Hungarian Language Exams for University in Hungary: ECL, Origó and the Preparatory Year

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Hungary is the clearest case in Europe of a two-track system. Programmes taught in Hungarian go through the national application on felvi.hu, and they are designed for students who are fluent: lectures, textbooks, exams and the entrance requirements are all in Hungarian. Programmes taught in English or German are run separately for international students. This guide is about the first track, and about the exams and courses that get a non-native speaker there.

Is there a required level?

Unlike Poland or Czechia, Hungary sets no national language level for foreign applicants to Hungarian-taught degrees, and the national admissions information on foreign qualifications does not name one. The working assumption is that you can follow a full degree in Hungarian.

In practice the yardstick is B2, from three directions:

The preparatory years that universities run for future Hungarian-taught students aim at B2.
The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship asks applicants to Hungarian-taught degrees for proof of Hungarian as a foreign language, and the universities test the level in their entrance examinations. Applicants whose Hungarian is not yet good enough must first complete a compulsory one-year preparatory course.
The admission system itself is built on the Hungarian school-leaving exam. Points come from school results and exam subjects, as described in how to get into a university in Hungary, and some programmes add an oral or practical test, all in Hungarian.

If you went to a Hungarian-language school abroad, for example in Slovakia, Romania, Serbia or Ukraine, your schooling usually answers the language question already. Ask the university if you are unsure what it wants on paper.

Exams in Hungarian as a foreign language

Hungary has a state-regulated system of language exams, and two well-known exam systems test Hungarian for non-native speakers.

ECL

The ECL exam system was developed by the Foreign Language Centre of the University of Pécs, which still manages it. Hungarian is one of its fifteen languages.

Levels. A2, B1, B2 and C1.
Modules. Reading, writing, listening and speaking. You can take the complete exam or single modules, and a certificate lists the modules you passed.
Pass mark. From August 2026, at least 60% in each module.
Where. At ECL centres in Hungary and abroad, including many in the neighbouring countries with Hungarian communities.
Validity. ECL certificates do not expire, though a university may set its own rules.
Fees. Set by each exam centre, so ask the centre you plan to use.

The ECL's international exam regulations apply everywhere except Hungary, which has its own country-specific rules. If you sit the exam in Hungary, check those.

ITK Origó

The Origó language centre of ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, is the other large Hungarian exam provider. It offers exams in 30 languages, and ELTE reports that students at the University of Oradea in Romania have for years been able to take its exam in Hungarian as a foreign language. Dates, fees and centres for Hungarian are published on the Origó site; check them there.

Which one to take

For admission, ask the university which certificates it accepts before you register. A complete exam covering all four skills at B2 is the safest target. Applications on felvi.hu close on 15 February for a September start, and documents that arrive later can be uploaded in spring and early summer, so leave room for a retake.

The preparatory year

Most students who start from zero spend a year in Hungary on an intensive course. Two examples from official pages:

Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE). A two-semester preparatory course, September to July, of 1,100 to 1,200 contact hours, aiming at B2. Self-financed students pay €3,500 in total plus a €100 application fee. Passing the final exam lets you start a Hungarian-taught bachelor's or master's programme the following year.
Stipendium Hungaricum. Scholarship holders whose Hungarian is not enough for a Hungarian-taught degree must complete a one-year preparatory course first. You apply for the preparatory course itself, not for the degree, and it is open only if you then continue in Hungarian. The scholarship covers the course.

Some university courses with "preparatory" in the name are culture programmes for beginners rather than a route to B2, so read the target level and what the course leads to.

Planning the time

Hungarian is unrelated to the other major languages of Europe, and most learners need longer to reach B2 than in Spanish, Italian or a Slavic language they already partly know. Allow a full preparatory year at least, and start earlier if you can. If the timeline does not work, an English-taught degree is the other door: our catalogue lists 224 programmes in English out of 1,381, typically €5,400 a year for non-EU students.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.