July 25, 2026 · 2 min read
What Happens If You Fail the Einbürgerungstest?
By Lena Vogel — Integration course tutor, 8 years, Berlin
Missing the 17-out-of-33 pass mark feels like a wall, but it rarely is. In eight years of teaching integration courses, I've watched plenty of people not pass the first time and go on to naturalise without any lasting problem. The test isn't a one-shot exam.
Can you retake the Einbürgerungstest?
Yes. You can repeat the Einbürgerungstest as many times as you need — you book and pay for a new sitting, then try again. There's no limit that ends your path to citizenship because of a failed attempt, which takes a lot of the fear out of it.
You'll receive your result showing how many questions you got right. