What the test looks like
You get a questionnaire with 33 questions. 30 come from the 300 nationwide questions, and 3 are about the federal state you live in.
Each question has four answers, and exactly one is correct. You have 60 minutes and take the test under supervision. Everyone at the same session gets a different questionnaire.
You pass if you answer at least 17 of the 33 questions correctly.
Where the questions come from
All questions are in the complete catalog published as Annex 1 of the Citizenship Test Regulation: 300 questions for the whole country plus 10 for each of the 16 federal states.
So 310 questions matter for you: the 300 general ones and the 10 of your state. This site has them all in English, for every state, each with the answer and an explanation.
Registration
Your local naturalization authority (Einbürgerungsbehörde) tells you which test centres (Prüfstellen) you can use. You book the date directly with the test centre.
Course providers that are not test centres themselves can also arrange a date with a test centre for their participants.
Cost
The citizenship test costs 25 euros. Your test centre tells you how to pay.
On the test day
Bring an official identity document, for example your passport or ID card. The test centre uses it to check who you are.
After the test
If you pass, you get a certificate in a standard format. It stays valid if you later move to another district.
You hand the certificate to your naturalization authority. A passed citizenship test normally proves that you have the required knowledge of the legal and social order and of living conditions in Germany (Section 10 (5) StAG).
Who does not have to take the test
Under Section 10 (6) StAG this proof is waived if you cannot provide it because of a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability, or because of your age. Talk to your naturalization authority about it.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) names one more exception: if you have earned a German school-leaving certificate (deutscher Schulabschluss), you do not have to take the citizenship test.
If you are under 16, you do not have to prove this knowledge either (Section 10 (1) sentence 2 and Section 34 StAG). Section 10 (6) sentence 2 StAG names further cases, for example people who came to the former West Germany under a labour recruitment agreement by 30 June 1974, or to East Germany as contract workers by 13 June 1990, and their spouses who joined them at that time.
The “Leben in Deutschland” test in the integration course
In the integration course (Integrationskurs), the “Leben in Deutschland” test follows the orientation course (Orientierungskurs). Its questions come from the same complete catalog as the citizenship test, and it also has 33 questions with four answers each and 60 minutes.
You pass the “Leben in Deutschland” test with at least 15 of 33 correct answers. That is not enough for naturalization: there it only counts with at least 17 correct answers. According to BAMF, the integration course certificate (Zertifikat Integrationskurs) together with at least 17 points in the “Leben in Deutschland” test proves the knowledge you need for naturalization.
How to prepare
Start with the questions by topic, then the 10 questions of your state. Once you know most of them, take the practice tests: they have the same format as the real test, and together the 10 practice tests contain all 300 general questions.
Go back to the questions you get wrong several times. The free app shows your progress.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions do I need to get right?
To pass the German citizenship test, you need at least 17 of the 33 questions right.
How long is the citizenship test?
The German citizenship test gives you 60 minutes for its 33 questions.
How much does the citizenship test cost?
The German citizenship test costs 25 euros.
How many questions are about my federal state?
In the German citizenship test, 3 of the 33 questions are about your federal state. They come from the 10 questions for your state.
Can I take the test online?
No, the German citizenship test takes place under supervision at a test centre. You can practice online, for example with the practice tests on this site.
Are these the exact questions in the test?
Yes, every question in the German citizenship test comes from the published catalog. This site has all 300 general questions and the 10 questions of every state.
Sources
- Citizenship Test Regulation (EinbTestV, German), gesetze-im-internet.de
- Section 10 Nationality Act (StAG, German), gesetze-im-internet.de
- Section 34 Nationality Act (StAG, German), gesetze-im-internet.de
- Naturalization (Einbürgerung, German), Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), bamf.de
- Integration course final exam (Abschlussprüfung, German), Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), bamf.de
Last updated: November 2026