How the Slovak A2 exam is marked — the 70 % rule explained
6 min read
The question we get most often is: what score do I need? In Slovakia the answer is clear-cut — and worth knowing in its exact wording, because it is frequently quoted wrong.
The pass mark: at least 70 %
The guidance of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic of 27 October 2025, issued under § 54(4) of Act No. 404/2011 Coll., states literally:
"A candidate passes the language exam if, within the assessment of the written exam and the oral exam, they obtain at least 70 % of the total number of points that can be obtained."
The load-bearing words are "of the total number of points". The points from the written and the oral part are added together and the 70 % threshold is measured against that sum. It is not 70 % in each part separately, and there is no threshold per module.
In practice that means a weaker showing in one skill can be offset by a stronger one elsewhere. It does not mean you can skip a part — both are compulsory.
The "70 % in each part" rule belongs to one centre
You will also come across the claim that you need 70 % in the written and 70 % in the oral part. That is not what the guidance says. It is a stricter house rule applied by some centres — the state language school at Palisády 38 in Bratislava among them.
This is neither a scam nor an error: a school may set stricter conditions, but they apply only at that school. So always read the marking rules on the website of the school you are registering with, and if anything is unclear, ask them before you pay.
The grade scale
The result is expressed as one of four grades. The scale comes from § 6 of Decree No. 321/2008 Coll.:
| Percentage | Grade |
|---|---|
| 100 – 90 | výborný (excellent) |
| 89 – 80 | veľmi dobrý (very good) |
| 79 – 70 | dobrý (good) |
| 69 – 0 | nevyhovel (fail) |
For the residence procedure, only the pass matters. A grade of dobrý carries the same weight as výborný — either way the certificate proves level A2.
Centres do not publish how raw points convert into percentages, so we give no conversion table here. Your own test's marks come from the school.
How the exam runs: two compulsory parts, in order
The Ministry guidance prescribes both forms of the exam: written and oral. Both are compulsory.
The order is sequential and works as a filter:
- The written part comes first.
- Only candidates who pass the written part go on to the oral part.
- If you fail the written part you do not sit the oral one, and the exam is failed as a whole.
Written papers are marked by two independent markers. At most centres the oral part follows on the same day for those who progressed — so do not schedule anything else for exam day.
How long it takes
There is no single national timing. The figures differ widely between centres, and we deliberately avoid quoting one number that might be untrue for your school. Your exact schedule arrives with the invitation from the centre. Plan for a whole day.
There is no national exam paper
This deserves to be said plainly. The Ministry guidance fixes:
- who may examine,
- which skills are verified,
- the 70 % threshold and the forms of the exam.
It does not fix the number of modules, the number of tasks, the distribution of points, the timings or the length of written pieces. Language schools therefore build their own papers and they genuinely differ. If you find "the official exam structure" somewhere, what you are reading is one centre's structure.
What our sample tests are modelled on
Preparation has to follow something concrete. Our sample tests follow the published model test "Testovanie úrovne ovládania slovenského jazyka ako cudzieho jazyka — A2" by Studia Academica Slovaca (SAS), Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava.
The figures below are that model test's numbers, not a national rule:
| Module (as in the SAS model test) | Tasks | Points | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading comprehension and grammar | 5 | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Listening comprehension | 4 | 25 | 25 minutes |
| Writing | 2 | 20 | 30 minutes |
| Speaking (oral part) | not published in the model test | — | — |
Two things in that table are worth pulling out:
- There is no separate grammar module. Grammar sits inside the reading comprehension module, so it is tested together with a text rather than as an isolated drill.
- The writing lengths in the model test are 50–60 words for the first task and 70–80 words for the second. Again: the model test's figures, not a national limit.
The oral part has no published model at all. Centre descriptions point to a communicative situation plus a picture description — but that is a reconstruction from public descriptions, not an official specification.
What the Ministry says is tested
The only national statement about content is the Ministry's list of skills:
- writing — "short simple notices and messages" and "a simple personal letter";
- speaking — simple exchanges of information on familiar topics, and "a series of phrases and sentences giving a simple description of family and other people, living conditions, education and work";
- comprehension — simple information, notices and instructions, and short conversations; the examples given are sport, cooking, a trip to the cinema, the departure or delay of a train or bus, and how to get somewhere on foot or by public transport.
Ordinary, everyday topics — exactly the ones worth practising.
How to practise it
- Work through a full sample pack in one sitting and time yourself. You will find out where the time goes.
- Practise writing in short formats: a notice, a message, a simple personal letter.
- Rehearse speaking out loud — a practice exercise with AI feedback will show you what your answer is missing. It is a practice aid, not an official exam result.
Bear in mind that 70 % is a fairly high bar. Getting by is not enough; it pays to go through the format more than once.
Where to check
- Pass mark and forms of the exam: Ministry guidance of 27 October 2025 — minedu.sk
- Grade scale: Decree No. 321/2008 Coll. — slov-lex.sk
- The model test: Standardised A2–C1 testing, SAS, Comenius University
Confirm the marking rules, timings and point allocation with the language school you choose, the exam rules with the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic, and your own residence requirements with the foreigners police. Related reading: which permit needs the exam and registering and fees. We are not an examination centre and not a law firm — we do not administer exams, and this text is not legal advice.
Last verified: 12 August 2026.