Hungarian language proficiency ~ Saturday, April 26, 2008
The accredited Hungarian language proficiency examinations will be held on Saturday, April 26th, 2008 this year. Location: Fairview Mall Library, 35 Fairview Mall Drive, Toronto (near Hwy 404/Don Mills Rd and Sheppard Avenue East).
 

The Hungarian Helicon Society, in association with the Centre for Foreign Languages (Idegennyelvi Továbbképző Központ, or ITK) of Budapest, offers the Origó Hungarian language proficiency exams each year. Three of the five available examinations are accredited by the Hungarian government and make them officially recognized exams around the world. Upon successful completion of the accredited exams, the examinee will receive an official document indicating the type of exam completed.

In 2003, the ITK joined forces with the Hungarian Helicon Society to offer these examinations in Toronto. In November 2006, the Helicon Society became the first and only accredited site in North America for these examinations..

Examinations Offered:

Currently, exams are offered at five levels, as listed below. The exams are also rated according to the European Council’s 6-level scale – these levels are indicated in parentheses (e.g. A2, B1, etc.)

Junior* (Level A2): New. Consists of both an oral and written component. For examinees aged 10 to 16. (information is available at www.itk.hu/junior/vizsgaleiras/ )

Belépõ* (Level A2) - Waystage User/Entry Level: This examination assesses how well the candidate can meet the most basic communication demands of everyday life. Format: oral exam, written exam, or both taken together. For examinees aged 14 years or older.

Alapfok (Level B1) - Threshold User/Foundation: This examination assesses whether the candidates can meet the basic communication demands of everyday life and whether they can create and maintain social, cultural and work relationships at a basic level in a Hungarian language environment. Format: oral exam, written exam, or both taken together. For examinees aged 14 years or older.

Középfok (Level B2) - Independent User/Intermediate: This examination assesses whether the candidates can create and maintain social, cultural and work relationships in a complex way and using the appropriate language in a Hungarian language environment. Format: oral exam, written exam, or both taken together. For examinees aged 14 years or older.

Felsõfok (Level C1) - Competent User/Advanced: This examination assesses whether the candidates can approximate the linguistic and cultural performance of native speakers in a Hungarian language environment. The candidates must have a sophisticated vocabulary, a rich variety of stylistic apparatus and must be familiar with different language registers. Format: oral exam, written exam, or both taken together. For examinees aged 14 years or older.

Levels A2, B1, B2, C1 are internationally recognized levels as determined by the Council of Europe.

* Please note: the Junior and Belépõ exams are not yet accredited, but serve as a solid entry level into the accredited examination system.

For detailed information about the exams, visit the ITK’s website: www.itk.hu and follow the various links for “magyar mint idegen nyelv”.

Why take the exam?

There are many reasons why you may wish to obtain proof of your language proficiency, including:

• To obtain proof of your knowledge of Hungarian - for personal or professional reasons.
• To determine the level of your knowledge of Hungarian based on a specific and recognized scale.
• To indicate on your resume or job application that you have an accredited certification in Hungarian.
• If you intend to apply for a job in Hungary, your employer may require official proof of your proficiency in Hungarian.
• If you wish to further your studies in Hungary, proof of your current language proficiency may be required by the educational institution.
• If you are currently studying Hungarian, these exams can help gauge your current level and future progress.
• In 2004, Hungary joined the European Union, making Hungarian an officially recognized language in the E.U. Proving one’s proficiency in Hungarian may prove useful in other countries in the E.U. for work or study purposes.

Examination Fees:

The examination fees for 2008 are as follows:

Examination Type	Oral	Written	Complete (Oral + Written)
Junior	n/a	n/a	$70.00
Belépõ	$35.00	$35.00	$70.00
Alapfok	$60.00	$70.00	$130.00
Középfok	$70.00	$90.00	$160.00
Felsõfok	$90.00	$100.00	$190.00

We would like to express our thanks to the United Hungarian Fund (Egyesült Magyar Alap) for sponsoring the examination fees for the Grade 12 students of the Hungarian High School Program (Torontoi Magyar Gimnázium).

Registration:

Please send in your completed registration form along with your payment to the Hungarian Helicon Society before April 11, 2008.

Preparatory Textbook:

In addition to the information available at www.itk.hu, the ITK published a preparatory book entitled “Fokrol Fokra Magyarul”, which includes information about the exams, as well as practice questions. The book is available from the Hungarian Helicon Society for a cost of $17.50. To obtain a copy, please download the order form and mail it in with your payment.

About the ITK:

Since 2000, Hungarian as a Second Language examinations have been offered at the Centre for Foreign Languages (Idegennyelvi Továbbképző Központ, or ITK). The Centre has been operating in Budapest as an institute of higher learning and a nation-wide language examination centre. It is an independent not-for-profit institution under the auspices of Eötvös Lóránd University (ELTE).

One of the important tasks of the institution is the standardized assessment of knowledge of the Hungarian language and culture within the framework of a modern system of examinations. The three highest level exams were accredited by the Hungarian government and are therefore officially recognized to determine one’s Hungarian language proficiency.