All Practice Exams

Free Practice Questions for TORFL B1

Exam-style questions and explanations by OpenExamPrep.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card
100+ Questions
100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Exam Review

Key Facts: TORFL B1 Exam

TORFL-I (ТРКИ-I) certifies CEFR B1 intermediate Russian, the third of six levels in the Russian State Testing System.

Candidates must score at least 66% on each subtest, with a reduction to 60% allowed on only one subtest.

The TORFL-I exam has five subtests: Vocabulary & Grammar, Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking.

The TORFL-I Vocabulary & Grammar subtest contains roughly 110 items organised in four parts.

TORFL-I requires an active vocabulary of approximately 2,300 lexical units at the B1 level.

TORFL-I is the standard language requirement for admission to undergraduate programmes at Russian universities.

The TORFL-I exam is administered over two days by authorised universities such as Saint Petersburg State University and Lomonosov Moscow State University.

The TORFL-I fee at Saint Petersburg State University is approximately 5,300 rubles in person or 7,000 rubles online (2026).

The TORFL-I Listening subtest is built around three dialogues and three monologues totalling about 30 items.

TORFL-I is part of the Russian State Testing System for Citizens of Foreign Countries (ТРКИ).

TORFL B1 (TORFL-I / ТРКИ-I) is the intermediate level of Russia's official Russian-as-a-foreign-language certificate, testing vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening, writing, and speaking; this free quiz covers the multiple-choice subtests with a 66% pass mark.

Sample TORFL B1 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the TORFL B1 exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Выберите правильный вариант: «Вчера я ___ интересную книгу о космосе». (Choose the correct option: "Yesterday I ___ an interesting book about space.")
A.читаю (read — present)
B.прочитал (read/finished reading — past perfective)
C.буду читать (will read — future)
D.читать (to read — infinitive)
Explanation: «Вчера» (yesterday) requires the past tense, and «прочитал» is the perfective past, signalling a completed action — the book was read through. This matches B1 expectations for choosing aspect plus tense from context.
2Выберите правильную форму: «Мой брат живёт ___ Москве уже пять лет». (Choose the correct form: "My brother has lived ___ Moscow for five years.")
A.в (in — prepositional)
B.на (on)
C.из (from)
D.к (towards — dative)
Explanation: The verb «жить» (to live) with a location takes «в» + prepositional case for cities and countries: «в Москве». The ending -е on «Москве» is the prepositional singular. This tests case government, a core B1 skill.
3Выберите правильный падеж: «Я давно не видел ___ ». (Choose the correct case: "I haven't seen ___ for a long time.")
A.моя сестра (my sister — nominative)
B.моей сестры (my sister — genitive)
C.мою сестру (my sister — accusative)
D.моей сестре (my sister — dative)
Explanation: «видеть» (to see) is a transitive verb taking a direct object in the accusative. For an animate feminine noun, the accusative is «мою сестру». B1 candidates must control animacy and accusative endings.
4Выберите глагол движения: «Каждое утро я ___ на работу на автобусе». (Choose the verb of motion: "Every morning I ___ to work by bus.")
A.иду (go on foot — one direction now)
B.езжу (go by vehicle — repeated/habitual)
C.еду (go by vehicle — one direction now)
D.хожу (go on foot — repeated/habitual)
Explanation: «Каждое утро» (every morning) signals a habitual, repeated trip, so the multidirectional verb is needed; because the trip is by bus, the vehicle verb «езжу» is correct. B1 tests the unidirectional/multidirectional distinction.
5Выберите правильный предлог с приставкой: «Студент ___ из аудитории и пошёл в библиотеку». (Choose the correctly prefixed verb of motion: "The student ___ the lecture hall and went to the library.")
A.пришёл (arrived)
B.вышел (went out / exited)
C.вошёл (went in / entered)
D.подошёл (approached)
Explanation: The phrase «из аудитории» (out of the hall) requires a verb meaning "to exit," formed with the prefix вы- = «вышел». Prefixed verbs of motion are a defining B1 grammar topic, and the prefix must match the preposition «из».
6Выберите правильную форму: «Мне нужно купить подарок ___ ». (Choose the correct form: "I need to buy a present ___ .")
A.мой друг (my friend — nominative)
B.моего друга (my friend — genitive/accusative)
C.моему другу (my friend — dative)
D.о моём друге (about my friend — prepositional)
Explanation: A present is given TO someone, so the recipient stands in the dative: «моему другу». The dative of indirect recipients is essential B1 material with verbs like «купить», «дать», «подарить».
7Выберите правильный союз: «Я не пошёл гулять, ___ шёл сильный дождь». (Choose the correct conjunction: "I didn't go for a walk ___ it was raining heavily.")
A.потому что (because)
B.поэтому (therefore)
C.чтобы (in order to)
D.хотя (although)
Explanation: The second clause gives the REASON for not walking, so the causal conjunction «потому что» (because) is required. B1 tests complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions of cause, purpose, and concession.
8Выберите правильную форму глагола: «Если бы у меня было время, я ___ тебе.» (Choose the correct verb form: "If I had time, I ___ help you.")
A.помогу (will help)
B.помог бы (would help)
C.помогаю (help — present)
D.помоги (help! — imperative)
Explanation: The conditional «если бы» requires the subjunctive: past-tense verb plus the particle «бы», giving «помог бы» (would help). The conditional/subjunctive mood is a key B1 grammar point.
9Выберите правильное слово: «Этот фильм мне очень ___ : я смотрел его три раза». (Choose the correct word: "I ___ this film a lot: I watched it three times.")
A.понравился (pleased / I liked)
B.понял (understood)
C.понадобился (became needed)
D.пожелал (wished)
Explanation: To express liking in Russian, the thing liked is the subject and the person is in the dative: «фильм мне понравился» = "I liked the film." Watching it three times confirms enjoyment. This vocabulary-grammar pattern is standard at B1.
10Выберите подходящее по смыслу слово: «Врач посоветовал мне больше ___ спортом». (Choose the contextually correct word: "The doctor advised me to ___ sports more.")
A.играть (to play)
B.заниматься (to engage in / do)
C.делать (to make/do)
D.работать (to work)
Explanation: The fixed collocation is «заниматься спортом» (to do sports), where «заниматься» governs the instrumental case «спортом». Recognising verb + instrumental collocations is a B1 lexis skill.

