· 7 min read
Russian Language Test: TORFL Levels Explained
By Language Lab editorial team
The Russian language test explained: TORFL's six levels from elementary to fourth certificate, how they match A1 to C2, and what each level lets you do.
The official Russian language test is TORFL, the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language, known in Russian as ТРКИ. It is Russia's state system of certification levels and has six levels that line up with the European framework: the Elementary level, ТЭУ, is A1; the Basic level, ТБУ, is A2; and the First, Second, Third and Fourth Certificate levels, ТРКИ-1 to ТРКИ-4, are B1, B2, C1 and C2. Since 1997 the Russian system has been officially included in the level system of ALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe. The Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, which has certified Russian since 1992, runs testing in Russia and in more than 30 countries, and its online portal lets you check your level first.
The six levels
| TORFL level | Russian name | European level |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | ТЭУ, Элементарный уровень | A1 |
| Basic | ТБУ, Базовый уровень | A2 |
| First Certificate | ТРКИ-1 | B1 |
| Second Certificate | ТРКИ-2 | B2 |
| Third Certificate | ТРКИ-3 | C1 |
| Fourth Certificate | ТРКИ-4 | C2 |
The Pushkin Institute describes TORFL as a single certification system for establishing the level of practical command of Russian, built around the purposes for which the language is used and the skills needed in the main kinds of speech activity.
What each level means
The Pushkin Institute's online portal describes what a learner can do at each stage.
| Level | What you can do |
|---|---|
| A1, Elementary | Read and write in Russian, pronounce Russian sounds, words and phrases, construct and understand basic texts, and behave in typical everyday situations |
| A2, Basic | Use basic phrases to describe yourself and your family, maintain basic conversations, and get basic information by asking simple questions |
| B1, First Certificate | Share your opinion on a topic, understand what Russians talk about at work or in school, and keep up with conversations in a Russian-speaking environment |
| B2, Second Certificate | Comprehend professional content, speak quickly and spontaneously with a native speaker, and share your point of view with confidence |
| C1, Third Certificate | Comprehend Russian classical literature, communicate freely about professional topics, and create coherent reports on scientific topics |
| C2, Fourth Certificate | Reach peak reading and listening comprehension, write research papers and emphasise shades of meaning |
Who runs the tests
The Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in Moscow says it has been certifying levels of Russian as a foreign language since 1992 and now organises testing in Russia and abroad, in more than 30 countries. Testing abroad takes place in visiting examination sessions and also in automated and remote forms. Alongside TORFL, the Institute runs its own tests in several strands.
- Russian for everyday communication, for adults: A1 to C2.
- Russian for everyday communication, for school-age children: A1 to C2.
- Russian for bilingual learners: A1 to B2.
- Business Russian: B1 to C1.
- Russian in international tourism: three levels, РЭТ-1 to РЭТ-3.
How to book
At the Institute itself, you register in advance by email, giving your full name in Russian, the type and level of test and one of the dates offered on its site. You are booked once you receive a reply listing the documents you need, the time and place, and a link for payment. Candidates who arrive late or without a booking are not admitted. If you are outside Russia, look for an authorised testing session near you, and confirm dates and fees with the centre, since the pages we read do not publish them.
Check your level first
The Institute's portal, Education in Russian, offers two checks once you register: a test to determine your level of Russian, and a check of whether you are ready to take the certification test. The portal also teaches: it has online courses at each level from A1 to C2, and says that after successfully completing a course a learner can receive a certificate confirming it. The portal reports more than 1.3 million registered participants.
How long to each level
Russian is a long course for English speakers. The US State Department places it in Category III, hard languages, at about 44 weeks or 1,012 class hours to a speaking and listening score of 3 on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale. Plan your first exam accordingly: the Elementary or Basic level is a sensible first target, and the First Certificate, B1, is where the portal says you can keep up in a Russian-speaking environment.
How to prepare
- Take the portal's level test and readiness check before choosing an exam level.
- Make sure you read and write Cyrillic comfortably; reading and writing in Russian is the first thing the A1 level lists.
- Practise all the kinds of speech activity, since the test is built around them.
- Test yourself instead of rereading. A 2013 review of learning research rated practice testing and distributed practice as high utility.
- Speak regularly. From B2 the level description expects quick, spontaneous speech with a native speaker.
Language Lab's Russian course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, which adds spoken practice to your exam preparation.
Frequently asked
What is the official Russian language test?
TORFL, the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language, called ТРКИ in Russian. It is Russia's state system of certification levels.
How many TORFL levels are there?
Six: Elementary, Basic, and the First, Second, Third and Fourth Certificate levels.
What CEFR level is TORFL-1?
B1. The Elementary level is A1, Basic is A2, TORFL-2 is B2, TORFL-3 is C1 and TORFL-4 is C2.
Is TORFL recognised in Europe?
The Pushkin Institute's portal states that since 1997 the Russian testing system has been officially included in the level system of ALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe.
Where can I take the Russian test?
At the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in Moscow or at sessions it organises in more than 30 countries, some in automated or remote form.
How can I check my Russian level before the test?
Register on the Pushkin Institute's Education in Russian portal and take its level test, then its readiness check for the certification test.
Sources: Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, Testing (Тестирование) page; Education in Russian portal (pushkininstitute.ru), Learn Russian, About and home pages; US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: The Winter Palace and Alexander Column, Saint Petersburg, W. Bulach / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
