We first connected with Arvilas Labutis on LinkedIn, where he proudly shared his Goethe certificate: I'm happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Goethe-Zertifikat B2 from Swiss Exams! This caught our eye, and we asked him about his story—why he chose the Goethe exam and how he made his way to Switzerland.
Get inspired by his incredible journey from Lithuania, through Scotland and London, to success in Switzerland with our Goethe language certificate!
Interview
Hi Arvilas, what has your journey been like so far?
Arvilas: I'm originally from Lithuania but have spent nearly half of my life abroad. After graduating from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, I began my finance career in Glasgow. A few years later, I moved to London. After some adventurous years in the city, I eventually settled in Switzerland, where I work at UBS as a Risk Analyst and have built my own family.
You have obtained the Goethe-Zertifikat B2 with Swiss Exams; congratulations! How can this certificate help you in the future?
Arvilas: Further integration into Swiss society through a more active use of German in the professional work environment, family business, and children's activities is one of the main goals with the newly acquired certification.
The Goethe certificate could be used for FIDE purposes. Do you plan to use it this way as well?
Arvilas: What may sound like business as usual for the local community, for me, as an expat, the Goethe German certification has opened many new avenues and allowed me to progress further in life in various directions. Not only is it a big advantage in my professional environment, but I can now actively liaise with other parents and teachers at school regarding my child's activities, help my wife (who is also an expat) run her small business, and much more.
The fact that the Goethe certificate is accepted by FIDE played a part in my choice. I wanted to be recognised by FIDE alongside getting a C residency permit, as our family truly fell in love with Switzerland and plans to stay in it for the foreseeable future.
How did you prepare for your exam?
Arvilas: It’s no secret that in every adult’s life with many responsibilities, it is always hard to find enough time for additional learning activities such as mastering new languages. For me, a game changer was a side effect of the Covid pandemic, where certified and well-regarded schools started more actively offering online courses, which finally allowed me to squeeze in the language courses into my busy daily schedule.
After a few years of online classes at a language center that is a partner of the Goethe-Institut, I registered for an exam and for a few months straight was self-preparing for the exam. In my preparation, I found exceptionally useful the two official Practice & Mock Exam books suggested by Swiss Exams (“Mit Erfolg zum Goethe-Zertifikat”). I was truly surprised by how incredibly well-structured those books were, which I strongly believe has drastically increased my chances on the exam day.
Would you recommend the Goethe certification to others? Why or why not?
Arvilas: Goethe certification is one of the most widely recognised names in the market for language proficiency tests, hence for me, it was an easy choice as I wanted something that would be recognised not only in Switzerland but also in other European countries and institutions.
I suppose that is one of the main criteria for anyone who intends to live, study, and/or work in German-speaking countries and wants an unambiguous accreditation on their CV.
Arvilas's journey showcases the transformative power of language certifications. At Swiss Exams, we are proud to support candidates in achieving their dreams and opening doors to new opportunities!
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