Counselling centre opinion and the Polish 8th-grade exam: what it gives and how it differs from a certificate (<span lang="pl">orzeczenie</span>)

Karol Czarniecki · published 27 October 2026 · updated 27 October 2026 · 7 min read

An opinion from a psychological and educational counselling centre (poradnia psychologiczno-pedagogiczna) regarding specific learning difficulties (e.g., dyslexia or dyscalculia) is a document on the basis of which the school adjusts requirements. For the Polish 8th-grade exam (egzamin ósmoklasisty), the teachers' council may indicate exam accommodations, including: extended time – for mathematics, by a maximum of 40 minutes – and detailed assessment rules. Condition: the opinion reached the headteacher by 15 October of the school year in which the exam takes place (in the 2026/2027 school year, this deadline has already passed). The teachers' council selects accommodations primarily based on what the pupil uses on a daily basis at school, and extended time and a calculator are only possible if the pupil has used them at school and this is documented.

A certificate (orzeczenie) is a different document: it is issued by an assessment team (zespół orzekający) at a public counselling centre, e.g. on the need for special education. It provides a different scope of accommodations, often an exam paper prepared specifically for a given disability.

In short

Opinion on specific difficulties – dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, dyscalculia; issued by a counselling centre upon a parent's written request.
When it can be obtained – no earlier than after completing Year 3 and no later than before completing primary school (szkoła podstawowa, ages 7-15).
During the exam – the same exam paper as others, but extended time is possible (mathematics: up to 40 minutes), detailed assessment rules, and in the case of dyscalculia, sometimes a simple calculator.
Deadline – the opinion must be submitted to the headteacher by 15 October of the exam year; the opinion cannot be submitted later.
Certificate (orzeczenie) – issued by the assessment team of a public counselling centre, e.g. on the need for special education; it provides a different scope of accommodations.
Opinion and certificate at the same time – usually, you can use accommodations from both documents.
Free of charge – support from a public counselling centre is voluntary and free of charge.

What is the difference between an opinion and a certificate (orzeczenie)?

An opinion on specific learning difficulties grants exam accommodations using the same exam paper (arkusz) as everyone else, whereas a certificate (orzeczenie) is issued by an assessment team (zespół orzekający) at a public psychological and educational counselling centre (poradnia) and often provides an exam paper adapted to the specific type of disability.

	Opinion on specific learning difficulties	Certificate (e.g. of the need for special education)
Issued by	a public or non-public counselling centre meeting statutory requirements	an assessment team (zespół orzekający) at a public counselling centre
When	not earlier than after Year 3, not later than the end of primary school (szkoła podstawowa, ages 7-15)	for the period of pre-school education, a school year, or an educational stage
Examples	dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, dyscalculia	e.g. autism (including Asperger syndrome), motor disability, visual impairment
Exam paper	the same as for other pupils	often an exam paper adapted to the type of disability
Appeal	–	to the regional education superintendent (kurator oświaty), within 14 days of delivery

In practice, this means: first, check which document your child has and what it is called. This determines which exam accommodations they are entitled to at school and in the exam.

What does an opinion from the counselling centre provide during the Polish 8th-grade exam (egzamin ósmoklasisty)?

A pupil with an opinion on specific learning difficulties takes the same exam paper as the others. The teachers' council (rada pedagogiczna) may indicate accommodations, and the parent accepts them. The announcement by the Central Examination Board (CKE) lists, among others:

extra time – in mathematics, a maximum of 40 minutes, but only if the pupil has used such accommodations at school and it is documented;
detailed marking rules for open-ended mathematics questions – in cases of dyscalculia, dyslexia, dysorthography, or dysgraphia;
a simple calculator in mathematics – only in cases of dyscalculia, when the opinion explicitly indicates it and the pupil has used a calculator at school;
marking answers in the task booklet without transferring them to the answer sheet.

In practice, this means: accommodations in the exam should resemble those the child uses daily during tests. If the child has an opinion, but does not receive e.g. extra time at school, talk to their form tutor (wychowawca) – without this, it will be difficult to be granted extra time in the exam.

By when must the opinion be submitted to the school?

According to the CKE announcement, the counselling centre's opinion must be submitted to the headteacher no later than 15 October of the school year in which the pupil takes the exam. In the 2026/2027 school year, this was 15 October 2026. In unforeseen circumstances, a medical certificate can be submitted later, but not a counselling centre opinion.

If the child is in Year 8 and the opinion did not reach the school on time: by 20 November 2026, the school must inform parents in writing which accommodations have been indicated by the teachers' council (point 19 of the announcement). In exceptional unforeseen or health-related circumstances, the headteacher may apply to the regional examination board (okręgowa komisja egzaminacyjna) for special accommodations (point 18). Discuss this with the form tutor.

In practice, this means: if your child is currently in Year 7, this is a good time to contact the counselling centre. Issuing an opinion takes up to 30 days (in particularly justified cases up to 60), and usually, there is a waiting period for the diagnosis appointment.

What does an opinion provide at school outside of the exam?

The Education System Act (Ustawa o systemie oświaty) obliges teachers to adapt educational requirements to the pupil's needs in cases specified in regulations. The regulation on pupil assessment (rozporządzenie o ocenianiu) lists pupils with a counselling centre opinion on specific learning difficulties among them – requirements are adapted based on this opinion.

In practice, this means: the opinion remains active throughout the entire education process, not just during the exam. Ask the mathematics teacher how they adapt tests – these are the same solutions that may later appear in the exam.

