YKI

Overview

The National Certificates of Language Proficiency (Yleiset kielitutkinnot, YKI) are language tests for adults in Finland, run by the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus) and regulated by Finnish law. They measure functional language skill in everyday situations. The certificate is used for jobs, study places and, for Finnish or Swedish, for citizenship and permanent residence applications.

Who can apply

The YKI test is open to everyone, even if you do not need it for any official purpose. Because the agency does not decide where results are accepted, ask the employer, school or authority what level and which subtests they need.

Levels or stages

YKI tests are offered at three levels, and you choose the level when you register. You can only receive a grade for the level you take.

The Italian test is offered only at basic and intermediate level.

Exam pattern

All YKI tests have four subtests: listening comprehension, speaking, reading comprehension and writing. Each gets its own grade. Usually all four are taken on the same day and paid for together, but some test days for Finnish and Swedish at intermediate level let you register for only certain subtests. You can take the test in English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Northern Sámi, Russian, Spanish or Swedish. Instructions are usually in Finnish or Swedish, so you need some Finnish or Swedish for most foreign-language tests (all levels except intermediate and advanced English, which use English instructions). A new digital version of the tests is being piloted from November 2026.

Marking and results

A subtest is passed if its grade is 1 or 2 at basic level, 3 or 4 at intermediate level and 5 or 6 at advanced level. A grade below the level's range, such as below 3 at intermediate, means you did not show the skills for that subtest, but it does not fail the whole test. The certificate lists a grade for each subtest, and any subtest not completed or only partly completed is marked as not assessable.

For Finnish or Swedish in public-sector jobs, the agency gives these examples: satisfactory skill is shown by grade 3 at intermediate level, good skill by grade 4 at intermediate level, and excellent skill by grade 6 at advanced level. For a citizenship application, the intermediate level (3) or higher is enough to show spoken and written skills.

Important dates

Registration opens about two months before each test, and test days differ by language and level; the agency publishes the list for autumn 2026 and spring 2027 on its page. Assessment takes about two months after the test day.

Fees

As listed on the official site in 2026, a full test costs 165 EUR at basic level, 190 EUR at intermediate level and 216 EUR at advanced level. On the test days where Finnish or Swedish intermediate subtests are offered separately, the prices are 43 EUR for listening, 84 EUR for speaking, 43 EUR for reading and 70 EUR for writing. The fee is paid by the link sent after registration.

The advanced level test in Finnish or Swedish is free, up to three registrations, for people who have a Finnish matriculation examination or equivalent, or who have completed or are studying for a university or university of applied sciences degree. Every other test is paid for.

How to apply

Register online on the YKI registration site during the registration period, signing in with Suomi.fi e-identification or, if you cannot, with your e-mail. You receive an e-mail with a payment link and pay by the due date; the registration is confirmed only after payment. You can register for only one test per test day, and a waiting list exists for full tests. Since 1 January 2026, registrations cannot be rescheduled, and you cannot change the level, language, subtests, centre or day. You may apply for a refund if you cannot attend and meet the legal conditions.

After the exam

Your certificate arrives about two months after the test day, and it does not expire, although an employer may still ask you to retake the test. For tests taken on or after 1 April 2026, you may get a digital certificate, which carries an electronic seal; for earlier tests, a printed certificate is posted. Results appear in My Studyinfo if you registered with Suomi.fi e-identification.

Preparation tips

• Pick the level your employer or institution requires before registering, because you cannot change it afterward.

• Check whether you need grades in all four subtests or only some.

• Allow about four months between registering and having a certificate in hand.