Professor Waldemar Martyniuk from the Faculty of Polish Studies of the Jagiellonian University was appointed head of the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language for the term 2020-2024. JU Professor Iwona Jankowska was chosen the secretary of this body. The first meeting of the new commission was held online on May 5.

The commission is responsible for the functioning of the system of the certification of proficiency in Polish as a foreign language. Its duties include assessing the requests for the rights to conduct exams, deciding on the content of examination papers, evaluating the marking of exams by examination boards, analysing the overall functioning of the certification system in Poland and issuing relevant recommendations to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.   

The command of the Polish language is officially confirmed by the Certificate of Proficiency in Polish issued (after passing the exam) by the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language. The certificates correspond to the language skill levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment (A1,A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2), established by the Council of Europe.

The Certificates of Proficiency in Polish are issued in two versions, depending on the age group: for children and teenagers and for adults.

Besides confirming the proficiency in Polish, the certificate also provides its holders with a number of rights, depending on the certificate level, entitling them, for instance, to apply for Polish citizenship or tuition waiver at public institutions of higher education in Poland.

The State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language for the term 2020-2024 will consist of: Prof. Waldemar Martyniuk and Prof. Iwona Janowska from the JU Faculty of Polish Studies, Prof. Ewa Badyda from the University of Gdańsk, Prof. Anna Dąbrowska from the University of Wrocław, Prof. Anna Dunin-Dudkowska, from the Marie Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Dr hab. Katarzyna Kłosińska from the University of Warsaw, Prof. Marzena Makuchowska from the University of Opole, Prof. Agnieszka Myszka from the University of Rzeszów, Marian Orlikowski from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Urszula Paprocka-Piotrowska from the Catholic University of Lublin, Beata Pietrzyk from the Ministry of Education; Marek Szladowski from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Prof. Jolanta Tambor from the University of Silesia, and Prof. Grażyna Zarzycka from the University of Lodz.