The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation uses the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language, otherwise known as the TORFL or the ТРКИ state exam, as a measure of competence. Foreigners who want to gain employment or seek higher education in Russia will need to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the language to pass these examinations.
The test itself covers five areas, which include:
- Lexicon
- Reading
- Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
ECHO Eastern Europe School can help students to learn Russian fast and prepare them for the TORFL examinations, covering these subjects, as well as the cultural context that may be covered on the tests.
Certifications and Their Requirements:
- ТЭУ, Elementary = A1. This examination covers the basics of the language. Students at this level should be able to demonstrate that they communicate in basic, everyday Russian at a limited level.
- ТБУ, Preliminary = A2. Students will need to demonstrate further basics of Russian, along with the ability to understand everyday Russian at a limited level, along with the ability to understand cultural cues of the language. This certification often requires 160 to 180 hours of study. It also allows a certificate holder to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation.
- ТРКИ-1, First Level Certification = Russian B1. Students at this level need to be able to communicate in everyday Russian, along with cultural understanding. First Level Certification also requires that students understand educational and professional Russian. Achieving this certification is a requirement for entrance into Russian higher education. This level can require anywhere from 160 to 180 additional hours of study.
- ТРКИ-2, Second Level Certification = Russian B2. This requires a higher level of Russian fluency, and covers the areas of cultural Russian, educational Russian, and professional Russian language. This certification can require 380 hours of study, with up to 340 hours of study specifically focused on the professional orientation of the learner. First level certification must also be obtained prior.
- ТРКИ-3, Third Level Certification = C1. Advanced understanding of Russian. This requires fluency in all fields, and is a requirement to teach or conduct scientific research in Russia. This level of certification can require 280 hours of study, which is divided into 120 hours of study on the Russian language and 160 hours in a professional field.
- ТРКИ-4, Fourth Level Certification = C2. The highest level of Russian fluency, comparable to a native Russian speaker in both communication and understanding of the language. Attaining this level of certification can allow the holder to teach and research in the Russian language itself in higher education.
Learn Russian with EchoEE's experienced, dedicated team of tutors and online experts, and you could achieve the certification required to achieve your educational and professional goals.