Constitution Exam for Russian Speakers: Pass with A2 Lithuanian

The Constitution basics exam is held in Lithuanian only; there is no Russian version. The good news: all 20 questions are built from the same 40–60 Lithuanian words, and a Russian speaker with A2 Lithuanian can learn that set in two to three weeks.

This guide is for anyone helping a Russian-speaking relative or friend prepare for a permanent residence permit (leidimas nuolat gyventi), and for anyone curious how people who still read Lithuanian slowly pass: the exam vocabulary, the question stems, bilingual study and exam-day tactics.

How the Constitution exam works for Russian speakers

The official exam is run by the National Agency for Education (NŠA). It is a written test of 20 questions, each with three answer options and exactly one correct answer. The pass mark is 14 correct answers, or 70 %.

No dictionary, phone or copy of the Constitution is allowed. Registration is through migracija.lt no later than 15 calendar days before the exam date; six dates are scheduled nationally in 2026. The fee is €21 (check the current amount on the portal); retakes are unlimited but each needs a new registration and fee.

Exams take place in base schools (bazinės mokyklos), usually gymnasiums in the candidate's municipality. NŠA issues the certificate and the school hands it over within three working days. The full procedure is in the exam guide.

Why the language barrier is smaller than it looks

Questions follow an official programme covering all 14 chapters of the Constitution: the state, human rights, the Seimas, the President, the Government, the courts, local government, the budget. The wording, though, is extremely repetitive.

A typical question: "Kiek Seimo narių sudaro Seimą?" – "How many members make up the Seimas?" Under Article 55 the answer is 141. To get it right you need kiek, Seimo narys and a number.

The same holds for the President's term (five years, Article 78), the Constitutional Court (9 judges for nine years, Article 103) or a municipal council's term (four years, Article 119). The learner needs the vocabulary of one test, not the whole language.

Exam vocabulary: Lithuanian to English

The table lists the words that recur most often in questions and answer options. Put them on flashcards and review ten minutes a day; by the end of week two they are recognised automatically.

Lithuanian	English	Where it shows up
Kas	who, what	stem
Kiek	how many	number
Kada	when	date or term
Kam priklauso	to whom … belongs	Article 2
Kokia, koks, kokie	which, what kind of	characteristic
Kuris, kuri	which one	options
Tauta	the Nation	Articles 2–4
valstybė	state	Article 1
valdžia	power, authority	Article 5
suverenitetas	sovereignty	Article 2
pilietis, pilietybė	citizen, citizenship	chapter I
valstybinė kalba	state language	Article 14
himnas, vėliava, herbas	anthem, flag, coat of arms	Articles 15–16
sostinė	capital city	Article 17
teritorija	territory	Article 10
referendumas	referendum	Article 9
rinkimai, rinkimų teisė	elections, right to vote	Article 34
Seimas	parliament	own chapter
Seimo narys	member of the Seimas	141, Article 55
Respublikos Prezidentas	President of the Republic	Articles 77–78
Vyriausybė	Government	Article 91
Ministras Pirmininkas	Prime Minister	Article 92
ministras	minister	Article 91
Konstitucinis Teismas	Constitutional Court	Article 103
Aukščiausiasis Teismas	Supreme Court	Article 111
teismas, teisėjas	court, judge	Article 112
prokuroras	prosecutor	Article 118
savivaldybė, savivaldybės taryba	municipality, municipal council	Article 119
Lietuvos bankas	Bank of Lithuania	Article 125
Valstybės kontrolė	National Audit Office	own chapter
Konstitucija	Constitution	154 articles
įstatymas	law	Articles 69–70
straipsnis	article	in every question
teisė, laisvė	right, freedom	chapter II
pareiga	duty	Article 139
nuosavybė	property	Articles 46–47
neliečiamybė	immunity	Article 104
apkalta	impeachment	Articles 63, 88
biudžetas, biudžetiniai metai	budget, budget year	Article 129
karo padėtis	martial law	Article 142
nepaprastoji padėtis	state of emergency	Article 144
skiria, atleidžia	appoints, dismisses	Articles 92, 112
renka, renkamas	elects, is elected	Articles 55, 78
priima, tvirtina	adopts, approves	Article 69
skelbia	announces, proclaims	Articles 9, 70
gali, negali	may, may not	answer options
turi teisę	has the right	Article 33
įsigalioja	enters into force	Article 70
kadencija	term of office	Article 103
ketveriems, penkeriems, devyneriems metams	for four, five, nine years	Articles 55, 78, 103
ne mažiau kaip, ne daugiau kaip	not less than, not more than	Articles 9, 78
ne jaunesnis kaip	not younger than	Articles 56, 78
iš eilės	in a row	Article 78
tik	only	Article 148
visų Seimo narių balsų dauguma	majority of all Seimas members	Articles 58, 69

The five standard question stems

Almost every question opens with one of five words. Understand the first word and the answer type is clear: a number, a date, an institution or a characteristic.

