60% in each skill: reading, listening, writing and speaking, plus use of language from B2 up. Failing any one skill fails the level.
How much does the Ellinomatheia exam cost?
For May 2027, €90 for A1, A2 and B1 and €100 for B2, C1 and C2, on the Centre for the Greek Language's dates page (updated 10 July 2026). A re-mark costs €60.
When is the Greek language exam held?
Once a year in May, in Greece and abroad; the 2027 written exams are on 11–13 May. There is also an October sitting in Greece only, for B1 and A2 for professional purposes.
Does Ellinomatheia B1 count for Greek citizenship?
Greek naturalisation uses its own exam, the ΠΕΓΠ. The Centre says B1 Ellinomatheia is proof of Greek for long-term resident status.
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