In Österreich besteht für Kinder eine Schulpflicht, sodass sie neun Jahre lang die Schule besuchen müssen. Stimmt das?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
ÖIF Integrationsprüfung B1 · Werte
ÖIF Integrationsprüfung B1 Practice: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens (2026)
Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens is the legal backbone of the Werte- und Orientierungswissen part of the ÖIF Integrationsprüfung B1: the rule of law, independent courts, democratic law-making, and the rights and duties everyone in Austria shares. The values test has 18 questions worth 45 points, passed from 25 points, and at least one question comes from each of the seven official Wertebereiche, so this area is guaranteed to appear on your paper.
Practice
Free practice questions
Wer in Österreich arbeitet und Geld verdient, muss Steuern und Sozialabgaben zahlen. Stimmt das?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
Die Gerichte in Österreich müssen sich bei ihren Urteilen an die Wünsche der Regierung halten. Stimmt das?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
In Österreich darf die Polizei einen Menschen ohne gesetzliche Grundlage einfach ins Gefängnis sperren. Stimmt das?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
In Ihrer Wohnung bricht ein Feuer aus und Sie brauchen sofort Hilfe. Welche Notrufnummer wählen Sie in Österreich?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
An der Spitze des Staates steht in Österreich der Bundespräsident. Wie kommt eine Person in dieses Amt?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
Österreich ist ein Bundesstaat, der sich in mehrere Länder gliedert. Aus wie vielen Bundesländern besteht das Land?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
In Österreich gibt es eine gesetzliche Sozialversicherung, in die Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer einzahlen. Wozu dient sie?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
In Österreich schützt die Verfassung die Gleichheit aller Menschen, egal woher sie kommen. Deshalb sind alle Menschen vor dem Gesetz gleich, unabhängig von Herkunft, Geschlecht oder Religion. Stimmt das?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
Eine Religionsgemeinschaft darf in Österreich ihre eigenen Regeln über das staatliche Gesetz stellen. Stimmt das?
Based on: ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen B1: Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens; Frage original erstellt
The rule of law: what the Werte test expects you to know
The recurring anchor of this Wertebereich is the Rechtsstaat, the state bound by law. The state itself must follow the law: the police may not simply lock a person up without a legal basis, and everyone has the right to a fair procedure. The courts are independent and bound only by the law; the government may not tell judges how to decide, and a question asking whether courts must follow the government's wishes expects a clear no. Law-making belongs to parliament, not to any single person: in Austria the Nationalrat and Bundesrat pass the federal laws. Democracy shows up in the details too, and one distinctly Austrian fact is a favourite: young people may vote in the Nationalratswahl from the age of 16, earlier than in many other countries. Austria has also been a parliamentary republic since 1918, with no emperor and no monarchy, a fact this area shares with the orientation questions.
- The courts decide independently, bound only by the law, never by government instructions.
- No one may be imprisoned without a legal basis; a fair procedure is everyone's right.
- Voting in the Nationalratswahl is possible from age 16.
Duties come with the rights: school, taxes and contributions
The values test balances rights with duties, and two duties dominate this area. The first is the Schulpflicht: Austria has a general compulsory schooling of nine years, starting at age six, and it applies to all children living in the country, whatever their citizenship. The second is the duty to contribute: whoever works and earns money in Austria must pay taxes and Sozialabgaben (social contributions), which finance shared tasks such as schools, roads and the health system. The exam phrases these as short Stimmt das? statements with two options, or as three-option questions, matching the real scoring: nine questions worth 2 points each and nine worth 3 points each. That format rewards precise knowledge rather than guessing, because a plausible-sounding distortion (schooling is voluntary, courts follow the government) is always on offer. Drill this area until the true statements feel obvious, then bank its points on exam day and spend your thinking time on the language parts.
| Question the Werte test asks | Correct in Austria | The distortion to reject |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes the laws? | Parliament (Nationalrat and Bundesrat) | The Bundespräsident alone, or the courts |
| Must courts follow the government? | No, courts are independent, bound only by law | Yes, judges follow government wishes |
| Can police detain without legal basis? | No, the Rechtsstaat requires a legal basis | Yes, if the police think it necessary |
| Is school attendance compulsory? | Yes, nine years of Schulpflicht from age six | No, school is voluntary |
| Who pays taxes and Sozialabgaben? | Everyone who works and earns money | Only citizens, or nobody |
| From what age can you vote (Nationalrat)? | From 16 | From 18 or 21 |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does Prinzipien des Zusammenlebens cover in the ÖIF Werte test?
It covers the legal principles of living together in Austria: the rule of law (Rechtsstaat), independent courts, law-making by parliament, equal rights and duties, compulsory schooling and the duty to pay taxes and social contributions. It is one of the seven official Wertebereiche of the ÖIF Integrationsprüfung B1, and at least one question from each area appears in every values test.
How many points do I need to pass the Werte part of the Integrationsprüfung B1?
You need at least 25 of 45 points. The ÖIF values test has 18 multiple-choice questions: questions 1 to 9 have two answer options and are worth 2 points each, and questions 10 to 18 have three options and are worth 3 points each. The values part is passed separately from the language part of the Integrationsprüfung B1.
Are Austrian courts independent from the government?
Yes. In Austria the courts are independent and bound only by the law; the government may not tell them how to decide. The Werte test likes to probe this from the negative side, asking whether judges must follow the government's wishes, and the correct answer is always no. This is a core feature of the Rechtsstaat that the ÖIF values catalogue emphasises.
Is school attendance compulsory in Austria?
Yes. Austria has a general Schulpflicht of nine years, beginning at age six, and it applies to all children living in Austria regardless of nationality. The ÖIF Werte test asks this as a straightforward true-or-false style question, so anchor both numbers: nine years, from age six.
From what age can you vote in Austria?
From the age of 16 in the Nationalratswahl, Austria's national parliamentary election. This is earlier than in many other countries, which is exactly why the ÖIF Werte- und Orientierungswissen tests it: the tempting wrong answers are 18 and 21. Pair it with the fact that parliament, elected by the people, passes the laws.