The Einbürgerungstest is the citizenship knowledge test that most adults applying for German naturalisation are required to pass. Set by the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF), it covers how German democracy, history and society work, and its questions are fixed and fully public before you sit. This guide covers the format, the pass mark, the topic areas, and how to prepare.
What is the Einbürgerungstest and who has to take it?
The Einbürgerungstest is a 33-question multiple-choice examination that forms part of the naturalisation process in Germany. It sits alongside language and residence requirements. Most adults applying for German citizenship must pass it. Certain applicants are exempt, for example holders of a German school-leaving qualification (Schulabschluss); the relevant naturalisation authority can confirm which exemptions apply to your situation.
How many questions are on the test and how long does it take?
You sit 33 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. Each question has four answer options and exactly one correct answer. Of the 33 questions, 30 are drawn from the nationwide catalogue (Gesamtfragenkatalog) published by BAMF, and 3 are specific to the federal state (Bundesland) where you live. Each of the 16 states has its own set of 10 questions about its history, politics and culture; 3 of these appear in your test.
What is the pass mark?
You need at least 17 of the 33 questions correct to pass. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so it is always worth answering every question. The nationwide pass rate exceeds 90 percent, in large part because the questions are fixed and published in advance.
What topics does the test cover?
The 30 nationwide questions span three subject areas:
- Politics and democracy (Leben in der Demokratie): the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) and fundamental rights, elections and the right to vote, the rule of law, and the institutions of the federal state. The questions range from identifying which fundamental right Article 1 protects (human dignity) to knowing how many federal states Germany has (16) and what makes a party unconstitutional (aiming to establish a dictatorship).
- History and responsibility (Geschichte und Verantwortung): German history from the Weimar Republic through the National Socialist era, the division of Germany after 1945, the building and fall of the Berlin Wall, and reunification in 1990. These questions anchor the knowledge in the consequences of that history.
- People and society (Mensch und Gesellschaft): how people live together in Germany, the separation of church and state, the education system, family structures, and how the social-insurance system is financed through social contributions (Sozialabgaben).
The 3 state-specific questions come from your Bundesland’s own catalogue and vary depending on where you live.
Are the questions available in advance?
Yes. BAMF publishes the full Gesamtfragenkatalog openly on its website. The nationwide catalogue contains 300 questions; the 16 state catalogues together contain 160 more. The questions are official works (amtliche Werke) free of copyright under § 5(2) of the German Copyright Act and may be reproduced unchanged with attribution. Because the test draws only from this fixed pool, studying every question in the catalogue is a complete and efficient preparation strategy.
How does the test work on the day?
You book a place at an approved test centre (Durchführungsstelle) and pay the test fee of 25 euros. The test is written by hand on an answer sheet; the centre marks it and sends your certificate (Einbürgerungstestzertifikat) by post. Test centres across Germany are listed on the BAMF website at bamf.de.
What is the best way to prepare?
Work through the entire nationwide catalogue. Because the pool of 300 questions is public and the test draws 30 of them at random, knowing all 300 answers means you are prepared for every possible nationwide question. For the 3 state questions, BAMF also publishes each state’s 10 questions on its website.
The RiverMap Learning Einbürgerungstest app covers all 300 questions from the official BAMF Gesamtfragenkatalog, reproduced unchanged as the licence requires. Every answer comes with a plain-language explanation in your choice of six languages: German, English, Turkish, Arabic, Russian or Ukrainian. A 33-question timed mock is scored exactly as the real test: 17 of 33 to pass. The app is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by BAMF or any government body.