Valsts valodas prasmes pārbaude · A2
The Latvian A2 language exam, explained
The Latvian state language proficiency exam — valsts valodas prasmes pārbaude (VVPP) — at pamata līmeņa otrā pakāpe (A2) is administered by VIAA, the State Education Development Agency, since 1 January 2025 (formerly by VISC), under Cabinet Regulation No. 157. It has four parts — listening, reading, writing and speaking — each worth 15 points, 60 in total. To pass you need at least 60% — 9 points out of 15 — in every single part; the parts do not compensate each other.
- points maximum, 15 per part
- 60 points maximum, 15 per part
- needed in every part (60%)
- 9/15 needed in every part (60%)
- tasks: 3 in each of the four parts
- 12 tasks: 3 in each of the four parts
Structure: four parts, 15 points each
The exam covers the four language skills separately. Listening and reading are taken on a computer; writing is handwritten on paper; speaking is a separate live session with two assessors, in person or by videoconference, and is recorded.
| Part | In English | Minutes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 25 min | 15 pts | |
| Reading | 30 min | 15 pts | |
| Writing | 35 min | 15 pts | |
| Speaking | 10–15 min | 15 pts | |
| Total | 60 points |
Scoring and the pass rule: 60% in every part
Each of the four parts is scored out of 15 points, and the pass bar is 60% — 9 points — in every part separately. A total score does not exist as a pass criterion: one part below 9 points fails the whole exam.
- Each of the four parts is worth 15 points, for 60 points in total.
- The pass mark is at least 60% in every part — that is 9 points out of 15, four times over.
- There is no compensation between parts: 15/15 in reading cannot offset 8/15 in speaking. Any part from 0 to 59.9% means the result is NAV NOKĀRTOTS (not passed).
- You are assessed only at the level you registered for. A1–C2 are six separate papers, and a failed A2 paper is not regraded as an A1 pass.
- In speaking, the interview and picture-description tasks together carry 12 of the 15 points, and asking questions about notices carries 3.
- Listening and reading are scored against an answer key; writing and speaking are assessed against criteria — at A2, covering the plan points and being understood matter more than perfect grammar.
If you do not pass: when you can sit it again
A failed exam means a wait of at least one month, not six. You may register for a repeat sitting no earlier than one month after the decision on your result — and the six-month bar exists only for candidates removed from the exam for breaking the rules.
- The decision on your result is issued from the seventh working day after the exam, through the e-service on latvija.gov.lv.
- A repeat sitting is possible no earlier than one month after that decision.
- The 52 EUR state fee is due again for the repeat, unless you are in an exempt group.
- Only a candidate removed from the exam for rule-breaking must wait six months.
- Sittings run in monthly cycles and dates are announced at least two months ahead, so a retake normally lands one to two months after the failed attempt.
- The certificate, once earned, is valid indefinitely.
How long the exam takes
The three written-block parts take 90 minutes in total: listening 25 minutes and reading 30 minutes on a computer, then writing 35 minutes on paper. Speaking is a separate session of 10–15 minutes.
What each part asks you to do
There are 12 tasks in total — exactly three per part — and the task types repeat from session to session, which is why practising the format is worth as much as studying vocabulary. In writing, the photo sentences need at least 5 words each and the final message about 35 words across four plan points.
· Reading
- Statements about short texts
- Situations matched to small ads (A–D)
- Drop-down gap-fill cloze
- Same on-screen format as the computer-based exam
· Listening
- Short announcements with multiple choice
- Dialogue with Jā/Nē statements
- Gapped sentences from a word pool
- Transcripts after you answer
· Writing
- Sentences about photos, 5-word minimum
- Word-form (grammar) items
- Message or classified ad to four plan points
- Feedback against the A2 criteria
· Speaking
- Interview question banks by theme
- Two-picture description: KAS? KO DARA? KUR?
- Asking questions about notices
- Replay and compare
Practical details: cost, dates and registration
The exam carries a state fee of 52 EUR, with broad exemptions. You apply by sending an e-signed application to [email protected] or by post, at least seven working days before the exam date, and the fee must be paid by the same deadline. VIAA announces exam dates at least two months in advance and runs sittings in monthly cycles.
- State fee
- 52 EUR, paid at least 7 working days before the exam
- Who sits it free
- Latvian citizens, Latvian non-citizens (nepilsoņi), EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, persons with low-income status, Ukrainian civilians with protected status
- Registration
- E-signed application to [email protected], or by post — at least 7 working days before the exam
- Exam dates
- Announced at least 2 months ahead; sittings run in monthly cycles
- Venues
- Rīga (Elijas iela 17), Daugavpils, Liepāja, Rēzekne, Ventspils
- Computer parts
- Listening and reading are taken on a computer
- Writing
- Handwritten on paper — blue or black pen
- Speaking
- Live with two assessors, in person or by videoconference; recorded
- Results
- Decision from the 7th working day, via the latvija.gov.lv e-service
- Retake
- No earlier than 1 month after the decision; 6 months only if removed from the exam for rule-breaking
- Certificate
- Valid indefinitely
How many people pass
The official numbers from March–September 2023, when around 19,500 people sat the state language exam across all levels, are blunt: at A2, roughly two candidates in three did not pass. Each retake costs another 52 EUR (unless exempt) and at least a month of waiting.
- sat the A2 exam in 2023
- 17,656 sat the A2 exam in 2023
- passed
- 6,421 passed
- pass rate
- 36% pass rate
Who needs A2 — and who needs something else
A2 is the level Latvian law attaches to the main long-term statuses, but the details differ by situation — and citizenship is a different exam altogether. The short version, with the legal source for each:
- The permanent residence permit and EU long-term resident status both require state language proficiency at least at A2 — the Immigration Law and the law on EU long-term resident status set the requirement, and the VVPP certificate is how you prove it.
- Russian citizens who want to keep permanent residence in Latvia must prove Latvian at A2 under the 2023 amendments to the Immigration Law — this is the group for whom the A2 exam became urgent.
- For work, the required level depends on the occupation: Annex 1 of Cabinet Regulation No. 157 lists the professions and the level each one needs, from A1 to C2. Many service and manual occupations sit at A2; check your own occupation in the annex.
- From 2026, Ukrainian civilians under temporary protection must reach A2 within two years of receiving protection in order to perform professional duties.
- Citizenship by naturalisation is NOT this exam: PMLP runs its own checks — a separate language test plus questions on the Constitution, history, culture and the anthem. A VVPP certificate alone does not make you eligible for citizenship.
How to prepare for the format
Most candidates lose points not because their Latvian is too weak, but because a format is unfamiliar: writing by hand under time pressure, hearing each recording only twice, or forgetting that one weak part fails the whole exam. Practising the exact formats — and checking every skill against the 9-of-15 bar — removes that gap.
Practise these exact task typesStructure figures on this page follow the official A2 sample paper and programme published by VIAA; the pass, fee, retake and results rules follow Cabinet Regulation No. 157 of 8 March 2022. exams.lv is an independent practice platform and not an official exam provider — always confirm current rules, dates and registration through official channels.