My YKI Test Journey: Taking the Finnish Language Test in Finland

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Our Journey to Finland — Part 6

Learning Finnish has been one of the biggest parts of our journey since deciding to move to Finland.

It started long before we arrived here. I studied Finnish while I was still working full-time in Dubai, attended online language lessons, memorized vocabulary, struggled with grammar, tried to understand spoken Finnish, and slowly learned how to express myself in a language that once felt completely unfamiliar.

But eventually, there came another challenge:

The YKI test.

As part of my Top-Up Nursing journey toward becoming a Registered Nurse (sairaanhoitaja) in Finland, I needed to demonstrate my Finnish language proficiency.

And suddenly, all those months and years of studying Finnish were leading toward one important examination.

I eventually took the YKI test not once…

but twice. 😅

In this mini-series, I want to share how I prepared, what the examination days were like, the study materials that helped me, the parts I found difficult, the kinds of tasks and topics I encountered, and eventually – my results.

But first, let us start from the beginning.

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What Is the YKI Test?

YKI refers to Finland’s National Certificate of Language Proficiency (yleinen kielitutkinto).

It is an official language examination for adults that measures practical language skills in everyday situations rather than simply testing grammar rules or vocabulary.

The YKI examination assesses four areas:

• Speaking
• Listening comprehension
• Writing
• Reading comprehension

Normally, all four subtests are completed during the same examination day.

The test itself can take several hours, so it really feels like a full examination day.

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YKI Proficiency Levels

The YKI examination is offered at three levels:

Basic Level

Corresponds approximately to A1-A2 language proficiency.

Current test fee: €165

Intermediate Level

Corresponds approximately to B1-B2 language proficiency.

Current test fee: €190

Advanced Level

Corresponds approximately to C1-C2 language proficiency.

Current test fee: €216

The intermediate level is probably the YKI level most familiar to many immigrants in Finland because it is also commonly used when demonstrating Finnish or Swedish language skills for purposes such as citizenship.

For Finnish citizenship, however, it is important to note that the requirement is not simply “grade 3 in all four areas.” The Finnish National Agency for Education specifies accepted combinations of subtests, with at least grade 3 in the required combination.

Important: YKI requirements, fees, registration procedures and examination arrangements can change. Always check the Finnish National Agency for Education and Studyinfo for the latest official information.

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What Was Required From Me?

In my case, the YKI examination was connected to my Top-Up Nursing journey toward becoming a Registered Nurse (sairaanhoitaja) in Finland.

I needed to demonstrate B1-level (Intermediate) Finnish, which meant achieving a grade of 3 or 4 in all four sub-tests.

This made the examination extremely important to me.

It was no longer simply:

“Let’s see how good my Finnish is.”

There was a real goal behind it.

I had already worked hard to become a Registered Nurse in the Philippines. Now I was studying and working toward being able to practise as a sairaanhoitaja in Finland as well.

And Finnish was one of the biggest pieces of that journey.

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Why I Took the YKI Test Twice

Yes.

I actually took the YKI test twice. 😅

I’ll save my complete results for another post in this mini-series because I don’t want to spoil everything yet.

My first examination was:

30 August 2025 – Savonlinna, Finland

My second examination was:

8 November 2025 – Oulu, Finland

You might be wondering:

Why take the examination twice before even knowing the first result?

There was a very personal reason behind it.

At the time, I was on my first trimester of pregnancy, and I knew that I would begin my maternity leave in February 2026.

I wanted to finish as many important things as possible before then.

I didn’t want to spend my maternity leave worrying about another language examination, registration dates, travelling to a test centre or studying intensely for another YKI attempt.

As much as possible, I wanted that time to be focused on our baby.

So instead of waiting for my first result, I registered for another examination.

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My YKI Finnish Language Exam Timeline

YKI results normally take around two months to be assessed and released, which was another reason I did not want to wait too long before booking another examination.

The funny part was that my first result arrived before my second examination.

So by the time I travelled to Oulu for my second YKI…

I already knew what had happened in Savonlinna.

Let’s just say I felt much more relaxed during exam number two. 😅

I’ll share both results later in this series.

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Which YKI Level Did I Take?

I took the intermediate-level Finnish YKI test.

This was the appropriate examination level for the language proficiency requirement connected with my nursing pathway.

The intermediate test assesses language skills around the B1-B2 range, which means that you are expected to communicate independently in many ordinary everyday situations.

For me, this was where all the Finnish I had been learning finally had to work together.

Vocabulary.

Grammar.

Listening.

Speaking.

Writing.

Reading.

And perhaps most importantly…

being able to keep communicating even when my Finnish wasn’t perfect.

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How I Registered for the YKI Test

I registered for the YKI examination online through the official YKI registration system linked through Studyinfo (Opintopolku).

During registration, I selected:

• the language
• the proficiency level
• the examination location
• the available examination date

YKI places – especially for intermediate Finnish – can fill quickly, so it is worth checking the registration period beforehand and registering once it opens.

For my first examination, I selected Savonlinna.

For my second, I selected Oulu.