About the TORFL B1 Exam

The Test of Russian as a Foreign Language at the First Certification Level (TORFL-I, in Russian ТРКИ-I, Первый сертификационный уровень) certifies intermediate (CEFR B1) competence in Russian. It demonstrates that a candidate can satisfy their main communicative needs in everyday, cultural, educational, and professional spheres. TORFL-I is the third level in the six-level Russian state testing system and is the standard requirement for admission to undergraduate (bachelor's) programmes at Russian universities, as well as a common benchmark for work and long-term residence purposes. The full exam comprises five subtests — Vocabulary & Grammar, Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking — administered over two days. The Vocabulary & Grammar, Reading, and Listening subtests are answered with multiple-choice and matching items, while Writing requires producing a short text and Speaking is an oral interview. To pass, candidates need at least 66% on each subtest (with one subtest allowed to drop to 60%). At B1, candidates are expected to control the full case system in varied functions, verbal aspect, verbs of motion with prefixes, the conditional and imperative moods, and complex sentences, with an active vocabulary of about 2,300 words. The test is issued by authorised members of the Russian State Testing System, including Saint Petersburg State University and Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Exam sponsor: Russian State Testing System — Saint Petersburg State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, RUDN University, and Herzen University. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

100 questions

Time Limit

About 4–4.5 hours of testing over two days. Vocabulary & Grammar takes roughly 60 minutes; Reading and Listening each take additional dedicated time, with Writing and Speaking completed across the two test days.

Passing Score

At least 66% on each subtest, with a permitted reduction to 60% on only one subtest. Scoring below the threshold on more than one subtest means those subtests must be retaken.

