The University of Warsaw Centre for Foreign Language Teaching (CNJO) handles matters related to the issuing of language proficiency certificates, foreign language examinations in doctoral proceedings, and language proficiency attestations required when applying for scholarships abroad.
Coordinating Council for Foreign Language Teaching and Language Proficiency Certification.
Language proficiency certificates
Foreign language examinations in doctoral proceedings
Language proficiency attestations for scholarship purposes
DAAD language proficiency form
1. Language proficiency certificates
At the student’s request, the Centre for Foreign Language Teaching issues a Language Proficiency Certificate confirming the level of language proficiency demonstrated in a successfully completed UW certification examination.
The certificate is issued in Polish as standard. At the applicant’s request, an additional version may be issued in English, German, French or Russian.
| Key information | |
|---|---|
| Fee | PLN 50 for each language version of the certificate |
| Approximate processing time | 21 working days |
| Contact | wnioski.certyfikaty@uw.edu.pl |
| Collection point | 8 Oboźna Street, room 109, 1st floor |
| Priority processing | not available; applications are processed in the order in which they are received |
How to obtain a certificate
Application form – Google Docs
PLN 50 for each language version of the certificate
University of Warsaw
Centre for Foreign Language Teaching
bank account: 21 1160 2202 0000 0000 6084 9690
transfer title: opłata za Certyfikat Biegłości Językowej
Collecting your certificate
Once the certificate has been prepared, a CNJO staff member will email the applicant with information about collection and the nearest available collection dates.
Certificates are issued at the CNJO office at 8 Oboźna Street, room 109, 1st floor. As a rule, the document should be collected in person. In exceptional circumstances, it may be sent by priority registered mail, provided this has been agreed in advance by email and the mailing address has been supplied.
When collecting the certificate, the applicant should check that all details are correct and confirm this with their signature. If an error is found, CNJO will prepare a corrected certificate. Applications and uncollected certificates are retained for five years and then destroyed.
16, 17 and 24 September 2026, 10:30–12:00.
Further dates will be updated on this page.
Legal basis:
Order No. 65 of the Rector of the University of Warsaw of 10 May 2022;
Order No. 156 of the Rector of the University of Warsaw of 22 December 2021;
Decision No. 11 of the Rector of the University of Warsaw of 30 September 2022.
2. Foreign language examination in doctoral proceedings
Information for University of Warsaw doctoral candidates on foreign language examinations is available on the website of the
Coordinating Council for Foreign Language Teaching and Language Proficiency Certification.
Remote doctoral examination procedure – doctoral proceedings initiated under the former procedure
This procedure applies to candidates whose doctoral proceedings were initiated under the former procedure. It was developed on the basis of
Order No. 84 of the Rector of the University of Warsaw of 4 May 2020.
- The remote examination is conducted using tools that make it possible to monitor the examination, record it and protect personal data.
- CNJO uses Google tools available within the University suite, in particular Google Meet for the oral examination.
- The examination must be recorded in both audio and video. The recording is retained for 14 days.
- The examiner is responsible for preparing the examination, recording it, securing the recording and deleting it after 14 days.
- Before the examination, the doctoral candidate is responsible for sending the examiner the examination record received from the appropriate Dean’s Office or research unit.
- After the examination, the examiner completes and signs the record, sends a scan to the appropriate unit and retains the paper original until it can be submitted.
- The remote procedure does not preclude conducting the examination in the traditional in-person format.
3. Language proficiency attestation for scholarship purposes
CNJO issues language proficiency attestations to persons applying for scholarships abroad. The document confirms that the candidate has sufficient foreign language proficiency to undertake studies at a university abroad.
Who may apply for an attestation?
Academic staff and students who require confirmation of their foreign language proficiency when applying for a scholarship abroad may apply if they do not hold:
- a Language Supplement to the Diploma,
- a University of Warsaw Language Proficiency Certificate,
- another recognised external language certificate listed in the relevant University regulations on language proficiency certification.
Procedure
European Language Portfolio
The procedure begins with the submission of a carefully and fully completed European Language Portfolio to the CNJO committee. The Portfolio should be
downloaded here
and submitted to the CNJO Student Affairs Office. Once the Portfolio has been accepted, the candidate is invited to an interview.
What should the Portfolio contain?
The Dossier should contain:
- if available, copies of certificates and other documents from the previous five years confirming language study and proficiency;
- a CV in the foreign language, prepared in the Europass CV format;
- a motivation letter in the foreign language addressed to the Director of CNJO, including information about the candidate, the host university, the reasons for choosing it, the courses or activities planned there, and the importance of the scholarship for the candidate’s further education or professional development;
- an independently written summary of a selected academic article related to the candidate’s field of study;
- a copy of the article being summarised;
- a declaration confirming that the summary was written independently;
- a description of intercultural experience and intercultural communication.
Admission to the interview is conditional on submitting a complete and carefully prepared Portfolio. The Portfolio is returned to the candidate after the interview.
Interview
The candidate is informed of the exact date and place of the interview in advance. The interview is conducted by a two-member CNJO committee. It lasts approximately 15–20 minutes and consists of two parts:
| Part | Scope |
|---|---|
| Candidate’s presentation | Academic interests and achievements, the scholarship, host university, plans for the stay, the relationship between the scholarship programme and the candidate’s studies or academic work, and the expected benefits of the stay abroad. |
| Interview with the committee | Everyday situations connected with travel, culture and life in the destination country, as well as handling practical matters. |
What does B2 level mean?
Understanding: understanding extended speech and lectures, most news and current-affairs programmes, and articles and reports expressing particular viewpoints and attitudes.
Speaking: interacting with sufficient fluency and spontaneity to take part in conversations and discussions, present one’s views and support them with arguments.
Writing: producing clear, detailed texts on subjects related to one’s interests and presenting information and arguments for and against particular options.
CEFR self-assessment descriptors for B2 and other proficiency levels
4. DAAD language proficiency form
If your USOS record contains the relevant language results
If your USOS record confirms completion of language courses or a passed language examination, the procedure consists of having the form completed by an authorised foreign language instructor and, where necessary, taking part in a brief interview in the foreign language.
If you do not have appropriate proof of language proficiency
Applicants who have not studied at the University of Warsaw and do not hold a recognised certificate confirming their language proficiency should present an independently written text in the foreign language and identify a selected text they have read. A short interview is then conducted on this basis and may also cover the purpose of the stay, research plans and other matters connected with the scholarship.
The submitted text is assessed, the interview is conducted and the form is completed by authorised language instructors during their consultation hours:
- German: Head of the German Language Section – check consultation hours
- English: Head of the English Language Section – check consultation hours