Einbürgerungstest: The Complete Guide to Germany's Citizenship Knowledge Test

The Einbürgerungstest is one of two tests you need to pass for German citizenship — the other being a German language certificate at B1 level. Confusingly, both are sometimes called "the citizenship test." They are completely separate, test completely different things, and are administered by different organisations.

This guide is about the Einbürgerungstest specifically: the civic knowledge test on German law, history, and society.

What the Einbürgerungstest Is

The Einbürgerungstest is a multiple-choice test with 33 questions. You need to answer 17 correctly (just over 51%) to pass. The time limit is 60 minutes — more than enough for most applicants given the question format.

The test is administered at Volkshochschulen (VHS) across Germany. Results are available the same day or within a few days. The certificate issued on passing has no expiry date.

The test was introduced under the Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG) and is a legal requirement for most naturalisation applicants. The content and question pool are publicly available from BAMF.

What the Einbürgerungstest Covers

The 33 questions are drawn from a published pool of 310 questions available at oet.bamf.de. There are no surprise questions. Everything in the exam comes from this pool.

The 310 questions are divided into topic areas:

General knowledge questions (300 total in pool, 23 appear in your exam)

Democracy, law, and the constitution:

• The Grundgesetz (Basic Law) and fundamental rights (Artikel 1–20)
• Germany as a parliamentary democracy (parlamentarische Demokratie)
• The role and structure of the Bundestag, Bundesrat, Bundesregierung, and Bundesverfassungsgericht
• How federal elections work: direct mandate vs. party list, 5% threshold
• Separation of powers: legislative, executive, judicial
• The role of the Federal President (Bundespräsident) vs. the Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler)
• Freedom of the press, freedom of religion, equality before the law
• Rights of German citizens vs. rights of all persons in Germany

German history:

• The Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and its collapse
• National Socialism, the Third Reich, and the Holocaust — direct, factual questions
• The post-war division into East (DDR) and West Germany (BRD)
• The fall of the Berlin Wall (9 November 1989) and German reunification (3 October 1990)
• The Basic Law signed in 1949

German society and culture:

• Media independence (öffentlich-rechtlicher Rundfunk)
• Gender equality as a constitutional principle
• The role of courts (Amtsgericht, Landgericht, Oberlandesgericht)
• Social market economy principles
• Germany's EU membership and role in Europe

Bundesland-specific questions (10 questions per exam, drawn from your state's pool)

10 of your 33 questions are about the specific federal state (Bundesland) you live in.

Each Bundesland has its own question pool. These cover:

• The state capital
• The state parliament (Landtag)
• State-level historical events
• State government structure

The Bundesland questions are among the most predictable — there are only 10 per state in the BAMF pool, and all 10 appear in your exam. Know these cold.

How It Differs From the Language Requirement

The two tests required for naturalisation are completely separate:

You need both. A strong language score does not substitute for the Einbürgerungstest, and vice versa.

Who Has to Take the Einbürgerungstest?

Most applicants for German citizenship (Einbürgerung) must take and pass the Einbürgerungstest. Exemptions under §10 StAG apply when:

• You have a German school-leaving certificate: Hauptschulabschluss or higher (Realschulabschluss, Abitur)
• You completed a German vocational qualification (Berufsausbildung) in Germany
• You studied at and hold a degree from a German university
• You are under 16 years old
• You have a physical or mental condition that makes it impossible to take the test (requires medical documentation)

Note: a school-leaving certificate from another country does NOT automatically qualify as an exemption. It must be a German school qualification.

