The German Citizenship Test (Einbürgerungstest)
What the citizenship test asks, how many answers you need, what it costs, where to take it, and how it differs from your B1 certificate.
What is the Einbürgerungstest?
The Einbürgerungstest proves that you know Germany's legal and social order, which §10 StAG requires for citizenship. It has 33 multiple-choice questions, three of them about your federal state. You have 60 minutes and pass with 17 correct answers. The fee is €25. All questions come from a published catalogue of 300 general questions plus 10 for each state. The test is separate from the B1 language certificate: you need both.
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Legal Basis
Law
§10 Abs. 1 Nr. 7, Abs. 5 StAG; EinbTestV
Requirement
Knowledge of the legal and social order, normally proven by the citizenship test
Official Source
View law textThe Test at a Glance
| Feature | Rule |
|---|---|
| Questions | 33 multiple-choice questions, each with four possible answers |
| State questions | 3 of the 33 are about the federal state you live in |
| Pass mark | 17 correct answers |
| Time | 60 minutes, under supervision at a test centre |
| Fee | €25 per participant |
| Question pool | 300 general questions plus 10 for your state, all published by BAMF |
| Certificate | Valid nationwide, also after you move to another state |
Source: Einbürgerungstestverordnung §1, §2 (gesetze-im-internet.de) · Law as of 12 October 2026
Who Does Not Need the Test?
The law says the test is the normal proof, not the only one. These cases need no citizenship test.
| Situation | Detail |
|---|---|
| "Leben in Deutschland" test with 17 points | The integration course test uses the same question pool. It counts as equivalent if you scored at least 17 of 33, although the test itself is passed with 15. |
| German school-leaving certificate | Official document lists accept a German school-leaving certificate as proof of civic knowledge. |
| Illness, disability or age | The requirement is waived if you cannot meet it for these reasons (§10 Abs. 6 StAG). |
| Hardship cases and former guest workers | If the relaxed language rule for hardship cases or former guest workers applies to you, the test is waived too (§10 Abs. 6 StAG). |
| Children under 16 | Applicants under 16 do not have to meet this requirement (§10 Abs. 1 Satz 2 StAG). |
Source: BAMF: Einbürgerung · Checked 12 October 2026
How Many People Reach 17 Points?
No current official pass rate is published for the citizenship test on its own. BAMF does publish results for the "Leben in Deutschland" test, which uses the same questions and format.
| Year | Test-takers | Scored 17 or more | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 318,633 | 272,727 | 85.6% |
| 2024 | 316,467 | 278,609 | 88.0% |
Source: BAMF: Bericht zur Integrationskursgeschäftsstatistik 2025 · "Leben in Deutschland" test, data years 2024 and 2025
How to Take the Citizenship Test
Find a test centre
Your Einbürgerungsbehörde names the test centres you can use. BAMF also publishes a list of test centres for each federal state. Many are adult education centres (Volkshochschulen).
Register and pay the fee
You book the appointment directly with the test centre. The fee is €25.
Learn the questions
Every possible question is in the official catalogue. Learn the 300 general questions and the 10 for your state. BAMF offers a free online practice test with the real questions.
Tip: The questions are in German. Reading practice at B1 level makes them much easier to learn.
Take the test
You answer 33 questions in 60 minutes at the test centre, under supervision.
Wait for the result
BAMF evaluates the test and issues the certificate. On 12 October 2026 BAMF was evaluating tests taken up to 22 July 2026, which is about twelve weeks by our count.
Tip: Take the test early, because the result takes weeks.
What Does the Test Cost?
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship test | €25 | §2 EinbTestV |
| Repeat attempt | €25 | Example: VHS Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Berlin, charges each attempt again |
| Question catalogue and BAMF online practice test | Free | Published by BAMF |
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
They use the same question pool and the same 33-question format. "Leben in Deutschland" is the final test of the integration course and is passed with 15 points. For citizenship it only counts if you scored at least 17, the pass mark of the Einbürgerungstest.
Yes. B1 proves your German. The citizenship test proves your knowledge of the legal and social order. §10 StAG lists them as two separate requirements.
Yes. BAMF publishes the full catalogue: 300 general questions and 10 for each federal state. The 100 test papers built from it are not published, so you cannot know which 33 questions you will get.
No. The regulation requires the test to be taken under supervision, and test centres run it on site. BAMF's Online-Testcenter is for practice only.
You can repeat the test. VHS Tempelhof-Schöneberg in Berlin, for example, charges the €25 fee again for each attempt.
There is no current official pass rate for the test on its own. In the "Leben in Deutschland" test, which uses the same questions, 85.6% of the 318,633 people who took it in 2025 scored 17 or more.
The regulation sets no expiry date. It says the certificate stays valid when you move and a different authority becomes responsible.
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- Einbürgerungstestverordnung (EinbTestV), gesetze-im-internet.de
- §10 StAG: requirements and exceptions
- BAMF: Einbürgerung (test, test centres, status of evaluation)
- BAMF: full question catalogue (version 23, 26.05.2025)
- BAMF: Online-Testcenter (practice test)
- BAMF: Bericht zur Integrationskursgeschäftsstatistik 2025
- VHS Tempelhof-Schöneberg (Berlin): Einbürgerungstest