After passing the YKI test, you will get a certificate that officially proves your language skills in different languages. For example, you can use YKI certificates when you apply for a job, study place or Finnish citizenship (Finnish and Swedish test certificates), or when you need to prove your language skills to an employer.

You will get your YKI certificate around 2 months after the test date.

We will post the certificate to the address you gave when you registered for the test. 

YKI tests are organised in many different languages and at various skill levels around Finland. A large number of people take these tests. This is why it takes some time before you get your certificate. You should remember this when you are selecting a test date.

Is your certificate ready?

If you participated in the Finnish basic level YKI test on April 27, your certificate was mailed on June 6, 2024.
If you participated in the Finnish intermediate level YKI test on May 18, your certificate was mailed on June 19, 2024.
Please note that it can take up to 1-2 weeks for you to receive your certificate. We do not share test results over the phone or via e-mail.

Have you moved? 

We will post your YKI certificate to the address you gave when you registered for the test.  Please remember that addresses are not updated in the YKI register automatically. Instead, you must notify us of your new address yourself.

If your address has changed, send an email to yki-info [at] jyu.fi (yki-info[at]jyu[dot]fi)  

 

Do you need a new YKI certificate? 

The test fee includes one certificate. You select the language of your certificate when you register for the test.  If you need a new YKI certificate, send an email to yki-info [at] jyu.fi (yki-info[at]jyu[dot]fi) 

You can receive the certificate in Finnish, Swedish, or English. A new copy of the certificate costs 20 euros. The certificate will be sent to you by post.

 

How long will the certificate be valid? 

Your YKI certificate will never expire. You should remember, however, that your language skills will get worse if you do not use the language. For this reason, an employer may test your language skills if, for example, you apply for a new job and give an old certificate to the employer. The employer may want to interview you, or ask you to re-take the YKI test.

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You will not get a general grade for the YKI test. You will receive a separate grade for each of the four subtests (speaking, listening comprehension, writing and reading comprehension). You do not get additional individual feedback for your performance.

You have passed the subtest if your assessment is

  • 1 or 2 (for a basic level test)
  • 3 or 4 (for an intermediate level test)
  • 5 or 6 (for an advanced level test).

You have not met the requirements for the skill level if your assessment is

  • below 1 (for a basic level test)
  • below 3 (for an intermediate level test)
  • below 5 (for an advanced level test).

Assessment below 1, below 3 or below 5 means that you do not have the required skills at the examination level. If you receive one of these assessments for one subtest, this does not mean that you have failed the entire test. 

You have to take all four subtests at the same time. However, you can use the grades you get in YKI test for different purposes. For example, your YKI certificate may be good enough for you to apply for Finnish citizenship, even if you get a grade below 3 in one of the four subtests. For this reason, you should check what kind of YKI test result you actually need.

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The persons assessing the YKI tests are experts who have been trained in testing language skills. Most of them are teachers of the language in question. YKI test performances are assessed according to the assessment criteria.

The Finnish National Agency for Education works together with the Centre for Applied Language Studies (CALS), which is a research unit in the University of Jyväskylä. CALS trains assessors and supervises the assessors' work. CALS ensures that the assessment of YKI tests is consistent. 

Assessment criteria
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If you are not satisfied with the assessment of your YKI test, however, you have the right to ask for a reassessment. By law, you can submit a claim for correction, which means a reassessment of your YKI test. 

In the reassessment, your test answers will be evaluated again. The reassessment will be conducted by different assessors than those who assessed your YKI test the first time. 

The reassessment only concerns your YKI test answers. It will not take into account any other factors that may have affected the test results. 

 
Statistics on reassessments  

The statistics show that the work quality of qualified and trained assessors is consistent. The reassessment rarely changes the grade of a test. 

  • In 2018, 110 requests for reassessment were made. The reassessment changed the grade of a subtest in 3 cases. 
  • In 2019, 179 requests for reassessment were made. The reassessment changed the grade of a subtest in 4 cases. 
  • In 2020, 207 requests for reassessment were made. The reassessment changed the grade for a subtest in 5 cases. 
  • In 2021, 253 requests for reassessment were made. The reassessment changed the grade for a subtest in 5 cases. 
  • In 2022, 216 requests for reassessment were made. The reassessment changed the grade for a subtest in 3 cases. 
  • In 2023, 200 requests for reassessment were made. The reassessment changed the grade for a subtest in 11 cases.

 

How to request and pay for a reassessment 

You can request a reassessment within 14 days when you have had the opportunity to receive your YKI test results. 

The reassessment fee is 100 euros per subtest. 

The average processing time for reassessment requests is approximately three months. 

The decision on reassessment may not be appealed.   

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