The Πιστοποιητικό Ελληνομάθειας (Certificate of Attainment in Greek) is the only official Modern Greek qualification recognised by the Greek state. It is awarded by the Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας (ΚΕΓ, Centre for the Greek Language), a public body based in Thessaloniki under the Greek Ministry of Education. The examinations are held once a year, in spring, at accredited centres in Greece and around the world — including the UK, the US and Australia. This guide explains what the exam contains, who it is for, and how to prepare for it realistically.
The six levels, aligned to the CEFR
Since 2011 the certificate has followed the Common European Framework of Reference scale, using Greek letters: Α1, Α2, Β1, Β2, Γ1, Γ2 (Γ corresponds to the European C). Level Α1 comes in two variants, one for children (8–12) and one for teenagers and adults.
| Level | What it certifies |
|---|---|
| Α1 | Basic survival: introducing yourself, understanding very simple everyday phrases. |
| Α2 | Simple, direct exchanges: shopping, family, immediate surroundings. |
| Β1 | Independence when travelling: narrating, expressing a simple opinion, grasping the gist of everyday texts. |
| Β2 | Fluency: spontaneous conversation with native speakers, complex texts, argument. |
| Γ1 | Effective use: long and demanding texts, fluent expression in social and professional life. |
| Γ2 | Near-native mastery: fine nuance, varied registers, specialised texts. |
The format of the papers
At every level, four skills are assessed separately:
- Listening comprehension (κατανόηση προφορικού λόγου): dialogues, announcements and audio extracts with questions.
- Reading comprehension (κατανόηση γραπτού λόγου): texts of increasing difficulty, multiple-choice and matching questions.
- Written production (παραγωγή γραπτού λόγου): from a short message at Α level to argued texts at Γ level.
- Spoken production (παραγωγή προφορικού λόγου): an interview with the examiner, often in pairs of candidates.
At the higher levels a specific language-use paper (χρήση της γλώσσας) is added: grammar, vocabulary and register tested systematically. It is often what separates candidates — you can get by in speaking while failing on the subtleties of the Greek verb system. To pass you must reach the required threshold in every paper: one very weak skill cannot be fully offset by the others.
Who needs it, and why
- Study in Greece or Cyprus: Β2 is the standard passport for enrolling at a Greek university without sitting an additional language test.
- Professional life: some regulated professions and the Greek public sector require a certified level, often Γ1 or above.
- Administrative procedures: proof of Greek is requested in certain residence and naturalisation processes — check the level required with the relevant authority, as it depends on the procedure.
- A personal goal: for the diaspora and for lovers of Greece it is a motivating milestone that gives learning a shape — a concrete "why" with a date on the calendar.
Registration opens a few months before the papers, online or through the examination centres; exact dates and fees vary from year to year — check the official ΚΕΓ site for the current dates and arrangements.
How to prepare, level by level
- Α1–Α2: consistency beats intensity. Twenty minutes a day of easy reading and listening is enough, covering the everyday themes systematically (introductions, family, shopping, telling the time). The classic trap: neglecting writing because "the level is easy" — Greek spelling needs practice from the very start.
- Β1–Β2: this is the longest plateau. You have to move from the language you have studied to the language you live in: read authentic graded texts, write every week (emails, narratives, opinions) and speak regularly. Expect several hundred hours between Α2 and Β2 — be sceptical of any faster promise.
- Γ1–Γ2: work on registers (journalistic, administrative, literary language), idiom, and χρήση γλώσσας in a targeted way. At this level, preparation specific to the exam format makes a real difference: the tasks have their conventions, and discovering them on the day costs marks.
At every level the single most profitable piece of advice is the same: sit mock exams under real conditions. Nothing replaces the experience of the clock, instructions in Greek, and papers following one after another.
Practise for free
grecfacile.ch offers free mock exams modelled on the Ελληνομάθεια format for each of the six levels: Α1, Α2, Β1, Β2, Γ1 and Γ2. Sit one now to establish your real level, then use the result to target your revision — it is the most honest way to know whether you are ready.