Estonian Basic-School Russian as a Foreign Language Exam cheat sheet

The listening part is played from a recording; each text is normally heard twice, with a short pause before the second playing to read the items.

Tasks scale from short utterances (matching a line to a picture or situation) up to a 2–3 minute monologue or dialogue with 5–8 multiple-choice or true/false items.

Question order follows the order of information in the recording; if an answer seems to come before the previous one, the item is probably misread.

Distractors are typically numbers, times, prices and names that are mentioned and then corrected ('mitte kolm, vaid pool neli') - the corrected value is the answer.

Signal words to track: aga, kuid, vaid (contrast/correction), seega, nii et (conclusion), kõigepealt, seejärel, lõpuks (sequence), sest, sellepärast (reason).

Negative items hinge on particles: ei ole, mitte kunagi, enam mitte, vaevalt - a single negator reverses the truth value of the statement.

In note-completion tasks the answer must fit the grammar of the gap: after a number the noun stays singular nominative (kaks õpilast), after a preposition-like postposition the genitive is used (laua all).

If a word is unknown, keep tracking the sentence: case endings on surrounding words (genitive -a/-i, partitive -t/-d, locatives -s/-l/-lt) usually reveal the missing word's role.

Text types: short notices and ads, personal messages and e-mails, instructions, and 1–2 paragraph informative texts; item types are true/false, multiple choice, matching headings, and gap-fill.

Scan first for the item's key word, then read the surrounding two sentences - answers are almost always a paraphrase, not a verbatim copy of the question wording.

Absolute wording (alati, kunagi, kõik, mitte ükski, ainult) is a distractor marker; the text usually supports a hedged version (tavaliselt, sageli, mõnikord, enamik).

Case endings carry the sentence: -sse/-le/-l (into/onto/on), -st/-lt (out of/from), -ga (with/by), -ta (without); identify the subject by nominative and the object by partitive or genitive.

Verb forms to decode quickly: -b = 3rd person present, -sin/-sid = past, -nud = past participle, -ks = conditional, -ge/-gu = imperative, -tud = impersonal/tud-participle.

In gap-fill items test the gap with each option inside the full sentence - agreement (number, case) eliminates wrong options faster than meaning alone.

Matching tasks: do the certain pairs first and cross them off; the remaining options are then decided by one distinctive detail (a price, a time, a place).

Word-building clues: -mine makes an action noun (õppimine), -ja makes an agent (õpetaja), -lik/-line makes an adjective (sõbralik), -us/-us makes an abstract noun (vabadus).

Typical tasks: a short personal message or e-mail (30–50 words), a notice/invitation, and a guided text of 60–80 words on a familiar topic; the item states the required content points.

Every content point named in the prompt must appear explicitly; one unmentioned point costs more than a grammar slip, so count the points before writing.

Fixed frame for a message: Tere! … Kirjutan sulle, sest … Palun vasta … Parimate soovidega, [nimi].

Greetings/closings by register: informal Tere / Tsau + Kalli; formal Lugupeetud [nimi] + Lugupidamisega.

Case government to control: tänan + partitive (tänan sind), aitäh + eest (aitäh abi eest), palun + partitive object, räägin + elative (räägin sinust), lähen + illative/allative (lähen koju, lähen kooli).

Verb must agree with the subject in person and number; with 'mina' the present is -n (elan), past is -sin (elasin), negative is ei + bare stem (ei ela).

Postpositions take the genitive: enne tööd, pärast kooli, ilma sinuta, koos sõbraga, juures/peal/all/vahel with genitive stem.

Connectors that raise the score: sest, kuid/aga, seepärast, näiteks, lõpuks, peale selle - one per 1–2 sentences is enough.

Length is checked: staying within ±10% of the stated word count avoids the length penalty; count words once at the end.

Format: a short monologue on a prepared/familiar topic (about 1–2 minutes) plus interaction with the examiner (questions, a picture- or situation-based task).

Answer in full clauses, not single words: 'Jah, mulle meeldib sport, sest see teeb tuju heaks' beats 'Jah'.

Self-introduction repertoire to have automatic: nimi, vanus, kool/klass, elukoht, perekond, hobid, keeled, tulevikuplaanid.

Hedging and repair phrases buy time and score: ma arvan, et…; minu meelest…; kuidas öelda…; ma ei tea täpselt, aga…; vabandust, kas saaksid korrata?

Questions from the examiner usually start with kes, mis, kus, millal, miks, kuidas, kui palju/kui kaua - match the answer type to the question word.

For a picture or situation task, describe in a fixed order: kes/mis on pildil → kus nad on → mida nad teevad → mis juhtub edasi.

Pronunciation points that affect intelligibility: first-syllable stress, short vs long vs overlong vowels and consonants (sada / saada / saada), and õ as a distinct vowel.

Numbers, clock times and dates are frequent prompts: pool kolm = 2:30, veerand neli = 3:15, kolmveerand viis = 4:45; dates use ordinal + kuu (kolmas mai).