YKI stands for Yleiset kielitutkinnot, the National Certificates of Language Proficiency. It is Finland's official language test for adults, and the Finnish National Agency for Education runs it. You can take YKI in nine languages, and this guide covers the Finnish test.
- Basic level
Grades 1 and 2
- CEFR A1–A2
- 5-hour test day
- Intermediate level
Grades 3 and 4
- CEFR B1–B2
- 5-hour test day
- Advanced level
Grades 5 and 6
- CEFR C1–C2
- 6-hour test day
Every YKI test has four subtests: listening, speaking, reading and writing. You do reading and writing in a classroom, and listening and speaking usually in a language lab. There are breaks during the day, and you can bring snacks.
No dictionary or study materials are allowed, and your phone and watch are collected for the whole day, breaks included. In spring 2027, every Finnish YKI test is on a computer at the test center, with tasks like the paper test.
| What it's for | Result you need |
|---|---|
| Finnish citizenship | Intermediate level, grade 3 or higher in two subtests: speaking and writing, listening and writing, or reading and speaking |
| A public-sector job that asks for satisfactory Finnish | Intermediate level, grade 3 |
| A public-sector job that asks for good Finnish | Intermediate level, grade 4 |
| A public-sector job that asks for excellent Finnish | Advanced level, grade 6 |
On a full test day, you need to take all four subtests to get a certificate. For citizenship, you can put two certificates together to make one of those pairs.
Registration opens at 10:00 on its first day, which for most spring 2027 tests is about a month before the test. Intermediate Finnish tests often fill up fast, so sign up on the first day.
- Basic level€165
- Intermediate level€190
- Advanced level€216
- Nov 7, 2026Next test
- All four subtests
- Jan 16, 2027
- All four subtests
- Feb 13, 2027
- All four subtests
- Mar 10, 2027
- Speaking · Intermediate level only
- Reading · Intermediate level only
- Apr 10, 2027
- All four subtests
- Apr 24, 2027
- All four subtests
- May 12, 2027
- Writing
- Listening
- May 22, 2027
- All four subtests
- Jun 2, 2027
- Speaking
- Reading
Dates checked Oct 24, 2026
Registration for November 7, 2026 has closed. The days with only two subtests let you sign up for just the ones you need. At the intermediate level, one subtest costs €43 for listening or reading, €70 for writing and €84 for speaking. Your certificate comes about two months after the test.
YKI tests the Finnish people use in everyday situations. So the most useful practice is plenty of Finnish about ordinary life that you can mostly follow, which is called comprehensible input.
- Hear and Read TogetherFind Finnish where you know nearly every word, and read along while the audio plays. Twenty minutes, a few times a week, is plenty to start.
- Answer Out LoudYou usually do the speaking test in a language lab or on a computer, so practice answering questions out loud in your normal voice, with a timer running.
- Answer Every QuestionOn test day, try every task and answer every question, even when you aren't sure.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Finnish. You learn from Finnish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Finnish lessons that match your level and what you're curious about. YKI's grades and Bubblegum's levels 1 to 6 are two different scales.
- Pick “Prepare for the YKI Exam” when you begin, and Poppy writes lessons with that goal and your interests in mind.
- News and stories in Finnish come with audio, on the topics you choose.
- While you read, you can ask Poppy what a sentence means.
- Regenerative Review™ puts the words you saved into the next lessons Poppy writes, and you can export them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Bubblegum has no YKI practice tests, so try the official digital practice tests to get used to taking YKI on a computer.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Ordering at a Café
Kahvilassa tilaaminen
Anna is at a café.
Hi! I'll take a coffee and a cinnamon roll.
Do you want milk?
Yes, please.
Here you go!
Which ID can I use at the YKI test?
Bring a valid passport, identity card, alien's passport, refugee travel document, residence permit card, or Finnish Defence Forces ID card with a photo. A driver's license isn't accepted, and neither is a picture of your ID.
Does the test center help me find where to go?
Yes. Your test center sends you a message shortly before the test day with the address and the start time. If it hasn't come and the test is close, contact the center.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Finnish National Agency for Education: National Certificates of Language Proficiency (YKI)
- Finnish National Agency for Education: Selecting the right YKI test, test days (levels, grades, CEFR, test days and registration periods)
- Finnish National Agency for Education: Registering for the YKI test (fees, refunds, binding registration)
- Finnish National Agency for Education: The YKI test day (length, ID, rules)
- Finnish National Agency for Education: After the YKI test (grades, certificate)
- Finnish National Agency for Education: Proving your language skills for Finnish citizenship
- Finnish National Agency for Education: Digital YKI tests will be piloted in November 2026
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 24, 2026 against each app's own pages.