Neither was exactly around the corner from Kuhmo. 😅

But at that point, travelling several hours for an important examination felt worth it.

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How I Prepared for the YKI Test

I did not rely on only one study method.

Instead, I tried to expose myself to as much Finnish as possible.

I watched Finnish lessons on YouTube.

I watched Finnish movies and series.

I tried to read Finnish fiction books.

I listened carefully whenever Finnish was spoken around me.

And of course, I continued studying grammar, vocabulary and sentence construction.

Two books became especially useful during my preparation:

Ykäänkö vai Ykiinkö by Gimara

and

YKIä kohti

These books helped me particularly with listening, reading and writing practice.

But I also learned something important during this preparation:

Studying for YKI cannot only mean studying a textbook.

You also need to get used to real Finnish.

People do not always speak slowly.

They don’t always use textbook Finnish.

Sometimes you miss a word.

Sometimes you understand only half of the sentence.

And sometimes you simply have to understand enough to continue.

That became a big part of my preparation.

I’ll make a separate post containing the books, websites, videos, exercises and other study resources I used.

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The Days Before My First YKI Test

A few days before the examination, I tried not to think about it too much.

I kept telling myself:

Don’t panic. Just do what you can.

And surprisingly, I was doing quite well.

Until about two hours before the test.

Then suddenly…

the nerves arrived. 😅

I became really nervous.

I started thinking about everything I had studied.

What if I couldn’t understand the listening part?

What if my mind suddenly went blank during speaking?

What if I couldn’t think of anything to write?

But once the examination actually started, something changed.

I didn’t have time to be nervous anymore.

I had to focus.

My goal was simply to stay calm enough for my brain to work.

Read carefully.

Listen carefully.

Speak.

Write.

Move to the next task.

Don’t overthink.

Just keep going.

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Taking the YKI Test While Pregnant

There was another little challenge during my first examination.

I was in the first trimester of pregnancy.

So apart from YKI nerves, I also wasn’t feeling my best physically that day.

I had some nausea and discomfort, which made an already long examination day a little more challenging.

Still, I tried to focus on one part of the examination at a time.

Looking back, I’m actually quite proud that I managed to sit through the whole thing while dealing with pregnancy symptoms at the same time.

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My First YKI Test – Savonlinna

My first YKI examination was held at Linnala opisto, Savonlinna.

There were only around 12 test takers in our group.

I really liked the atmosphere.

It was quiet.

It didn’t feel crowded.

Everything was organized.

For someone who becomes more nervous when surrounded by a large crowd, I found the environment really comfortable.

The only downside?

Savonlinna was roughly a four-hour drive from our home in Kuhmo.

That meant the examination was not only mentally exhausting – it also involved quite a journey.

Still, if you prefer a quieter testing environment, my personal experience in Savonlinna was very positive.

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My Second YKI Test – Oulu

My second examination was held at a OSAO, Oulu.

This one felt very different.

There were noticeably more examinees, and the place felt busier than Savonlinna.

Still, everything was organized and I didn’t experience any major problems during the examination.

And because I had already taken YKI once before, I knew what an actual examination day felt like.

That alone made things easier.

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And Then Came the Breaks… 😂

One funny thing about YKI examination breaks is hearing everyone discussing how things went.

Some people were whispering.

Others were comparing what they understood.

Some were wondering whether they answered something correctly.

And me?

I was trying not to listen.

But…

I couldn’t help eavesdropping a little. 😂

Of course, listening to everybody else’s answers after a test can sometimes make you question your own, so eventually I reminded myself:

It’s done. Leave it alone.

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Waiting for the YKI Result

Then came another difficult part.

Waiting.

YKI results usually take around two months.

And when something means so much to you, two months can feel very long.

Did I speak enough?

Was my writing understandable?

Did I misunderstand something?

Was my Finnish really good enough?

Those questions stayed somewhere in the back of my mind.

Until 23 October 2025.

My first result arrived earlier than I had expected.

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Receiving My First YKI Result

Seeing that result felt almost unreal.

For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was looking at.

All those Finnish lessons.

All those words I tried to memorize.

All those moments when someone spoke Finnish and I understood absolutely nothing. 😂

All the grammar.

The mistakes.

The awkward conversations.

The studying after work.

The frustration.

The patience.

And suddenly, there was a result sitting in front of me.

One of my first thoughts was:

Oh wow… maybe I really can enjoy my maternity leave now. 😂

I had wanted so badly to finish this part of my journey before our baby arrived.

And somehow, that wish came true.

I’ll show you the actual result – together with my second result – later in this YKI series.

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What I Learned Before Even Seeing My Final Results

One of the biggest lessons I learned from preparing for YKI was something very simple:

Speak anyway.

Even when I stuttered.

Even when there were awkward pauses.

Even when I wasn’t sure whether my grammar was correct.

Sometimes the sentence came out correctly.

Sometimes it didn’t.

But I kept speaking.

And somewhere along the way, I realized that communication does not require perfect Finnish.

Sometimes you simply need enough courage to open your mouth and try.