• Kas… – "who / what". Look for an institution or person: Kas skiria Ministrą Pirmininką? – the President with the Seimas's approval (Article 92).
• Kiek… – "how many". Look for a number: Kiek teisėjų sudaro Konstitucinį Teismą? – 9 (Article 103).
• Kada… – "when". Look for a date or term: the Constitution was adopted by referendum on 25 October 1992 and took effect on 2 November 1992.
• Kam priklauso… – "to whom does … belong". The classic: Kam priklauso suverenitetas? – Tautai, to the Nation (Article 2).
• Kokia / koks / kokie… – "which / what kind of". Look for a characteristic: Kokia yra valstybinė kalba? – lietuvių kalba (Article 14).

Watch the short words that flip the meaning: ne mažiau kaip (not less than), ne daugiau kaip (not more than), tik (only), iš eilės (in a row). Article 78: a person may be elected President ne daugiau kaip du kartus iš eilės – not more than twice in a row.

The bilingual method: Russian first, then Lithuanian

The most common mistake is cramming Lithuanian questions from day one without understanding them. The learner memorises a string of letters, and any reordering of words on exam day throws them. Meaning first, form second.

In the app each of the 184 questions is available in Russian and Lithuanian, and the language switches with one tap. Work through a topic in Russian, then run the same questions in Lithuanian, now recognising familiar words.

Week	What to do	Language
1	Register on the NŠA portal. Read the learning sections, make flashcards.	Russian only
2	Same sections in Lithuanian. Practice questions in Russian, then straight after in Lithuanian.	Russian → Lithuanian
3	20-question mock exams. Check every mistake against the article.	Mostly Lithuanian
4 (final)	One mock a day; review mistakes and flashcards only.	Lithuanian only

Start with constitutional foundations and state institutions; most questions with numbers and institution names come from there. Read the key articles in Lithuanian in full: Article 55 is a good drill, with three numbers in one article.

Exam-day tactics with three answer options

Three options are an advantage. A random pick has a one-in-three chance; after eliminating one clearly wrong option it is one in two.

1. Read the first word and decide the answer type: number, date, institution, right.
2. Find the key vocabulary term in the question: Seimas, Prezidentas, teismas, savivaldybė.
3. Drop the option that does not match the type, such as an institution where a number is asked.
4. Of the two left, pick the one containing a recognised term that connects to the question.
5. Leave nothing blank: a wrong answer costs nothing, a blank scores nothing.

And remember the margin: 14 out of 20 is enough, so six mistakes are allowed. Do not get stuck on one hard question; answer the clear ones first.

What MIGRIS, NŠA and the other terms mean

Russian-speaking applicants get lost less in the Constitution than in institution names. A short breakdown, with Russian equivalents:

• NŠA (Nacionalinė švietimo agentūra) – the National Agency for Education, in Russian "Национальное агентство образования". It runs the Constitution and state language exams and issues certificates.
• migracija.lt – the Migration Department's MIGRIS system for registering and paying the fee.
• MIGRIS – the Migration Department's system at migracija.lt, where the leidimas nuolat gyventi application is filed: state fee €160 standard or €320 urgent, processing 45 days to three months.
• Valstybinės kalbos egzaminas, I kategorija – the category I state language exam, meaning A2; in Russian "экзамен по государственному языку первой категории". This is the one required for the permit and citizenship; fee €52.
• Bazinė mokykla – the base school where the exam is held.
• Konstitucijos egzaminas at konstitucijosegzaminas.lt – a free annual civic event around Constitution Day, 25 October. It does not count for migration; do not confuse it with the official NŠA exam.

If both exams fall in the same season, see combining the Constitution exam with the A2 language exam.

Frequently asked questions

Can the Constitution exam be taken in Russian?

No. Under the NŠA programme the exam is in Lithuanian only, with no dictionary or reference material. Russian is for preparation only.

Is A2 Lithuanian enough to understand the questions?

Yes, once the exam vocabulary is learned. The questions are short and formulaic; a typical one contains two or three terms from the table above.

How many mistakes are allowed?

Six. The pass mark is 14 correct answers out of 20.

Who is exempt from the exam?

People aged 65 or over, people with a group I or II disability and people with a severe chronic mental illness are exempt from both the language and the Constitution exam.

What happens after a fail?

It can be retaken: there is no limit on attempts, but each needs a new registration and fee.

Check the current level now: about 30 free practice questions are open without registration, and full access with 20-question mock exams in Russian and Lithuanian costs from €5.95.