Exam-takers included kindergarten teachers and even prison inmates.
The tests covered the A2 (elementary) and B1 (intermediate) levels.
1,206 people took the A2 exam and 807 took the B1 exam, totaling several hundred more people than last year.

Maiki Udam, head of the Educational Quality Department at the Education and Youth Board (HARNO) said people in science, education and the service sector were most represented at the B1 exam.

She said: "The most represented fields at the B1 level were education and science, along with service and commerce, with over 200 examinees in each category."

Taking an exam can also have residency and work permit implications, she noted.
"With the lower levels, we believe the reasons include international protection, temporary protection, as well as the expiration of work or residence permits," Udam went on.

In relative terms, there are now more Estonian language learners in detention facilities than before, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

This time, 37 incarcerated people took the B1-level exam.

The primary motivators here include applying for citizenship – B1 is the level required to obtain Estonian citizenship – and better opportunities in the job market.

Emma Bachmann, project manager at the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs' prisons department, said: "More detainees have started thinking about the fact that, while they have lived in very homogenous Russian-speaking communities and workplaces, jobs today are more diverse, and people change workplaces more frequently."

"There is a growing awareness of the necessity [to learn Estonian], but on the other hand they also want to communicate in Estonian in their private lives and with colleagues," Bachmann added.

As of this year, the state no longer covers the cost of studies for detainees, though this does not seem to have dampened enthusiasm to take the Estonian-language exam, Bachmann went on.

"Very few detainees have given up on studying — most are continuing, while they now have the opportunity to show that they are learning for themselves. This intrinsic motivation is also more sustainable," she said.

At two of Tallinn's early learning centers, the Pallasti and Paekaare kindergartens, about 17 assistant teachers are studying for B1, but felt they weren't quite ready at this point.

They have been granted an extension, given B1 level will be mandatory for kindergarten teachers from next year.

Piret Kütt, director of the two kindergartens, said: "The situation is challenging for teachers and assistant teachers, but they remain motivated. They are making an effort to learn Estonian, attending courses, and using the language daily with children."

A "language village" has even been set up in the corridors of Paekaare kindergarten, featuring Estonian children's literature.

"The best part is that parents' joy has grown too. A parent might not know [Estonian fairy stories] Naksitrallid or Sammalhabe, but the child gets to introduce them and teaches them. They can listen to stories through a sound button. In the end, this is the children passing the Estonian language to their parents," Kütt added.

The Common European Framework (CEF) for languages is the EU's standard for level setting. There are six levels, from A1/A2 through to C1/C2 (proficiency).

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