That lesson became useful not only for YKI, but also for everyday life here in Finland.

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What I’ll Share in This YKI Mini-Series

This post is only the beginning.

In the next parts of my YKI Test Journey, I’ll share more about:

• how I prepared for each YKI subtest
• speaking
• listening comprehension
• writing
• reading comprehension
• the types of topics and tasks I encountered during my two examinations
• which part I personally found the hardest
• what surprised me during the exam
• mistakes I made while preparing
• what I would do differently
• my YKI study resources and reviewers
• and finally, my YKI results

I hope sharing my experience can help another Finnish learner who is sitting at home wondering:

“Am I ready for YKI?”

Because I remember asking myself exactly the same question.

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Follow My Finnish Language Journey

My YKI journey did not begin on examination day.

It was part of a much longer journey of learning Finnish – one that started while I was still living and working in Dubai.

You may also want to read:

→ Learning Finnish: The Beginning of My Language Journey

→ How I Started Learning Finnish While Working Full-Time in Dubai

→ 12 Reasons Why Learning Finnish Was So Difficult for Me

→ 8 Finnish Grammar Challenges That Still Confuse Me

→ My Finnish Reviewers & Study Materials

And if you’re following our bigger story:

→ Our Journey to Finland

My Finnish language journey, nursing journey and our journey to Finland are all connected.

One step somehow led to another.

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Follow My YKI Test Journey

My YKI journey became much bigger than just taking one language test. From learning how the exam works and preparing for each section to facing the actual test, waiting for the results, and looking back at what I would do differently, I’ve shared the experience in this complete mini-series.

If you’re preparing for YKI yourself, you can read the series from the beginning or simply choose the topic you need most. 💚

📖 Main Article

My YKI Test Journey: Taking the Finnish Language Test in Finland
My overall YKI journey – why I took the test, what the experience was like, and how it became an important part of my Finnish-language journey.

📌 Part 6A

What Is the YKI Test? A Simple Guide for Beginners
A beginner-friendly introduction to the Finnish YKI test and what you can expect from the examination.

📌 Part 6B

How I Prepared for the YKI Test: My Study Routine, Books and Practice Tips
The study routine, books, practice methods, and materials I personally used while preparing for YKI.

📌 Part 6C

YKI Speaking Test: My Experience and 5 Challenges I Faced
My experience with the speaking section, including the challenges I faced while answering under time pressure.

📌 Part 6D

YKI Writing Test: My Experience and 6 Challenges I Faced
What the writing section was like for me and the challenges I encountered while completing the tasks.

📌 Part 6E

YKI Reading and Listening Test: My Experience and 5 Challenges I Faced
My experience with the reading and listening sections – including the part of YKI I personally found the most difficult.

📌 Part 6F

What I Found Most Difficult About the YKI Finnish Language Test
The parts of the YKI test that challenged me the most and what I learned from the experience.

📌 Part 6G

My YKI Test Results: The Day I Found Out I Passed the Finnish Language Test
The results from my two YKI tests in 2025 and what it felt like to finally know that all the preparation had paid off.

📌 Part 6H

If I Took the YKI Finnish Language Test Again: 5 Things I Would Do Differently
Looking back at the whole experience, these are the five things I would change if I had to prepare for and take the YKI test again.

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Final Thoughts

When I first started learning Finnish, passing a language examination felt very far away.

At that time, I was just trying to remember basic words.

Then I started forming sentences.

Then came grammar.

Then conversations.

Then working in Finnish.

And eventually…

YKI.

Looking back, I don’t think there was one magical study method that brought me to that examination room.

It was hundreds of small moments.

Listening even when I didn’t understand everything.

Trying to speak even when my sentences weren’t perfect.

Studying after a tiring day.

Making mistakes.

Forgetting words.

Learning them again.

And continuing anyway.

If you are preparing for YKI right now, your Finnish does not have to feel perfect before you take the next step.

Mine certainly didn’t.

Sometimes progress is simply realizing that something that once felt impossible has slowly become something you can actually do.

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“You don’t have to speak perfectly to make progress. You just have to keep speaking.”

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“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

• Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

For me, this journey required more than studying vocabulary and grammar. There were many moments when I doubted myself and wondered whether I could really reach the language level I needed. This verse reminds me that strength often comes when we keep going even when the road feels difficult.

Sometimes the answer to our prayers does not arrive all at once.

Sometimes it comes through patience, hard work, courage – and one small step after another.

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Sources

For official and updated information about the YKI examination:

• Finnish National Agency for Education – National Certificates of Language Proficiency (YKI)
• Finnish National Agency for Education – Selecting the Right YKI Test and Test Days
• Finnish National Agency for Education – Registering for the YKI Test
• Finnish National Agency for Education – YKI and Finnish Citizenship Language Requirements

Important: This post describes my personal YKI experience in 2025. Test fees, registration rules, examination arrangements and language requirements may change. For example, Finland began piloting partial subtest days and digital YKI examinations in 2026. Always check the latest information from the Finnish National Agency for Education before registering.