The 2024 Citizenship Law Reform: What Changed

Germany's new citizenship law (Gesetz zur Modernisierung des Staatsangehörigkeitsrechts) came into force on 27 June 2024. Key changes relevant to the naturalisation process:

• Dual citizenship permitted: Germany now allows multiple citizenship for naturalisation applicants. You no longer generally need to give up your previous citizenship, though exceptions apply (some countries don't allow renunciation, which has always been accommodated; now the general bar is removed).
• Residency requirement reduced: The standard 8-year requirement is reduced. Especially strong integration (language skills above B1, civic engagement, professional success) can reduce the waiting period to 5 years; exceptional integration to 3 years.
• Special provisions for guest workers (Gastarbeiter): Members of the Gastarbeiter generation and their descendants can naturalise with a lower German language requirement.

The Einbürgerungstest itself is unchanged by the 2024 reform. The civic knowledge requirement and the 33-question format remain.

How to Prepare

Step 1: Download the official question pool

BAMF publishes all 310 questions with correct answers at oet.bamf.de. This is your primary study material. The questions are grouped by topic and clearly organised. Print or save the PDF — it's the authoritative source.

Step 2: Identify your Bundesland questions

In the BAMF pool, the Bundesland questions are listed by state. Find your state (where you live when applying), identify those 10 questions, and learn them specifically. All 10 will appear in your exam.

Step 3: Use the official online practice test

BAMF provides a free practice test at oet.bamf.de that simulates the real exam format, draws from the official question pool, and gives immediate feedback. Use it until you're consistently scoring 24+ out of 33 (significantly above the pass threshold).

Step 4: Understand the material, don't just memorise

The pass threshold of 17/33 is low enough that pure memorisation can work. But understanding the content is actually faster than rote learning because related questions become obvious rather than arbitrary.

Key conceptual clusters that multiple questions draw from:

• Bundestag vs. Bundesrat: the Bundestag is the directly elected parliament; the Bundesrat represents the 16 federal states
• Rights of all persons vs. rights of German citizens only: Meinungsfreiheit (everyone) vs. Wahlrecht (German citizens only)
• Important dates: Grundgesetz 1949, Berlin Wall fall 9 Nov 1989, reunification 3 Oct 1990

Questions that frequently trip people up:

• The Bundespräsident is head of state (largely ceremonial); the Bundeskanzler leads the government (executive power)
• Germany has 16 Bundesländer
• The minimum age to vote in Bundestag elections: 18
• The five-percent threshold (Fünf-Prozent-Hürde): parties must receive at least 5% of the national vote to enter the Bundestag

How to Book the Test

1. Find your local Volkshochschule at vhs.de and check their Einbürgerungstest schedule
2. Register in advance — seats are limited and the test runs on specific dates (typically monthly or every few weeks)
3. Bring a valid photo ID on test day (Personalausweis, Reisepass, or residence permit)
4. Arrive on time — late admission is not permitted
5. Pay the fee: €25, typically collected at registration or on the day

Results are announced the same day or within a few days. If you pass, you receive the BAMF Einbürgerungstest certificate.

What Happens After You Pass?

The Einbürgerungstest certificate is valid indefinitely — there is no expiry date.

Submit it as part of your Einbürgerungsantrag (naturalisation application) at your local Einbürgerungsbehörde or Ausländerbehörde, along with your B1 language certificate, proof of income, residence registration history, and other required documents.

Passing both tests does not guarantee citizenship. The Einbürgerungsbehörde also reviews financial self-sufficiency, criminal record, residency period, and other criteria. The tests are necessary conditions, not sufficient ones.

Typical Preparation Time

For most applicants who study the 310 questions seriously: 2–3 weeks of focused study is sufficient. The pass threshold (17/33) is accessible. Content familiarity beats intensive memorisation.

People who score significantly above the pass mark (25+) typically spent 1–2 weeks understanding the material rather than memorising answers. The civic knowledge content — how German democracy works, key historical dates, fundamental rights — is genuinely interesting and coherent once you've read through it with context.

Working on Your Language Requirement Too?

The Einbürgerungstest takes 2–3 weeks. The TELC B1 language exam takes months to prepare for if you're not already at B1. Start with that first.

Take a free TELC B1 mock exam to see where your German level is →