Last updated 15 October 2026
Every unit of the course, by level: what it says a learner can do afterwards, which part of the Estonian language examination it prepares for, and the conversation that tests it where there is one. The levels are the Council of Europe’s CEFR scale. The “can do” sentences are this course’s own, and this page does not claim to follow any official curriculum document.
The state examines A2, B1, B2 and C1, each in four parts: writing, listening, reading and speaking. There is no A1 examination, so A1 units are listed without a part. What each part sets is on the page about the examination. Under each level, a part no unit is aimed at is named as a gap.
The state sets no A1 examination, so these units prepare for no part of one.
Vastused
Hello, thank you, yes and no
Say hello and thank you, and answer yes or no.
Asesõnad
I, you, he or she, we, you, they
Talk about yourself, the person in front of you and anybody else: I, you, he or she, we, you and they.
Esimesed verbid
I am, you are, this is
Say I am, you are and this is, and use a handful of everyday verbs with every person.
Väikesed sõnad
And, but, too, very, here and now, and don't
Say and, but, too and very, and talk about here, now and today.
Tervitused
Hello, goodbye, sorry and please
Greet someone, thank them, say sorry, and tell them you don't understand.
Küsisõnad
Who, what, where, when, why, how
Ask who, what, where, when, why and how, and understand the question when someone asks you.
Inimesed
Family, friends and the people around you
Say who's in your family and introduce the people around you.
Tested by the conversation “The neighbor on the stairs”.
Tutvumine
Introducing yourself
Introduce yourself, say where you live and what you do, and ask the same back.
Tested by the conversation “Your first day at work”.
Arvud
Numbers and counting
Count, give your phone number, say a price and tell someone how old you are.
Tested by the conversation “Getting a library card”.
Kodu
Home and the things in it
Describe your home and say where things are in it.
Söök ja jook
Food and drink
Order food, buy groceries and say what you like to eat.
Tested by the conversation “Ordering a drink”.
Aeg
Days, hours and when things happen
Tell the time, name the days of the week, and say when something happens.
Põhiverbid
The verbs that break the rules
Say what you do, eat, drink, give and get, in simple sentences about today.
Veel verbe
Can, know how, watch, listen, go, begin
Say what you can do, what you're allowed to do, and what you watch and listen to.
Iga päev
A normal day
Talk through your day, from getting up to going to bed.
Tested by the conversation “How was your weekend?”.
Omadussõnad
Big, small, good, bad, old, new
Say what a thing or a person is like, with the adjective matching its noun.
Värvid
Colors
Name colors and say what something looks like.
Tähtsad sõnad
Important, interesting, next and last
Say whether something is important, interesting, easy to understand or boring, and which one comes next.
Riided
Clothes and what you wear
Say what you're wearing and buy clothes by size and color.
Tested by the conversation “Buying something to wear”.
Ilm
Weather
Say what the weather's like today and what it's going to do.
Tested by the conversation “Waiting for a late bus”.
Suuremad arvud
Thirteen to a million
Say a price, a phone number, a floor and a year without running out of numbers.
Poes ja tänaval
Shopping and getting around
Buy something, ask the price, and find your way to a place in town.
Tested by the conversation “Going to the shop for milk”.
Kus ja kuhu
Places and directions
Ask where something is and follow the directions you're given.
Tested by the conversation “Asking the way”.
Bussiga linna
Buses, trams and taxis
Catch a bus, ask which stop you need, and say how you got somewhere.
Tested by the conversation “Is this my bus?”.
Keegi, miski, kõik
Somebody, something, everybody
Say somebody, something, everybody and each, and say that something is your own.
Millal ja kui tihti
When, and how often
Say when something happens and how often, from today to hardly ever.
Peal, all, ees, taga
On, under, in front of, behind
Say what's on, under, in front of, behind or next to what.
Sidesõnad
Joining two thoughts
Join two ideas, say why, and put one thing against another.
Kindlasti, vist, äkki
How sure you are
Agree, disagree, and say how sure you are.
Kui palju
How much, how often, how far
Say how much of something there is, and how strongly you mean it.
Kuud ja tähtpäevad
Months and the days that matter
Name the months, give a date, and say when your birthday is.
Riigid ja rahvad
Countries and peoples
Say where you're from, your nationality, and which language you speak.
Abi küsimine
Asking for help, and calling for it
Ask someone for help, say what's happened, and call the right number.
Tested by the conversation “Asking for a hand”.
Osakesed
Kinni, lahti, välja
Change what a verb means with the little word after it.
Kuidas ja kui täpselt
Kiiresti, umbes, peaaegu
Say how something happened, and give a rough number when you don't know the exact one.
Kodus
Rooms, furniture and the things in them
Name the rooms of an apartment and the everyday things you keep in them.
Loomad ja keha
Farm animals, wild animals, and the rest of the body
Name the animals on an Estonian farm and in the forest, and say where it hurts.