Exam / Certification Fees

Varies by centre. Roughly 5,300 rubles in person or 7,000 rubles online at Saint Petersburg State University; about €70 to USD $80–400 at international testing centres (2026 rates). Confirm the exact fee with your local centre.

Exam sponsor website

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.

40%

Vocabulary & Grammar (Лексика и грамматика)

Multiple-choice and matching items covering the full case system, verbal aspect, prefixed verbs of motion, conditional and imperative moods, complex sentences, numerals, and an active vocabulary of about 2,300 B1-level words.

30%

Reading (Чтение)

Comprehension of everyday, work/study, and cultural texts, practical notices, schedules, and letters, testing detail retrieval, main idea, inference, cause-and-effect, and vocabulary in context.

30%

Listening (Аудирование)

Comprehension of dialogues and monologues such as announcements, directions, and service interactions, testing detail, gist, cause, opinion, and speaker intention.

Preparing for the TORFL B1 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: At least 66% on each subtest, with a permitted reduction to 60% on only one subtest. Scoring below the threshold on more than one subtest means those subtests must be retaken.
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: About 4–4.5 hours of testing over two days. Vocabulary & Grammar takes roughly 60 minutes; Reading and Listening each take additional dedicated time, with Writing and Speaking completed across the two test days.
  • Exam / certification fees: Varies by centre. Roughly 5,300 rubles in person or 7,000 rubles online at Saint Petersburg State University; about €70 to USD $80–400 at international testing centres (2026 rates). Confirm the exact fee with your local centre. 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

TORFL B1: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the full six-case system in all its functions, including the genitive of negation, dative of recipients, and instrumental with verbs like заниматься, интересоваться, and гордиться, since case selection dominates the Vocabulary & Grammar subtest.
2Drill verbal aspect by contrasting habitual imperfective actions with single completed perfective ones, and pair time markers (обычно, вчера, за час) with the correct aspect.
3Learn verbs of motion with prefixes (при-, у-, в-, вы-, пере-, под-) and match each prefix to the preposition and case it governs, as these are a defining B1 grammar topic.
4Build an active vocabulary of around 2,300 words by topic — everyday life, study, work, travel, health — and learn fixed verb collocations such as заниматься спортом and платить картой.
5For Reading, practice scanning practical texts (notices, schedules, letters, ads) for specific details and identifying the main idea and the author's opinion in longer passages.
6For Listening, train with dialogues and announcements, focusing on numbers, times, platforms, and gates, and practice distinguishing each speaker's plans and the speaker's stated reasons.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TORFL B1 (TORFL-I) and who administers it?

TORFL-I, or the First Certification Level (ТРКИ-I), is the CEFR B1 level of the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language. It is administered by the Russian State Testing System through authorised universities including Saint Petersburg State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Pushkin Institute, RUDN, and Herzen University.

What score do I need to pass the TORFL B1?

You must score at least 66% on each of the five subtests. A reduction to 60% is permitted on only one subtest; if you fall below the threshold on more than one, you must retake those subtests.

How many subtests does the TORFL B1 have and which are multiple choice?

The TORFL-I exam has five subtests: Vocabulary & Grammar, Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking, taken over two days. The Vocabulary & Grammar, Reading, and Listening subtests use multiple-choice and matching items, while Writing and Speaking are production tasks.

What level of Russian does TORFL B1 prove?

TORFL-I certifies intermediate (CEFR B1) Russian. Candidates are expected to know about 2,300 active words and to control the full case system, verbal aspect, prefixed verbs of motion, the conditional and imperative moods, and complex sentences.

Why is the TORFL B1 important?

TORFL-I is the standard language requirement for admission to undergraduate programmes at Russian universities and is widely used as a benchmark for work and long-term residence in Russia. It is recognised internationally as proof of intermediate Russian proficiency.

How much does the TORFL B1 cost and how long does it take?

Fees vary by centre — roughly 5,300 rubles in person or 7,000 rubles online at Saint Petersburg State University, and about €70 to USD $80–400 internationally (2026). The full exam takes about 4–4.5 hours spread across two test days.