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Key Facts: TEG Irish A2 (Bonnleibhéal 2) Exam

TEG Bonnleibhéal 2 (A2) is administered by Lárionad na Gaeilge at Maynooth University and aligned to CEFR A2 (Elementary) Irish proficiency.

The exam fee is approximately €120 per sitting (2026); the exam is held annually, typically in May or June.

TEG A2 candidates must reach A2 competence across four components: reading, listening, writing, and an oral examination.

The oral (labhairt) component carries approximately 35% of total marks at A2 level.

Recommended preparation is 160–200 additional study hours beyond A1, or 400–600 hours total from scratch.

The exam covers 14 thematic topic areas including family, work, pastimes, health, shopping, directions, and making arrangements.

Key A2 grammar includes: aimsir chaite (past tense) with séimhiú/d', possessive pronouns with séimhiú, prepositional pronouns, and eclipsis (urú) after the preposition 'i'.

TEG offers six proficiency levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2 — all administered by Maynooth University.

Sample papers and audio tracks for TEG A2 are freely available to download from teg.ie.

TEG qualifications are internationally recognised CEFR-aligned certificates awarded by Maynooth University.

TEG A2 certifies elementary Irish proficiency (CEFR A2) through reading, listening, writing and an oral test, administered by Maynooth University's Lárionad na Gaeilge.

Sample TEG Irish A2 (Bonnleibhéal 2) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the TEG Irish A2 (Bonnleibhéal 2) exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Léigh an abairt seo: 'Chuaigh mé go dtí an siopa inné.' Cad a chiallaíonn 'inné'? (Read: 'I went to the shop yesterday.' What does 'inné' mean?)
A.tomorrow
B.today
C.yesterday
D.last week
Explanation: 'Inné' means 'yesterday' in Irish. It refers to the day before today. This is a key time word at A2 level used with the past tense (aimsir chaite).
2Líon an bhearna: 'Ar _____ tú caife ar maidin?' (Fill the gap: 'Did you drink coffee this morning?')
A.ól
B.d'ól
C.ólaim
D.ólfaidh
Explanation: In the past tense question form, 'd'ól' is correct. The particle 'ar' triggers séimhiú (lenition), but because 'ól' starts with a vowel, we prefix 'd'' to form 'd'ól'. The question particle for past tense is 'ar'.
3Cad is brí le 'an teaghlach'? (What is the meaning of 'an teaghlach'?)
A.the school
B.the family
C.the house
D.the town
Explanation: 'An teaghlach' means 'the family' in Irish. It is one of the core vocabulary items in the TEG A2 syllabus Topic 2 (An Teaghlach). Family vocabulary is essential at this level.
4Léigh: 'Rinne Máire a cuid obair bhaile tráthnóna inné.' Cé a rinne an obair bhaile? (Read: 'Máire did her homework yesterday afternoon.' Who did the homework?)
A.The teacher
B.Máire
C.Her brother
D.Her friend
Explanation: The sentence clearly states that Máire ('Rinne Máire') did her homework. 'Rinne' is the irregular past tense of 'déan' (to do). Reading comprehension at A2 requires identifying the subject of a simple sentence.
5Cé acu abairt atá ceart? (Which sentence is correct?)
A.Tá mé ith an dinnéar.
B.D'ith mé an dinnéar.
C.Ithim an dinnéar inné.
D.Itheann mé an dinnéar aréir.
Explanation: 'D'ith mé an dinnéar' is correct. 'Ith' (to eat) is an irregular verb; its past tense form is 'd'ith'. 'Aréir' (last night) and 'inné' (yesterday) require the past tense form.
6Cad is brí le 'caitheamh aimsire'? (What does 'caitheamh aimsire' mean?)
A.the weather
B.a pastime / hobby
C.spending money
D.wasting time
Explanation: 'Caitheamh aimsire' literally means 'spending time' but is the standard Irish phrase for a hobby or pastime. It is one of the 14 key topics in the TEG A2 syllabus.
7Léigh an téacs seo: 'Tá Seán ag obair i siopa éadaí i lár na cathrach. Oibríonn sé ó Luan go Satharn.' Cé mhéad lá sa tseachtain a oibríonn Seán? (Seán works in a clothes shop in the city centre, Monday to Saturday. How many days a week does he work?)
A.5 days
B.6 days
C.7 days
D.4 days
Explanation: Monday (Luan) to Saturday (Satharn) is six days a week. Sunday (Domhnach) is not included. Counting weekdays is a basic reading comprehension skill tested at A2.
8Roghnaigh an réamhfhocal ceart: 'Tá mé i mo chónaí _____ Gaillimh.' (Choose the correct preposition: 'I live in Galway.')
A.ar
B.i
C.ag
D.ó
Explanation: 'I' (in) is the correct preposition for living in a place. 'Tá mé i mo chónaí i nGaillimh' is the standard Irish phrase for 'I live in Galway.' Note that 'i' causes urú (eclipsis) on the following consonant.
9Léigh: 'Chuaigh mé go dtí an fiaclóir Dé Máirt mar bhí pian fiacaile orm.' Cén fáth ar chuaigh an duine go dtí an fiaclóir? (I went to the dentist on Tuesday because I had a toothache. Why did the person go to the dentist?)
A.For a check-up
B.Because of a toothache
C.Because they were sick
D.To buy medicine
Explanation: 'Mar bhí pian fiacaile orm' means 'because I had a toothache'. 'Pian fiacaile' = toothache, 'mar' = because. Reading for specific reasons (causal clauses) is key at A2.
10Cad is brí le 'ag siopadóireacht'? (What does 'ag siopadóireacht' mean?)
A.cooking
B.shopping
C.working
D.travelling
Explanation: 'Ag siopadóireacht' means 'shopping' (the act of going shopping). The prefix 'ag' is used with verbal nouns to form the present progressive in Irish. 'Siopadóireacht' = shopping.

