Booking and sitting the German citizenship test
Register with an approved test centre, pay €25, answer 33 questions in 60 minutes. Take the mock exam here first.
Question 1 of 33 · Nr. 105
Was ist eine Aufgabe von Wahlhelferinnen/Wahlhelfern in Deutschland?
What is one task of election helpers in Germany?
Your score
0 / 33
0 answered
Pass mark: 17 of 33 correct, 60 minutes.
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · BAMF question catalogue of 7 May 2025 · laws checked on 22 October 2026
You do not sit the citizenship test at the naturalisation authority but at a test centre approved by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), usually an adult education centre (Volkshochschule) or an integration course provider. You register there, pay the fee of €25 set by section 2 of the Citizenship Test Ordinance and get a date. On the day you show valid ID, answer 33 questions under supervision within 60 minutes and tick your answers on a sheet. With at least 17 correct answers you pass. BAMF marks the papers and posts you a certificate, which you attach to your naturalisation application. If you fail, you can retake the test as often as you need, paying the fee each time. The exam is only in German, so practise with the German wording; a mock exam before booking shows whether you are ready.
Step by step to the exam
The first step is the test centre. The Citizenship Test Ordinance has BAMF run the test through approved centres; to find those in your town, ask the Volkshochschule, an integration course provider or the naturalisation authority. You register in writing or in person, giving your details and the federal state where you live, because 3 of the 33 questions depend on it.
The second step is the fee: €25, payable when you register. Higher prices you may see online are usually for preparation courses, not the test itself. Under section 10(5) StAG a course is optional; if you practise with the questions on this site, you do not need one.
| Stage | What happens | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Choose a centre, state where you live | Dates are often booked weeks ahead |
| Fee | €25 | Due again for each retake |
| Exam | 33 questions, 60 minutes | Bring photo ID |
| Pass | 17 correct answers or more | Wrong answers cost nothing |
| Result | BAMF certificate by post | Original goes with the application |
On the day
The exam takes place in a supervised room. Everyone gets their own paper; the questions are the same as in the official question catalogue, just selected and arranged. You tick exactly one answer per question. You can usually hand in early, and 60 minutes is plenty for most people who know the wording. Dictionaries and phones are not allowed, and the paper is in German only.
Never leave a question blank. A wrong answer costs nothing, so a guess always beats an empty box. For picture questions, read the four options before looking at the image: the words often rule out two of them straight away.
Who does not need the test
You are exempt if illness, disability or age prevents you from acquiring the knowledge (section 10(6) StAG), and if you are under 16. People who only have to show basic spoken German, such as former guest workers, are not required to take it either. Whether a German school-leaving certificate replaces the test is up to the authority, so check before booking. The language certificate is a separate proof: see B1 German certificate.
To see whether the test is your last open point, run the full requirements check:
Earliest application
Earliest application
January 2027
| Deadline (s. 10 StAG: 5 years’ residence) | January 2027 |
| Length of residence | from January 2027 |
| Residence title | met |
| Livelihood | met |