Rohkem toitu
Vegetables, sweets and what goes on bread
Say what you'd like at the market and what goes in your soup.
Tested by the conversation “At the market”.
Kohad ja ametid
Places in town and the people who work in them
Say where somebody works and which places in town you've been to.
Tegusõnad
Laugh, jump, fall, draw and swap
Say what you and the people around you are doing, beyond the everyday verbs.
Veel omadussõnu
Sharp, far, comfortable, excellent and personal
Say what a place, a meal or a trip was like, with more to say than big and small.
Every part of the A2 examination has at least one unit aimed at it. Writing: 9, Listening: 3, Reading: 4, Speaking: 12.
Korraldused ja palved
Asking, telling and offering
Tell someone what to do, ask for something politely, and offer to help.
Prepares for speaking, writing. The speaking part ends on an idea card where you ask and answer, and the writing part asks for a note, a message or an invitation.
Minevik
Talking about yesterday
Tell someone what you did yesterday, last week and last year.
Prepares for writing, speaking. The written description of a given topic and the opening conversation both turn on what you have done.
Loodus
Nature and animals
Describe a landscape and talk about animals and the seasons.
Prepares for speaking. The speaking part has you describe a picture and answer questions about it.
Keha ja tervis
Body and health
Describe a symptom to a doctor and understand the advice you're given.
Prepares for speaking, listening. Describing a symptom is the ask-and-answer exchange of the idea card, and the short listening clips are everyday exchanges like this one.
Tested by the conversation “Booking a doctor's appointment”.
Kodutööd
Housework and routine
Talk about your routine at home and share out the chores with someone.
Prepares for speaking, writing. The opening conversation asks about your life, and the writing part can ask for a description of a given topic.
Kool ja keel
School and language
Talk about studying, ask what a word means, and say how good your Estonian is.
Prepares for speaking. The opening conversation is who you are and how you came to Estonian.
Tested by the conversation “The first evening of a language course”.
Reisimine
Travel and time off
Book a trip, check in, and describe a journey you've made.
Prepares for reading, listening. The reading paper matches notices and short texts, and the listening paper opens with short everyday clips.
Tested by the conversation “Buying a bus ticket”.
Linn ja teenused
Town and services
Deal with a bank, a post office and an official form without switching to English.
Prepares for writing, reading. The writing part opens with filling in the details on a card, and the reading paper matches notices.
Tested by the conversation “Handing in a form at a counter”.
Vaba aeg
Free time and sport
Say what you do for fun, suggest something to do, and say yes or no to an invitation.
Prepares for writing, speaking. The writing part can ask for an invitation, and the idea card is suggesting and answering.
Võrdlemine
Comparing things
Compare two things and say which is best.
Prepares for speaking. Describing a picture and answering questions on it means saying what is bigger, better or more.
Tested by the conversation “Recommending something to a friend”.
Restoranis
Eating out
Read a menu, order a full meal and ask what's in a dish.
Prepares for reading, speaking. The reading paper matches sentences to short texts, and the idea card is asking for something.
Tested by the conversation “Ordering a meal”.
Plaanid
Plans and the future
Make arrangements, talk about your plans and say what you're going to do.
Prepares for writing, speaking. A note or an invitation in the writing part is an arrangement, and so is the idea card.
Tested by the conversation “Making plans with a friend”.
Suhtlemine
Phone, mail and the internet
Make a phone call, write a short message and arrange to meet.
Prepares for writing, listening. The writing part asks for a note or a message, and the listening paper has true or false statements about a dialogue.
Tested by the conversation “Calling a shop before you go”.
Tunded
Feelings
Say how you feel, and ask how someone else is and mean it.
Prepares for speaking. The opening conversation is how you are and a few questions about yourself.
Tested by the conversation “A friend has bad news”.
Kirjeldamine
Saying what something was like
Say what you thought of something and describe it in a few words: nice, fun, strange, famous.
Prepares for speaking, writing. Describing the picture and describing a given topic in writing both ask for what something is like.
Kui väga
How much you mean it
Say how much you mean something: partly, fully, enough, not at all, more and more.
Prepares for reading, writing. The reading paper's gapped letter offers three forms of a word for each gap, and the writing part marks accuracy inside both pieces.
Every part of the B1 examination has at least one unit aimed at it. Writing: 9, Listening: 2, Reading: 8, Speaking: 10.
Sihitis
The whole thing, or some of it
Choose between an object in the osastav (3rd form) and one in the omastav (2nd form), and explain why.
Prepares for reading, writing. The reading paper sets ten gaps with three options and eight from a bank, and the writing part marks accuracy inside both pieces.
Inimsuhted
Relationships
Talk about friendships, disagreements and how people get on.
Prepares for writing, speaking. The second writing task can be a personal letter, and the speaking part has you agree a decision with another candidate.
