The exams are held twice a year

1) in April;

2) in November.

When it is necessary, extra sessions are conducted. Request for them should be sent to Personnel Policy Directorate, with a copy to the Commandant of G.S.Rakovski Defence and Staff College, ten days before the date of the extra exam.

The exams are held in G.S.Rakovski Defence and Staff College, V.Levsky Military Academy, P.Volov Military Academy, N.I.Vapzarov Military Academy and G.Benkovski Military Academy.

Only the applicants, who have submitted reports (applications - for the civilians) according to the chain of command, can show up at the exam. Each applicant specifies in the report (the application) the foreign language and the level he/she applies for, as well as the place, according to Art.5, the applicant's personal identification number, birthplace, job position, place of work and home address.

The applicants' reports (applications) could not be detained, regardless of the commanders' (directors') opinion.

The terms for submitting the reports (applications) for every calendar year are as follows:

- for April session – till February, 15th ;

- for November session – till September, 15th.

The commandants of the college and the military schools notify the applicants about the date, place and order for the exam not later than 20 (twenty) days before it.

The admitted applicants are considered on an official trip for the date of the exam.

The English language exam consists of one multi-level test.

The exams for the other foreign languages consist either of one multi-level test, or separate tests for the different levels.

The militaries and the civilians, who pass the exam successfully, receive a certificate for foreign language competence according to STANAG 6001 NATO standard.

The lists with the exam results have to be sent to the Personnel Policy Directorate of the Ministry of Defence and the Personnel Directorate of the General Staff ten days after the exams.

A copy of the certificate for foreign language competence has to be submitted to the relevant staff office by each candidate.

The validity of the certificates issued abroad is 5 (five) years.

All who had attained a certificate for foreign language competence, according to STANAG 6001 NATO standard, enclose it to the documents when applying for a training abroad, participation in joint task force operations, for appointment at positions in multinational staffs and structures, as well as in NATO staffs, for military-diplomatic work, for military observers, when the job characteristics require it, and in all cases when foreign language competence according to STANAG 6001 NATO standard is required.