Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Candidates can register for the exam online. The registration period is indicated on the ECL website, where the online registration form is also available.

Please contact your exam center. Late registration is possible 1 to 2 days after the registration deadline for an additional fee. The late registration deadline will be communicated to exam centers by email by the International ECL Examination Center.

Uploading personal documents is not required for online registration; it is optional. However, on the day of the exam, candidates must present official photo identification (e.g., a passport or national ID card) to confirm their identity.

Please ensure that your personal information matches the information on your official ID exactly when registering.

Exam fees are set individually by ECL exam centers. Therefore, candidates must inquire directly with their respective exam center in their country to know the current fees.

Payment methods vary depending on the exam center. Candidates will receive information on available payment methods after online registration.

Exam fees can generally be paid by deposit into the specified bank account or by bank transfer. Proof of payment must be submitted to the exam center, either in person or by email.

It is possible to register for exams in different languages and at different levels during the same exam period. However, for administrative reasons, registering for multiple languages at the same level is not possible.

If you are unable to take the exam for important reasons, you can postpone it for a fee (link). To do so, you must submit a postponement request to the exam center.

If the request is approved by the exam center, the exam can be postponed to the next available date. However, an exam that has already been postponed cannot be postponed a second time.

Exam fees are non-refundable. If a candidate does not show up for the exam and has not requested a postponement, the exam fees are forfeited. To take the exam at a later date, the candidate must register again and pay the exam fees again.

If a candidate is unable to take the exam due to an emergency, the exam center may, upon review of a written request, refund 40% of the registration fees. The final decision will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates must bring a valid photo ID (e.g., passport or national ID card) and the exam convocation sent by email. They must also bring at least two blue or black ballpoint pens. A printed monolingual or bilingual dictionary may be used for the written test.

Please arrive at the exam venue at least 20 minutes before the start of the exam.

No, electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, headphones, smartwatches) are not allowed in exam rooms. Notebooks, books, printed or handwritten documents, and specialized dictionaries are also prohibited.

The exam supervisor may use metal detectors to ensure no prohibited devices are brought into the exam room.

• Written exam: Candidates may enter the exam room while instructions for the reading comprehension section are being distributed. It is not possible to extend the test duration.
• Listening comprehension: Once the audio recording has started, candidates are no longer allowed to enter the room.

A monolingual or bilingual dictionary is allowed only for the written expression test. Dictionaries and other aids are prohibited for reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and speaking tests. Thematic dictionaries are generally forbidden.

Yes, candidates are allowed to take notes in their exam booklet. However, external notebooks as well as printed or handwritten notes are prohibited. No notes may be taken outside the exam rooms.

• The written exam (reading comprehension, written communication) starts simultaneously at all exam centers and runs without interruption.
• After a short break, the listening comprehension test will take place.
• The oral exam will take place either on the same day or within two weeks following the written exams – the schedule will be determined by the relevant exam center.

Candidates may leave the exam room only for health reasons or to use the restroom. In such cases, they must be accompanied by a supervisor. No extra time will be granted.

During the listening comprehension test, entering or leaving the exam room is prohibited, except in emergencies.

Eating in the exam room is generally prohibited (except in justified cases). However, candidates may bring a bottle of water.

In this case, please inform the exam center. A postponement request must be submitted, accompanied by a detailed explanation and official supporting documents (e.g., a medical certificate). Personal or family reasons may also be considered. The final decision regarding the acceptance of the postponement rests with the exam center.

In such cases, a written report must be prepared immediately after the affected part of the exam. This report must be submitted without delay to the head of the exam center or another authorized representative.

Results will be announced no later than 30 days after the written exam.

Certificates are sent by the International ECL Examination Center to the exam centers where the tests took place. They are then handed directly to the candidates. Certificates must be picked up in person – a signature is required to confirm receipt.

The International ECL Examination Center can issue a replacement certificate for a fee.

The request for a duplicate certificate must be submitted to the exam center where the exam took place. Proof of payment must be attached.

→ Download the replacement certificate application form HERE (PDF).

If the certificate contains incorrect data, the International ECL Examination Center can issue either a new certificate or an official confirmation, depending on the nature of the error and the candidate's preference.

The party that made the error bears the costs.

→ Download the correction request HERE (PDF).

Yes. After a name change, a new certificate or official confirmation can be issued upon candidate request. Fees are the responsibility of the candidate.

→ Download the application form for a new certificate HERE (PDF).

Yes, you can register for the next available exam session and retake the exam.

The number of retakes is unlimited; however, exam fees must be paid again for each attempt.

• Candidates receive a certificate either for a full exam (written and oral parts) or for a partial exam (written part only or oral part only).
• Anyone who fails one of the two parts of the exam receives a certificate for the passed part and only needs to retake the failed part.

Example: If a candidate passes the oral exam but fails the written exam, they receive a certificate for the oral exam and only need to retake the written exam.

To pass an exam section, an average of at least 60% must be achieved across the entire section, and at least 40% in each skill (reading and writing for the written section, listening and speaking for the oral section).

Candidates may, within 15 days following the publication of results, either:

1. Request a score review (free of charge).
2. Request a re-evaluation by a third-party evaluator (fees apply).

→ Download the review/re-evaluation request form HERE.