Rektsioon
Which case a verb wants
Use the case each common verb wants, not the one English suggests.
Prepares for reading, writing. The reading paper sets ten gaps with three options and eight from a bank, and the writing part marks accuracy inside both pieces.
Töö ja raha
Work, money and decisions
Describe your job, talk about pay and conditions, and take part in a meeting.
Prepares for speaking, listening. The speaking part ends on a phone call answered from a card, and the listening paper has an interview with true or false statements.
Tested by the conversation “A job interview”.
Tingiv kõneviis
Would, could, should
Talk about what would happen, ask for things politely and give advice.
Prepares for speaking, reading. Agreeing a decision with another candidate means saying what you would do, and the gap tasks test the form.
Haridus
Education and qualifications
Describe your education, apply for a course and talk about the school system.
Prepares for writing, speaking. The first writing task can be a form, and the opening conversation asks about your studies.
Tested by the conversation “Talking to your child's teacher”.
Kesksõnad
Participles and compound tenses
Use the perfect and pluperfect, and describe things with participles.
Prepares for reading, writing. The reading paper sets ten gaps with three options and eight from a bank, and the writing part marks accuracy inside both pieces.
Tested by the conversation “At the family doctor's”.
Eluase
Housing and moving
Rent an apartment, say what's wrong with it and deal with the landlord.
Prepares for speaking, writing. The phone call has one candidate ask and the other answer from a card, and the first writing task is a note or a message.
Tested by the conversation “Telling a landlord something is broken”.
Iseloom
Character and personality
Describe someone's character with more than two adjectives.
Prepares for writing, speaking. The story in the second writing task needs people described in it, and the opening conversation is about people too.
Meedia
The news
Follow a news bulletin and sum up a story you've read.
Prepares for reading, listening. The reading paper sets an article of 200 to 300 words, and the listening paper sets questions on a monologue.
Tehnoloogia
Computers and the internet
Sort out a device, an account or a technical problem in Estonian.
Prepares for speaking, reading. The phone call has one candidate ask and the other answer from a card, and the reading paper matches situations to notices.
Tested by the conversation “Calling tech support”.
Arvamus
Opinions and disagreement
Give an opinion, agree, disagree politely and say why.
Prepares for speaking. The speaking part has you agree a decision with the other candidate, which means agreeing and disagreeing politely.
Tested by the conversation “Disagreeing in a team meeting”.
Keskkond
Environment and sustainability
Discuss environmental problems and what should be done about them.
Prepares for reading, speaking. The reading paper sets an article, and the speaking part ends a discussion in a decision.
Probleemid
Things going wrong
Report a problem, complain so it gets heard, and ask for it to be fixed.
Prepares for writing, speaking. A note or message in the first writing task can report a problem, and so can the phone call.
Tested by the conversation “Taking something back to the shop”.
Ühendverbid
Verbs with a particle
Use the small words like ära, üles and läbi that completely change what a verb means.
Prepares for reading, writing. The reading paper sets ten gaps with three options and eight from a bank, and the writing part marks accuracy inside both pieces.
Every part of the B2 examination has at least one unit aimed at it. Writing: 9, Listening: 5, Reading: 9, Speaking: 7.
Umbisikuline tegumood
When nobody is named
Read and write the impersonal Estonian of notices, news and official writing.
Prepares for reading, writing. The reading paper sets an article of 500 to 600 words in the formal register the impersonal belongs to, and the first writing task can be a semi-formal letter.
Tested by the conversation “Renewing a residence permit”.
Ühiskond
Society and public life
Follow a public debate and take a side in it.
Prepares for speaking, writing. The speaking part ends in a debate that reaches a decision, and the second writing task can be an argument.
Tested by the conversation “A residents' meeting about the yard”.
Kaudne kõneviis
Passing on what you heard
Pass on hearsay with the mood Estonian keeps for it, and notice when it's used on you.
Prepares for listening, reading. The listening interview and the reading article are the longer texts, which is where reported speech turns up.
Tested by the conversation “Passing on news you heard”.
Majandus
Economy and business
Read a business page and explain an economic trend.
Prepares for writing, reading. The second writing task can be a summary of figures with your own comment, and the reading paper sets an article.
Des-vorm
Two things at once
Join two actions into one sentence, the way written Estonian likes to.
Prepares for writing, reading. The reading paper sets twelve gaps with four options and eight from a bank, and the writing part marks accuracy inside both pieces.
Ajalugu
History
Tell the story of past events and explain why they mattered.
Prepares for listening, reading. The listening paper sets gaps from a longer monologue, and the reading paper matches statements to paragraphs.
Sõnamoodustus
Building words from words
Spot the suffix on a word you've never seen and work out what it probably means.
Prepares for reading, listening. The reading and listening papers hold words a candidate has not met, and a suffix is how to make sense of one.
