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Exam preparation, with a date on the calendar.
Serious when it matters. For Ελληνομάθεια, for the ΙΜΧΑ certificate in Serbian, or for any other language exam, preparation runs systematically and intensively — with a clear goal and a written plan.
Why exam preparation is a different kind of teaching
A general course builds a language. Exam preparation builds a language and a performance under time pressure, in a fixed format, marked by someone you will never meet. Those are separate skills, and students who prepare only the first one lose points they did not need to lose.
I hold the Ελληνομάθεια Γ' and Δ' certificates myself — the Δ level passed with «λίαν καλώς» — which means I have sat in that room, under that clock, with that answer sheet. That matters more than it sounds: I know which tasks eat time, which instructions are misread every year, and where candidates lose marks on content they actually knew.
Which level should you sit?
This is worth getting right, because sitting a level too high wastes a year and sitting one too low wastes the fee. In the trial lesson we look at your current level honestly and pick the target that is ambitious but reachable by the date you have in mind. If the timeline is too tight for the level you want, I will say so rather than take the booking.
Four sections, four different problems.
Listening
Played twice, at full speed, with no pauses for you.
Practised with authentic audio rather than the slowed-down recordings in most coursebooks.
Reading
Long texts, short clock.
Skimming and scanning are trainable techniques, and they are what separates finishing from running out of time.
Writing
Marked against criteria you can actually learn.
Structure, register and connectives earn marks predictably. We drill the formats until they are automatic.
Speaking
The part everyone under-prepares.
Rehearsed with the real task types, including the ones candidates are surprised by on the day.
How the preparation runs.
From the exam date, not from today. The difference matters more than it sounds.
Before anything is promised, we establish where you actually stand against the level you want. This is often not where people assume.
Weeks mapped to content, working back from the sitting. You can see what is covered when, rather than trusting that progress is happening.
Listening, reading, writing and speaking practised separately, because each fails in its own way and needs its own technique.
Full practice under real conditions in the final stretch. Doing the paper correctly and doing it inside the clock are two different skills.
If the timeline does not fit the level, I will say so in the trial lesson rather than take the booking. Sitting a level too high wastes a year and the fee; sitting one too low wastes the opportunity. Getting this call right is the single most valuable thing that happens before preparation starts.
Which Greek certificate do you actually need?
The answer is usually set by an institution rather than by ambition. Check the requirement first.
| Level | Roughly what it demonstrates | Commonly required for |
|---|---|---|
| A1–A2 | Everyday basics: introductions, simple exchanges, short texts. | Personal milestones; occasionally a first administrative step. |
| B1 | Independent use: conversation, straightforward correspondence, following clear speech. | Frequently cited in citizenship and residency procedures. |
| B2 | Working competence: meetings, formal writing, argument and nuance. | Employment and many professional contexts. |
| C1–C2 | Advanced and near-native use across registers, including academic writing. | University study and professional accreditation. |
Always verify the exact requirement with the institution that asked for it, and the current exam format, dates and fees with the Centre for the Greek Language. Requirements and formats change between sittings, and no third-hand summary — including this one — is a substitute for the official source.
ΙΜΧΑ — the official Serbian certificate in Greece.
Fewer people know this exists than know about Ελληνομάθεια, but it carries the same kind of weight.
The Ιδρυμα Μελετων Χερσονήσου του Αίμου (ΙΜΧΑ) — the Institute for Balkan Studies, based in Thessaloniki since 1963 — is the body that issues Greece's official certificate of Serbian language proficiency, alongside Albanian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Romanian, Russian and Turkish.
This is not an informal qualification. Under Law 4610/2019, article 248, knowledge of these languages is proven specifically by a certificate issued by ΙΜΧΑ after examination, and the certificate is recognised by ΑΣΕΠ — the body that runs recruitment for the Greek public sector. For anyone applying for a state job where Serbian is listed as an asset, this is the document that counts.
Levels follow the Common European Framework: Α1, Α2, Β1, Β2, Γ1, Γ2. Exams are held twice a year, in February and June.
Always confirm the current sitting directly with ΙΜΧΑ — dates, venues and fees change year to year, and I am not the examining body. Their site is imxa.gr.
How I prepare candidates for it
Same method as for Ελληνομάθεια: a diagnostic against the level you need, a written plan working back from the sitting, the four skills drilled separately, and timed practice using the format ΙΜΧΑ actually sets.
The material leans harder on the case system and on verbal aspect than candidates expect, and the writing task rewards a formal register that conversation never touches. If your Serbian came from a family table rather than a classroom — as it does for many of my students — that register gap is exactly what we work on.
If your certificate has to come from somewhere else
ΙΜΧΑ is the route that matters for Greek public-sector recognition. Universities, employers and other procedures sometimes ask for a specific level from a specific issuer instead — the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade and other Serbian institutes also certify to the same A1–C2 framework. If that is your situation, bring me the exact wording of the requirement and we build the plan around it rather than around ΙΜΧΑ by default.
What candidates ask before committing.
Is there a Serbian equivalent of Ελληνομάθεια?
Yes — ΙΜΧΑ, the Institute for Balkan Studies in Thessaloniki, issues the official certificate, recognised by ΑΣΕΠ for the Greek public sector. Exams run twice a year, in February and June, across levels Α1 to Γ2. Some universities and employers ask for a different issuer instead, so if you already know the exact requirement, tell me and we'll target that one.
Can you prepare me for a Serbian exam as well?
Yes. Serbian is my mother tongue and I trained in teaching it as a foreign language at Azbukum in Novi Sad. Tell me which certificate and which date, and we work backwards from there exactly as we would for Greek.
How many months do I need?
There is no honest generic answer, because it depends entirely on the gap between your current level and the target. What I can tell you is that preparation compressed into the last six weeks reliably underperforms the same number of lessons spread over six months.
Can I prepare while also learning generally?
Yes, and it is usually the better path if your exam is not imminent. General work builds the language; exam work adds format, timing and the specific habits that earn marks. The second is much faster when the first is solid.
What if I fail?
You sit it again at the next opportunity, with a much better idea of what the room feels like. It is worth saying plainly that a failed attempt is not wasted — candidates who resit almost always report the second sitting as far less intimidating.
Is speaking practice included, or do I arrange that separately?
Included, and drilled with the real task types. It is the section candidates under-prepare most and the one where rehearsal pays off fastest, because the formats repeat.