Estonian B2 level means you can work, study and discuss most topics in Estonian, follow the news and read texts written for Estonians. Harno's B2 proficiency exam proves it, one level above the B1 that Estonia requires for citizenship and long-term residence as of October 2026. From B1, English speakers should plan on roughly 180 to 450 more hours.
What can you do at Estonian B2 level?
In CEFR terms, a B2 learner is a confident independent user, one step below the proficient levels. In Estonian, that means following a meeting where people talk at normal speed, reading a news article or a contract without a dictionary on every line, writing a formal email, and arguing a point with reasons.
Estonian has its own set of hurdles on the way here:
- Fourteen cases, with endings that also carry meanings English expresses with prepositions: Tartusse (to Tartu), Tartus (in Tartu), Tartust (from Tartu).
- Three degrees of length. Short, long and overlong sounds can change meaning, and the spelling doesn't always show it: linna can mean "of the town" or "into the town", and only the length of the sound tells them apart.
- No future tense and no grammatical gender. Homme ma lähen Tartusse means "tomorrow I'm going to Tartu", in the present tense. Ta is both he and she.
- The quotative mood, a verb form for things you only heard: Ta olevat haige means "he is said to be ill". At B2 you recognise it in the news and use it yourself.
| Estonian | English |
|---|---|
| Kuigi ma saan peaaegu kõigest aru, on kiiret kõnet ikka veel raske jälgida. | Although I understand almost everything, fast speech is still hard to follow. |
| See oleneb sellest, kuidas asja vaadata. | It depends on how you look at it. |
| Eelnõu võeti vastu, kuigi paljud olid selle vastu. | The bill was passed, although many were against it. |
| Kui ma oleksin seda teadnud, oleksin midagi öelnud. | If I had known that, I would have said something. |
| Ta olevat haige. | He is said to be ill. |
The third sentence is a small B2 test in itself: vastu võtma means to pass or accept, and vastu olema means to be against.
Which exam proves Estonian B2?
The state Estonian language proficiency exam at B2, run by Harno, the Education and Youth Board. Harno offers exams at A2, B1, B2 and C1 following the CEFR, and they are free of charge (Harno).
| Exam | Who runs it | Levels | CEFR link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonian language proficiency exam, A2 | Harno | A2 | Official |
| Estonian language proficiency exam, B1 | Harno | B1 | Official |
| Estonian language proficiency exam, B2 | Harno | B2 | Official |
| Estonian language proficiency exam, C1 | Harno | C1 | Official |
| Exam on the Constitution and the Citizenship Act | Harno | Knowledge test, not a language level | Not applicable |
Each language exam has listening, reading, writing and speaking parts. Harno counts an exam as passed at 60 per cent of the total points, and no part may score zero. Each exam is set at one level, so register for the level you are aiming at rather than one above.
Estonian B1 vs B2: what changes?
At B1 you get by. At B2 you sound like you belong in the conversation. The milestones:
- Impersonal and passive forms. Siin räägitakse eesti keelt (Estonian is spoken here), Eelnõu võeti vastu (the bill was passed), Seda on arutatud (it has been discussed).
- The two infinitives. Ma tahan minna (I want to go) uses the da infinitive; Ma lähen ujuma (I'm going swimming) uses the ma infinitive. B2 learners pick the right one by ear.
- Total and partial objects. Ostsin raamatu (I bought the book) versus Lugesin raamatut (I was reading the book), now right in long sentences too.
- Particle verbs. Aru saama (understand), ära minema (leave), vastu võtma (accept): the particle often travels to the end of the clause, and you still catch it.
- Quotative and conditional moods. Ta olevat haige and Kui ma oleksin teadnud... for reported facts and hypotheticals.
- Partitive plural forms, the trickiest set of endings in the language, used with growing confidence.
