About the exam

Norway has two civics tests, both run by the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir). They have the same syllabus: the curriculum "Samfunnskunnskap for voksne innvandrere" (2021), which is covered by the official learning resource samfunnskunnskap.no.

• Statsborgerprøven (the citizenship test) is taken in Norwegian at about A2 level. Citizenship applicants aged 18–67 must pass it, or pass the social studies test taken in Norwegian.
• Samfunnskunnskapsprøven (the social studies test) can be taken in one of 23 languages. People aged 18–67 need it for permanent residence, and it is the final test of the social studies course for immigrants who have the right and duty to take that course.

This app trains both tests with one question pool. Choose your test (track) before you start a practice exam. Questions are in Norwegian Bokmål and have translations. They are unofficial: they were written from the official syllabus, because HK-dir does not publish the real test questions.

Eligibility

(As of 1 October 2026. Based on the Citizenship Act (statsborgerloven), last amended by LOV-2024-12-20-81, and the Citizenship Regulations.)

Main rule (§ 7):

• You have clarified your identity, you are at least 12 years old, and you live in Norway and will stay
• You meet the conditions for a permanent residence permit
• You have lived in Norway for 8 of the last 11 years with permits valid for at least one year
• If you are 18–67: oral Norwegian at level B1 or higher, and a passed citizenship test (§ 8)
• You have no waiting period (karenstid) left after a criminal penalty

Shorter residence requirements:

• 6 of the last 10 years, if your income in the last assessed tax year was at least 3 times the National Insurance basic amount (3G) (§ 10)
• 7 of the last 10 years for recognised refugees (§ 16 a)
• 5 of the last 10 years for the spouse, registered partner or cohabitant of a Norwegian citizen. Your time in Norway plus your time married to (or living with) the citizen must add up to at least 7 years (§ 12)
• 5 of the last 7 years if you came to Norway before you turned 18 (§ 11)
• 2 years for Nordic citizens (§ 13). 3 years for stateless adults (§ 16)

You do not need the citizenship test (Citizenship Regulations § 4-2) if, for example, you have:

• passed the social studies test in Norwegian
• a grade of 2 or better in social studies at a Norwegian lower or upper secondary school
• at least 10 credits of university-level social science about Norway
• studied in Norwegian or Sámi at a Norwegian university or university college

For permanent residence (the social studies test track): normally 3 years of residence with qualifying permits (5 for refugees), oral Norwegian at A2 or higher (since 1 September 2025), a passed social studies test in a language you understand, and 12 months of self-sufficiency. The language, test and income requirements apply to people aged 18–67.

Planned changes: in 2026 the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion sent proposed changes to the Citizenship Act out for public consultation, with a deadline in October 2026. They include stricter residence rules for some groups, for example 7 years instead of 3 for stateless adults. Nothing has been decided yet, so check udi.no before you apply.

Format

Statsborgerprøven (citizenship test):

• 36 multiple-choice questions. Each has 3 options and only one is correct
• Only 32 questions count: 4 are new questions being tried out and do not affect your score
• Pass: at least 24 correct answers
• Up to 60 minutes, on a computer at a test centre
• In Norwegian only (Bokmål or Nynorsk), at language level A2. You can have the questions read aloud from audio files

Samfunnskunnskapsprøven (social studies test):

• 38 questions. Most are multiple choice with 3 options. Some are picture tasks where you mark the right place in an image
• Only 34 questions count (4 are trial questions)
• Pass: at least 26 correct answers
• Up to 60 minutes
• 23 languages, including Norwegian, English, Arabic, Turkish, Vietnamese and Spanish. Questions can be read aloud in 10 languages. You can apply to take it orally or with an interpreter
• It only counts for citizenship if you take it in Norwegian

Topics (the same for both tests): three modules of 25 hours each.

• Education, skills and working life
• Family, health and everyday life
• Norway past and present

In this app, practice exams have only the questions that count (32 or 34) and use the official pass marks. The trial questions are left out.

Test fee and naturalisation fee

(As of 2026; subject to change)

• Statsborgerprøven: your municipality sets the price, between NOK 300 and 1,800 per attempt
• Samfunnskunnskapsprøven: NOK 500–1,300 per attempt. Your first attempt is free if you have the right and duty to social studies training
• Registration is binding: you must pay even if you do not take the test, unless you have a sick note
• Citizenship application fee: NOK 6,500 for adults. Children under 18 pay nothing
• Permanent residence application fee: NOK 4,000

How to register

1. Open the HK-dir test portal (prove.hkdir.no) and choose your county. You can then see test centres, dates and prices.
2. Register and choose how to pay (bank card in the portal, online banking, invoice, or by agreement with the test centre). You are not registered until you get a confirmation by SMS and e-mail.
3. If you are in training at your municipality, the test centre registers you for the social studies test.
4. If you need adjustments, such as extra time, contact the test centre as soon as possible and no later than three days after you register.
5. On test day, bring valid physical ID, such as a passport, Norwegian bank card with photo, Norwegian driving licence (a digital licence is not accepted), EEA national ID card or residence card. The ID number must be the same one you registered with.

Retake policy

• HK-dir does not limit the number of attempts. Each new attempt needs a new registration and a new fee.
• If you are caught cheating, you may lose the certificate, have to wait one year before you take the test again, and have to pay next time.
• If you are ill on test day and have a sick note, you can take the test later without paying again.

After passing

1. Statsborgerprøven: your result comes by e-mail and on "Min side" the day after the test. The certificate (prøvebevis) arrives by post within 2–4 weeks. For samfunnskunnskapsprøven, the result comes after 2–4 weeks.
2. You can share your results through Vitnemålsportalen.
3. Apply for citizenship online at udi.no and pay the fee. Then book an appointment with the police to show your passport and documents.
4. When your application is approved, the County Governor (Statsforvalteren) invites new citizens aged 12 and over to a citizenship ceremony. Taking part is voluntary. Adults who take part make a loyalty pledge.
5. Apply for a Norwegian passport at the police.

Official resources

• HK-dir, citizenship test: prove.hkdir.no
• HK-dir, social studies test: prove.hkdir.no
• Official learning resource (in many languages): samfunnskunnskap.no. HK-dir's "Øv til prøven" pages also link sample tests
• Curriculum: Læreplan i samfunnskunnskap for voksne innvandrere
• Citizenship Act: lovdata.no · Citizenship Regulations: lovdata.no
• UDI, citizenship: udi.no
• County Governor, citizenship ceremonies: statsforvalteren.no

Things to watch out for

• Statsborgerprøven is only in Norwegian. A social studies test you passed in another language (for example for permanent residence) does not count for citizenship.
• The civics test and the language requirement are separate. For citizenship you also need an oral Norwegian test at B1.
• The two tests have the same syllabus, but the social studies test uses more advanced Norwegian than the citizenship test (A2).
• Norway has allowed dual citizenship since 1 January 2020, but your other country may not. Check its rules.
• The rules may change after the 2026 consultation. Check udi.no shortly before you apply.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take the citizenship test in English? No. Statsborgerprøven is only in Norwegian (Bokmål or Nynorsk). You can take the social studies test in English, but only the Norwegian version counts for citizenship.

Which test should I take? For citizenship, take statsborgerprøven (or the social studies test in Norwegian). For permanent residence, take samfunnskunnskapsprøven in a language you understand.

Do the two tests need different study material? No. Both use the same syllabus, which is covered on samfunnskunnskap.no.

What if I fail? Register again and pay the fee. HK-dir sets no waiting period after a failed test; the one-year wait only applies to cheating.