About the TEG Irish A2 (Bonnleibhéal 2) Exam

The Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) Bonnleibhéal 2 (A2) is an internationally recognised Irish language certificate aligned to CEFR A2 (Elementary). Administered by Lárionad na Gaeilge at Maynooth University, it certifies that candidates can communicate about everyday topics — family, work, pastimes, health, shopping, and daily travel — using basic tenses (past, present, future), common vocabulary, and simple grammar structures. The exam has four components: reading comprehension (léamhthuiscint), listening comprehension (cluastuiscint), writing (scríbhneoireacht), and an oral exam (labhairt). It is held annually and is popular with adult learners, heritage speakers, and second-language learners of Irish throughout Ireland and the diaspora.

Exam sponsor: Lárionad na Gaeilge, Maynooth University (Ollscoil Mhá Nuad).. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

50 questions

Time Limit

Written paper ~75 min (reading + listening); Writing ~30 min; Oral ~15 min.

Passing Score

Minimum mark required on each component; overall pass required.

Exam / Certification Fees

€120 per sitting (2026).

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

~25%

Léamhthuiscint (Reading)

A2-level texts — notices, emails, short articles — MCQ testing main idea and specific detail.

~25%

Cluastuiscint (Listening)

A2 audio dialogues and announcements — MCQ for specific information and speaker intent.

~15%

Scríbhneoireacht (Writing)

Short A2 production tasks: forms, messages, simple descriptions.

~35%

Labhairt (Oral)

Role-play and conversation with the examiner on everyday A2 topics.

Preparing for the TEG Irish A2 (Bonnleibhéal 2) Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Minimum mark required on each component; overall pass required.
  • Exam length: 50 questions
  • Time limit: Written paper ~75 min (reading + listening); Writing ~30 min; Oral ~15 min.
  • Exam / certification fees: €120 per sitting (2026). Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

TEG Irish A2 (Bonnleibhéal 2): Suggested Study Strategy

1Download the official sample examinations from teg.ie — the site has two sample papers with audio for Bonnleibhéal 2, which are the most accurate preparation for the real exam format and difficulty.
2Master the 11 irregular past-tense verbs (téigh→chuaigh, bí→bhí, déan→rinne, feic→chonaic, faigh→fuair, abair→dúirt, tar→tháinig, tabhair→thug, clois→chuala, ith→d'ith, beir→rug) — they appear in almost every listening and reading text at A2.
3Learn the séimhiú rule for possessive pronouns: mo/do/a(masc) always lenite the following noun (mo mháthair, do chairde, a bhosca). This rule is tested in both grammar fill-ins and reading comprehension.
4Practise the 14 TEG A2 topic vocabulary lists systematically — social occasions, family, pastimes, daily travel, work, weekend, food and drink, health, describing people, shopping, holidays, directions, favours, and making arrangements. Each listening and reading passage draws from one of these topics.
5For listening, focus on numbers, times, days, and prices — TEG A2 cluastuiscint regularly tests whether you can extract a specific number, clock time, or day name from a short dialogue.
6Use the prepositional pronoun table daily: 'ar' (orm/ort/air/uirthi/orainn/oraibh/orthu) and 'do' (dom/duit/dó/di/dúinn/daoibh/dóibh) are the two most-tested paradigms at A2 for expressing emotions and giving/receiving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TEG A2 (Bonnleibhéal 2) exam?

The TEG A2 is an internationally recognised Irish language proficiency certificate at CEFR A2 (Elementary) level, administered by Lárionad na Gaeilge at Maynooth University. It tests reading, listening, writing, and speaking on 14 everyday topics including family, work, pastimes, health, shopping, and travel.

How much does the TEG A2 exam cost?

The exam fee is approximately €120 per sitting (2026). Fees are paid to the examination centre. Check teg.ie for the current fee schedule and registered centre locations in Ireland and abroad.

When is the TEG A2 exam held?

TEG exams are held annually, typically in May or June. Candidates must register with a certified examination centre in advance. Check teg.ie or contact your local centre for the exact date and registration deadline.

What grammar topics are covered at TEG A2?

Key grammar areas include: aimsir chaite (past tense) with séimhiú and d' for regular and irregular verbs; aimsir fháistineach (future tense); aimsir láithreach (present tense); possessive pronouns with séimhiú (mo mháthair, do chairde); prepositional pronouns (orm, ort, air, uirthi); eclipsis (urú) after 'i'; and common prepositions (ar, i, ag, le, do, ó, faoi).

How long should I study for the TEG A2?

Lárionad na Gaeilge recommends approximately 160–200 additional hours of study beyond A1 level. Total study time for a complete beginner is typically 400–600 hours. Courses at Gaelchultúr, Conradh na Gaeilge, and AllAboutIrish.ie offer dedicated TEG A2 preparation.

Is the TEG A2 accepted for official purposes?

The TEG A2 is a recognised CEFR-aligned qualification useful for demonstrating Irish language ability for employment, education, or cultural purposes. It is awarded by Maynooth University and is widely recognised in Ireland. It does not specifically replace Irish Leaving Certificate requirements, but may support applications where Irish language evidence is requested.