Germany citizenship test (Leben in Deutschland) · Curriculum chapter 1 · 6 min read
Chapter 1: The test and the Land questions
How the German naturalisation test (Einbuergerungstest) works: 33 questions in 60 minutes, 17 to pass, 30 general and 3 on your federal state, the fee, who is exempt and how it differs from the Leben in Deutschland course test.
What the test is for
To become a German citizen by naturalisation (Einbuergerung) you have to show that you know the legal and social order of Germany and how people live here. For most applicants the proof is a pass in the naturalisation test, the Einbuergerungstest. It sits alongside the other main requirements: in most cases five years of lawful residence, German at level B1, the ability to support yourself, no criminal conviction, and a commitment to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) and to Germany's special historical responsibility for the Nazi era.
The format at a glance
| Feature | The real test |
|---|---|
| Questions | 33 |
| General questions | 30, on Germany as a whole |
| Land questions | 3, on the federal state (Land) where you are registered with your main residence |
| Answers | 4 possible answers per question, exactly one right |
| Time | 60 minutes, under supervision |
| Pass mark | at least 17 correct out of 33 |
| Separate minimum for the Land questions | none: only the total counts |
| Language | German (the test forms and the official catalogue are in German) |
| Fee | 25 euros |
The test is a paper test: you receive a test booklet and mark your answers on the form. Candidates sitting the test at the same time get different forms. After marking, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt fuer Migration und Fluechtlinge, BAMF) sends you a certificate with your result, which you hand to the naturalisation authority. If you score fewer than 17, you can take the test again.
Our practice tests
Each of our practice tests copies that shape exactly: 33 multiple-choice questions, four answers each, 60 minutes and a pass mark of 17. Questions 1 to 30 are general; questions 31 to 33 are about one Land, which each test names in its introduction. Our first tests cover North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Bavaria (Bayern) and Baden-Wuerttemberg, the three Laender with the most people; more Laender will follow.
The practice is in English, with the key German terms in brackets the first time they appear, so that you learn the words you will meet in the real German test. All our questions are written by us from the official curriculum; they are not the official questions.
The three topic areas
The 30 general questions come from three areas named by BAMF:
- Living in a democracy (Leben in der Demokratie): the Basic Law, basic rights, elections, parties, the federal system, the state bodies and the rule of law. This is the largest area. In the orientation course of the integration course the same area is called Politik in der Demokratie.
- History and responsibility (Geschichte und Verantwortung): the road to democracy from 1848, the Weimar Republic, the National Socialist dictatorship and the Holocaust, the division of Germany, the GDR, reunification, migration and Europe.
- People and society (Mensch und Gesellschaft): equality of men and women, religious diversity, family, education, work and living together.
Chapters 2, 3 and 4 cover these areas one by one.
The Land questions
Three questions are about the Land where you live. The curriculum treats them as part of living in a democracy: they ask about the Land as a political unit, for example:
- its capital and the city where the Land parliament (usually the Landtag) and Land government sit;
- the title of the head of the Land government, in most Laender the Ministerpraesident or Ministerpraesidentin;
- how often the Land parliament is elected, and voting ages in Land or local elections;
- its neighbours, both other Laender and other countries;
- how and when the Land came into being.
Germany has 16 Laender. Three of them are city-states: Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen. If you move to another Land after passing, your certificate stays valid.
Questions about office holders change with every election, so learn titles and institutions rather than names.
Do not confuse it with the Leben in Deutschland test
People who take an integration course (Integrationskurs) finish the orientation course with a test called Leben in Deutschland (Life in Germany). It looks the same: 33 questions, four answers each, 60 minutes, and it draws on the same official catalogue as the naturalisation test. The difference is the pass mark:
| Leben in Deutschland (course test) | Einbuergerungstest (naturalisation test) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pass mark | 15 of 33 passes the course test | 17 of 33 |
| Counts for naturalisation | only with 17 or more correct | yes |
So if you already took Leben in Deutschland and scored 17 or more, that result can serve as your proof of knowledge for naturalisation, and you may not need the Einbuergerungstest at all. With 15 or 16 you passed the course but not the naturalisation standard.
Who does not have to take the test
BAMF names two exceptions:
- people who have a German school-leaving qualification (deutscher Schulabschluss);
- people who cannot meet the requirement because of a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability, or because of age.
Ask your naturalisation authority (Einbuergerungsbehoerde) if you think an exception applies to you.
Booking and the day itself
- Ask your naturalisation authority (Einbuergerungsbehoerde) which test centres (Pruefstellen) are near you; BAMF publishes a list for each Land.
- Register with the test centre and pay the 25 euro fee.
- Bring a valid photo ID on the day.
- Read every question to the end: many wrong answers contain one familiar word from the right topic.
How to prepare
- Work through Chapters 2 to 4 and the drills for each topic area.
- Take the practice tests under real conditions: 60 minutes, no notes. Aim well above 17, because you cannot choose which 33 questions you will get.
- Learn the key German terms in brackets; the real test is in German.
- BAMF's online test centre lets you work through the official catalogue and a sample form, with the right answers shown.
Common questions
Is there a minimum score for the three Land questions? No. Only the total counts: 17 of 33, wherever the right answers come from.
Can I take the test in English? BAMF describes only a German test: the test forms and the official catalogue are in German, and its pages mention no other language. Our English practice teaches the content and the key terms.
What if I fail? You can take the test again. There is no limit stated on the number of attempts.
Ready to try a full test? Start Germany citizenship practice test 1.
Based on the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees pages on naturalisation and the integration course final test (bamf.de, page dated 26 October 2026) and the Einbuergerungstestverordnung. Written in our own words; check the official pages before your test.