For each level, from A1 to C2 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for languages) applicants may choose to take the exam for the assessment of their level of knowledge of Russian as general knowledge (obščee vladenie) or, starting from level B1, as specialist knowledge (professional'nyj modul'), according to specific specializations: philological-literary, scientific, journalistic, medical, etc.
A general knowledge exam must be passed prior to take the specialist knowledge one (at the University of Bergamo or any other Italian or foreign institute qualified for this certification).
The types of tests established for each exam are aimed at assessing, according to standard criteria approved by the Council of Europe and ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) the level of both oral and written knowledge of Russian as a foreign language.
An exam must be taken for each level, from A1 to C2 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for languages) divided in five types of tests (the subtests), each of which is aimed at assessing a specific language-communication skill:
For a detailed description of the language-communication skills taught in each TRKI-TORFL level, please check here the descriptors for Russian.
The whole exam is successfully passed if the student obtained a percentage not lower than 66% in each test; or if in at least four subtests the student obtained a percentage not lower than 66% and a 60 % to 65% percentage in the remaining subtest (any of the five).
Exams for general knowledge (obščee vladenie) last two days (first day: written tests on the first three skills – grammatika and leksika, čtenie, pis’mo; second day: oral tests on the last two skills – audirovanie, govorenie).
Exams for specialist knowledge (professional'nyj modul') last only one day.
Exams at our university are only held once a year: during the Summer session (first week of September).
Please remember that for levels TEU, TBU and TRKI1 the use of a bilingual dictionary is permitted. For levels TRKI2 and TRKI3 a monolingual dictionary is permitted. Lastly, for level TRKI4 no dictionaries are permitted.
Where permitted, applicants will have to take the exam with their own dictionary.
At the exam registration (the same day of the written test) applicants will have to attach to the enrollment form that they receive on that day a passport size photo and the photocopy of a valid ID document, preferably the passport.
The information about the applicants who have taken the exam for this certification will be collected in a specific database and communicated, in compliance with the current privacy and data protection laws, to the companies that so request.
There are three different types of certification document for students taking the TRKI-TORFL exam:
sertifikat (certification with specification of the score obtained in each test passed for the assessment of the general knowledge of Russian) with five years validity;
svidetel'stvo (certification with specification of the score obtained in all the tests passed for the assessment of the specialist knowledge of Russian according to a specific specialization) with five years validity;
spravka (certificate with specification of the score obtained in all the tests or subtests, both passed and failed). Applicants who failed three or more tests (subtests) of the exam must take the whole exam again. Applicants who failed two tests, of which one with a 60% to 65% percentage, must only take the test in which the percentage is lower than 60%; if this is not the case, they must take the whole exam again. In case applicants are unable to improve in the second exam session, passing the pending test within maximum two years from the date of issuing of spravka, they must take the whole exam again.
| Exam |
Internal students of the seminar and high school students |
External student |
| TEU | € 120 | € 130 |
| TBU | € 120 | € 130 |
| TRKI1 | € 125 | € 135 |
| TRKI2 | € 135 | € 145 |
| TRKI3 | € 145 | € 155 |
| TRKI4 | € 145 | € 155 |
Applicants who obtained spravka in a previous exam session (the document has two years validity and reports the mark obtained in all the tests, both passed and failed) and want to take the exam tests failed (please note that only one subtest can be taken again) must pay a fee equal to 50% of the cost of the whole exam of the corresponding level.
When waiting for the official exam it is possible to take a preliminary trial test (probnoe testirovanie) to become more familiar with the exam content and procedure.
For applicants enrolled in specialist preparatory courses to obtain the TRKI-TORFL certification for levels A1, A2 and B1 the probnoe testirovanie will be led throughout the lessons. Therefore, for these levels it is not necessary to take a separate trial test.
Applicants of any level who intend to take the exam without attending a specialist preparatory course as well as applicants attending a preparatory course of advanced level (B2, C1, C2), instead, are strongly recommended to take a trial test (only for the free production subtests – pis'mo and govorenie) fixed for Saturday 24th August 2019 at 12 a.m.
Applicants will receive in good time all the relevant information by email.
Cost of the trial test: € 50. Subscriptions to the trial tests are accepted not later than Friday 5th July 2019.
To best face the exams, for the whole length of the seminar it will be possible to use an assistance and consulting service with qualified lecturers who will make specialist preparatory materials available for students.
The service is especially addressed to those unable to attend a specialist preparatory course. The first guidance meeting is free.
Cost of one consulting academic hour:
individual: € 30
in group (minimum 3 people): € 20 per person.
At the Language Center and the Humanities Library of the University of Bergamo it is possible to access a series of specialist materials for preparing the TRKI-TORFL certification exams, classified by level (from A1 to C2 of the CEFR) in the five different communication-language skills.
Furthermore, during the seminar students may go to office 205 in Piazza Rosate 2, from 1 to 2.30 p.m., for consulting the preparatory materials and request their lending, if needed.
Those who intend to take the TRKI-TORFL exam without attending a specialist preparatory course and/or without taking the trial test are strongly recommended to take a self-evaluation test on the three single-choice subtests (grammatika and leksika, čtenie, audirovanie), with possible real-time checking of the answers, and to take two of the multiple-choice subtests (pis’mo and govorenie) with assessment by a qualified lecturer, included in the paperback Testy published by Zlatoust.
The exams formats (i.e. the paperbacks Testy in electronic format) for all levels may be downloaded here.
As an alternative, for levels A1 to B2, it is possible to download for free on your device the App TORFL GO (AppStore or GooglePlay), designed by MAPRJAL (International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature) that reproduces in full the same format of the exams included in the paperbacks Testy and allows to calculate the score in real-time.
The full series of teaching materials on the six levels of test for the TRKI-TORFL certification of Russian (both as obščee vladenie and, starting from level B1, as professional'nyj modul'), develops into the following paperbacks published by Zlatoust and approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation:
Standart or Trebovanija
Testy (with audio track)
Leksičeskij minimum
Programma.
These basic materials – that reproduce for each level the whole structure and actual content of the exams as well as reporting the details of each single test’s procedure and assessment method – may be completed by other specific materials (grammar books, workbooks, manuals, texts for reading and conversation, etc.) for each of the five subtests by which the exam is composed. In particular, we recommend these three publishers specializing in the publication of teaching materials for learning and teaching Russian according to the TRKI-TORFL certification state system: Zlatoust, Russkij jazyk kursy and Flinta.
For further information on:
preparatory courses and long distance-tutoring aimed at obtaining the TRKI-TORFL certification of Russian
TRKI-TORFL certification trial tests and exams
refresher courses for teaching Russian as a second language
teaching materials for learning and teaching Russian as a second language
didactic-methodological assistance
it is possible to book an appointment at the main university campus (office 205, Piazza Rosate 2) or to receive a consulting service on the phone by previously arranging the appointment sending an email to the reference person for the TRKI-TORFL certification in the dates and hours specified above.
The Russian Universities RUDN (Peoples' Friendship University), MGU (Moscow State University), SPbGU (Saint Petersburg State University) and Institute IRJAP (Puškin State Russian Language Institute) regularly organize seminars for specialists in the teaching of Russian as a foreign language, both for information and refresher’s purposes, and training courses for teachers of Russian on the guidelines of the Russian language policy and the TRKI-TORFL certification international system.