G7: The number of language exam candidates has drastically decreased over ten years

The number of language exam candidates in Hungary has dropped by more than half in a decade, according to G7 based on data from the Educational Authority. In 2016, 134,000 people took language exams, but this figure is expected to fall to 56,000 by 2025. Several factors contributed to this decline, including the acceptance of high school graduation exams as substitutes for language exams and the non-mandatory nature of language exams for obtaining diplomas since the Covid pandemic. Employers also rarely require language exams now. Despite the decrease in exam numbers, young people's language skills are improving, although Hungary remains among the lowest in the EU for English and foreign language proficiency, with 49% of the population not speaking any foreign language.