Poliitika
Politics and power
Understand election coverage and explain how a decision gets made.
Prepares for listening, speaking. The listening paper sets an interview, and the speaking part ends in a debate.
Tervishoid
The health system
Find your way around the health system and discuss public health policy.
Prepares for reading, speaking. The reading paper sets an article and matches statements to paragraphs, and the speaking part ends in a debate.
Teadus
Science and method
Follow a popular science article and describe how a study was done.
Prepares for reading, listening. The reading paper sets an article of 500 to 600 words, and the listening paper sets a longer monologue.
Kunst ja kultuur
The arts
Review a film, a book or an exhibition and back up your verdict.
Prepares for writing, speaking. The second writing task can be an argument, and the one minute talk asks you to back up a view.
Õigus
Law and justice
Understand a legal notice and describe a dispute and how it ended.
Prepares for reading, writing. The reading paper matches statements to paragraphs of a formal text, and the first writing task can be a semi-formal letter.
Psühholoogia
Mind and behavior
Talk about motivation, habits and behavior in abstract terms.
Prepares for speaking, writing. The one minute talk on a topic and the written argument both ask for abstract reasoning.
Töömaailm
Working life
Handle a job interview, a negotiation and a difficult conversation at work.
Prepares for speaking. The speaking part opens with a conversation about your work and sets a one minute talk on a work topic.
Arvud ja suundumused
Charts and figures
Describe a chart, a trend and a proportion accurately.
Prepares for writing. The second writing task can be a summary of figures with your own comment.
Tested by the conversation “Presenting a chart at work”.
Argumenteerimine
Building a case
Structure a written argument, with concession and counter-argument.
Prepares for writing, speaking. The second writing task can be an argument, and the speaking part ends in a debate.
Tested by the conversation “B2 speaking exam (practice)”.
Every part of the C1 examination has at least one unit aimed at it. Writing: 8, Listening: 4, Reading: 8, Speaking: 6.
Nominalisatsioon
Turning clauses into phrases
Pack a clause into a noun phrase, the way formal Estonian expects.
Prepares for writing, reading. The first writing task is a neutral summary of figures for the public, and the reading texts are formal.
Lauseloome
Long sentences that stay clear
Build a three-clause sentence that stays readable, with every comma in the right place.
Prepares for writing, reading. The opinion text is 220 to 260 words with a hard upper limit, and one reading task chooses whole sentences for gaps.
Akadeemiline eesti keel
Arguing a point
Write an academic paragraph with a claim, support and a qualification.
Prepares for writing. The second writing task is a structured opinion text that develops two given points.
Teadustöö
Research writing
Read a research abstract and describe how a study was designed and where it falls short.
Prepares for reading, listening. The reading paper sets short answers about an information text, and the listening paper a lecture taken down as notes.
Filosoofia
Ideas in the abstract
Discuss an abstract idea without reaching for a concrete example every sentence.
Prepares for speaking, writing. The speaking part ends in a discussion of a set topic, and the opinion text develops abstract points.
Eetika
Right, wrong and responsibility
Argue an ethical position, and make the best case for the side you disagree with.
Prepares for speaking, writing. The discussion of a set topic and the opinion text both ask for a position argued well.
Retoorika
Persuading people
Give a persuasive talk and spot the tricks being used on you.
Prepares for speaking. The speaking part sets a two minute presentation on a work topic after three minutes to prepare.
Register
Formal, neutral, familiar
Say the same thing three ways and pick the right one for the room.
Prepares for writing, speaking. The first writing task must be neutral and for the public, and the speaking part opens with introducing your work.
Tested by the conversation “The same favor, asked three ways”.
Kõnekäänud
Idioms and set phrases
Use and understand common idioms without translating them word for word.
Prepares for listening, reading. The listening paper sets a seven minute conversation heard once, which is where idioms are met at speed.
Sidusus
Holding a text together
Signpost a long text so a reader never loses the thread.
Prepares for writing, listening. The opinion text must be easy to follow, and the lecture in listening is taken down by its signposts.
Innovatsioon
Technology and change
Discuss technological change and what it does to society.
Prepares for speaking, reading. The presentation is on one of two work topics, and the reading paper sets a 600 word text.
Rahvusvahelised suhted
The world outside
Follow international news and describe a country's diplomatic position.
Prepares for listening, reading. The listening paper opens with short answers from a news recording.
Kirjandus
Reading literature
Read an Estonian novel and talk about how it's written as well as what happens.
Prepares for reading, speaking. The reading paper matches statements to sections of a longer text, and the discussion asks how something is said.
Tested by the conversation “A book club”.
Nüansid
Picking exactly the right word
Choose between two words the dictionary translates the same way.
Prepares for reading, writing. One reading task chooses a whole sentence out of three for each gap, and the writing part marks word choice.