Statsborgerprøven: 36 questions, 4 of them do not count, and you need 24
To apply for Norwegian citizenship you must pass statsborgerprøven, the citizenship test, or the social studies test (samfunnskunnskapsprøven) taken in Norwegian. It is a knowledge test about Norwegian society, written in Norwegian at level A2. It is separate from the oral Norwegian requirement, which has been B1 since 1 October 2022 (see norskprøven B1 muntlig).
Everything below was read on the test pages of HK-dir, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, at prove.hkdir.no on 5 October 2026. Where a comparison with other countries' tests is ours, it says so.
The format: 36 questions, 32 that count, 24 to pass
The test has 36 questions, each with three answer options and one correct answer, and lasts at most 60 minutes. It is taken on a computer at the test centre, never on your own machine.
Only 32 of the 36 questions give points. HK-dir uses four questions in every test to try out new items, and right or wrong answers to those four do not affect your score. You are not told which four they are, so every question has to be answered as if it counts.
You need 24 correct answers to pass, which is 75% of the 32 that count.
The test is in Norwegian, and you choose bokmål or nynorsk. You can have the questions read aloud through audio files during the test.
The finding: stricter than Spain or Germany, and no published question bank
This comparison is ours, from each test body's own pages, all read on 5 October 2026.
Spain's CCSE passes at 15 of 25, 60%, and Instituto Cervantes publishes all 300 possible questions with their answers. Germany's Einbürgerungstest passes at 17 of 33, about 52%, and BAMF publishes all 310 possible questions. Norway's statsborgerprøven passes at 24 of 32, 75%, and publishes no question bank at all.
What HK-dir offers instead is a syllabus and a sample. The questions come from the curriculum in Norwegian and social studies for adult immigrants, the reading material is the free site samfunnskunnskap.no, and there is an example test that HK-dir says plainly is not the same test you will sit. So the Norwegian test is the one where memorising answers is not available as a strategy: the candidate has to understand the material.
The syllabus covers three themes: education, skills and working life; family, health and everyday life; and Norway before and now.
Price, booking and binding registration
Your municipality sets the price, between 300 and 1,800 kroner. That is a sixfold range for the same national test, depending on where you register. The current price for each test centre is shown in the registration portal, where you first choose your county.
Registration is binding. If you register and then do not take the test, you still pay. The exception is a doctor's sick note, which lets you take it another time. You register and withdraw through the test centre.
The invitation letter comes from the test centre two weeks before the test, with the date, time and place. If you need adjustments such as extra time or a separate room, contact the test centre no later than three days after you register.
On the day, bring physical ID with the same ID number you registered with. HK-dir accepts a valid passport, a Norwegian bank card with photo, a Norwegian driving licence (a digital licence is not accepted), a national ID card from the EEA, a refugee travel document or alien's passport, a residence card, or an asylum seeker certificate with signature and place of birth.
Results, the certificate and why there is no appeal on the score
You can see your result the day after the test, by email and on Min side. If you pass, the test centre posts you a certificate (prøvebevis) two to four weeks after the test. Results can also be shared through Vitnemålsportalen if you are registered with a Norwegian national identity number.
You cannot appeal the result. You can only complain about a formal error in how the test was run, such as a technical fault on the day, by writing to the test centre within three weeks.
Cheating costs a year. HK-dir lists, among the consequences, being sent out of the room, receiving no certificate, having to wait one year before sitting again, and paying again next time. Smart watches, smart glasses and phones count as aids, and HK-dir says it can detect cheating during the test, afterwards or when marking.
Statsborgerprøven or samfunnskunnskapsprøven
The two tests have the same syllabus. The difference is the Norwegian: statsborgerprøven is set at A2, while the Norwegian of the social studies test counts as higher than A2.
Either one works for citizenship, on one condition. The social studies test counts only when you took it in Norwegian. Many people take it in their own language during the introduction programme; if you did, you still need statsborgerprøven.
The full list of citizenship conditions is on UDI's site, and how Norway's oral B1 compares with other countries is in citizenship language requirements by country.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Skipping questions you think are the four trial items.
Answering all 36.
HK-dir does not say which four questions are unscored, so any of them may be one that counts.
Assuming your social studies test counts for citizenship.
Checking which language you took it in.
Samfunnskunnskapsprøven counts only if you took it in Norwegian. Taken in another language, you still need statsborgerprøven.
Looking for the official question bank to memorise.
Studying samfunnskunnskap.no and taking the example test.
HK-dir publishes no question bank, and states that its example test is not the test you will sit.
Registering and then not turning up.
Registering only for a date you can make, or getting a sick note.
Registration is binding: you pay even if you do not take the test, unless you have a sick note.
Bringing a digital driving licence as ID.
Bringing a physical passport, bank card with photo or another listed document.
HK-dir accepts only physical ID, and names the digital driving licence as not valid.
Questions
How many questions are on statsborgerprøven, and how many do I need to pass?
36 questions with three options each, in up to 60 minutes. Only 32 are scored, because four are new questions being tested. You need 24 correct, which is 75% of the scored questions.
How much does statsborgerprøven cost?
Each municipality sets the price, between 300 and 1,800 kroner according to HK-dir. The exact price for each test centre is in the registration portal. Registration is binding, so you pay even if you do not attend, unless you have a sick note.
What language level is statsborgerprøven?
The test is written in Norwegian at level A2, in bokmål or nynorsk as you choose, and the questions can be read aloud through audio files. It is a test of knowledge about Norwegian society, not a language test; the oral Norwegian requirement for citizenship has been B1 since 1 October 2022.
When do I get the result?
The day after the test, by email and on Min side. If you pass, the test centre posts a certificate within two to four weeks.
Can I appeal my statsborgerprøven result?
No. HK-dir says you cannot appeal the result. You can complain about a formal error in how the test was run, such as a technical fault, to the test centre within three weeks of the test.
Is there an official list of statsborgerprøven questions?
No. Unlike Spain's CCSE and Germany's Einbürgerungstest, which publish every possible question, HK-dir publishes a syllabus at samfunnskunnskap.no and an example test that it says is not the test you will sit.
Does samfunnskunnskapsprøven count instead of statsborgerprøven?
Yes, if you took it in Norwegian. The two tests share a syllabus, and the social studies test's Norwegian is above A2. If you took the social studies test in another language, you must take statsborgerprøven.
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