Tallinn seeks clarity on online Estonian as a second language exam

Tallinn has asked the Ministry of Education and Research to clarify how a new Estonian as a second language exam will be prepared and administered, ERR reported. The city says schools, teachers and students need more information ahead of the exam’s first electronic sitting in 2027.

The basic school exam will combine B1 and B2-level tasks. Students will receive a certificate for one of the two levels, depending on their results. Tallinn wants to know how schools’ technical readiness will be ensured, how assessment will be made transparent and how students will receive equal conditions.

Deputy Mayor for Education Andrei Kante of the Centre Party said the exam should measure students’ Estonian language skills, not schools’ technical capacity. He said the state should provide clear assessment rules, sufficient opportunities to practise and backup arrangements if it changes the exam’s format and structure.

Tallinn has asked whether schools’ technical readiness has been assessed and whether they will receive extra support to secure the necessary equipment and reliable internet connections. The city also wants details of trials of the new format and asks whether every school will be able to hold a practice exam under conditions as close as possible to the real exam.

The city is also seeking information on how the B1 and B2 levels will be determined, including the thresholds and methods used, and when the exact assessment criteria will be published. Tallinn has asked whether additional practice materials will be provided beyond the sample test already released.

The exam’s duration and workload are another concern. Its written part begins with a 70-minute writing section, followed by a 30-minute break. Listening, reading and language structure sections then take a combined 145 minutes. Tallinn wants to know how the format’s effect on the mental and physical workload of 15- and 16-year-olds has been assessed, and how the needs of students with special educational needs will be addressed.

Kante said schools should not be left to manage the organisational and technical risks of a state decision on their own. Tallinn has asked the ministry to explain how equal conditions will be maintained if a school loses its internet connection or the exam information system fails. The city says students should not be disadvantaged by technical problems.

Tallinn says it wants schools to have time to prepare and students and parents to receive clear information about the exam’s administration and assessment in advance.