How to obtain an opinion or a certificate?

Talk to the form tutor and the school pedagogue (pedagog szkolny) – they know local psychological and educational counselling centres (poradnie).
Submit a written application with a justification to the counselling centre (opinions are issued upon application by a parent or an adult pupil).
After the diagnosis, collect the opinion. It will reach the school if you take it there yourself or ask the counselling centre in writing to forward a copy.
In the case of a certificate, the application is reviewed by an assessment team (zespół orzekający) at a public counselling centre. The team chairperson asks the school for an opinion on the pupil's functioning (the school has 10 days to provide it), and from 1 September 2026, the team itself conducts an assessment of the pupil's functioning before issuing the certificate.

The assistance of a public counselling centre is voluntary and free of charge.

The pupil has both a certificate and an opinion – what can they use?

The CKE announcement allows pupils to use accommodations provided for a given disability simultaneously with accommodations for pupils with an opinion on specific learning difficulties. Such a combination is granted by the headteacher after a positive opinion from the teachers' council, without an application to the regional examination board (okręgowa komisja egzaminacyjna). This rule does not apply to pupils with a certificate issued due to mild intellectual disability.

More about accommodations for pupils on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, and with dyscalculia: Accommodations for the Polish 8th-grade exam 2027.

Parents’ questions

How long is a counselling centre opinion valid?

The provisions of the regulation on counselling centres do not specify an expiry date for opinions. For the exam, something else matters: the opinion must concern specific learning difficulties, must be issued no earlier than after completing Year 3 and reach the school headteacher by 15 October of the school year in which the pupil takes the exam. A certificate of the need for special education, on the other hand, is issued for a specified period: pre-school education, a school year or an educational stage.

Does an opinion from a non-public counselling centre also count?

Yes, if the non-public counselling centre meets the conditions of the Education Law (Prawo oświatowe) (it was established in accordance with Article 168 and employs staff with the qualifications required in public counselling centres). The announcement of the Central Examination Board (CKE) lists this explicitly. Certificates are issued only by the assessment team in a public counselling centre.

Does every counselling centre opinion provide exam accommodations?

No. The CKE announcement for this group of pupils refers to an opinion on specific learning difficulties. This does not apply to opinions concerning the provision of psychological and educational support to a pupil. The announcement also describes other groups of pupils (e.g., in a crisis situation or with language communication disorders) – there, the basis is usually an opinion of the teachers' council; ask the headteacher about this.

How long does it take for a counselling centre to issue an opinion?

According to the regulation on counselling centres – no longer than 30 days, and in particularly justified cases no longer than 60 days. Added to this is the waiting time for a diagnosis, which is why it is worth arranging for an opinion already in Year 7.

Does the school receive the opinion automatically?

No. The opinion is collected by the parent (or an adult pupil). The counselling centre forwards a copy of it to the school only upon the parent's written request. The parent can also personally take the opinion to the headteacher.

What if I do not agree with the certificate?

You may appeal against the certificate of the assessment team to the regional education superintendent (kurator oświaty), submitted through the team that issued the certificate, within 14 days of its delivery.

Sources

Komunikat dyrektora CKE w sprawie szczegółowych sposobów dostosowania warunków i form przeprowadzania egzaminu ósmoklasisty w roku szkolnym 2026/2027 – Centralna Komisja Egzaminacyjna (CKE), 20 sierpnia 2026. Pupil groups and documents (table in point B.7, footnotes 6–7), opinion and certificate at the same time (point 9), the 15 October deadline (point 10), extended time (point G.25), accommodations for pupils with specific learning difficulties (table 1.11).
Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 1 lutego 2013 r. w sprawie szczegółowych zasad działania publicznych poradni psychologiczno-pedagogicznych, w tym publicznych poradni specjalistycznych (t.j. Dz.U. 2023 poz. 2499) – Dziennik Ustaw, 2023. Opinion issued at the parent's written request, 30/60 days (§ 5), copy to the school at the parent's request (§ 6 sec. 2), assistance voluntary and free of charge (§ 13).
Ustawa z dnia 7 września 1991 r. o systemie oświaty (t.j. Dz.U. 2025 poz. 881) – Dziennik Ustaw, 2025. The teacher's duty to adapt educational requirements (Art. 44c sec. 2).
Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji z dnia 2 marca 2026 r. w sprawie orzeczeń i opinii wydawanych przez zespoły orzekające działające w publicznych poradniach psychologiczno-pedagogicznych (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 428) – Dziennik Ustaw, 30 marca 2026. Types of certificates, the period for which a certificate of the need for special education is issued, the school's opinion on the pupil's functioning and the team's assessment of functioning from 1.09.2026 (§ 7–8), appeal to the regional education superintendent, earlier certificates remain valid.
Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 22 lutego 2019 r. w sprawie oceniania, klasyfikowania i promowania uczniów i słuchaczy w szkołach publicznych (t.j. Dz.U. 2023 poz. 2572) – Dziennik Ustaw, 2023. Adapting requirements on the basis of an opinion (§ 2), when an opinion on specific learning difficulties can be issued (§ 3).

This article explains educational and exam regulations. It is not medical or legal advice. Discuss diagnosis with the psychological and educational counselling centre (poradnia psychologiczno-pedagogiczna), and the exam – with the school headteacher.

Found a mistake or outdated information? Write to: [email protected].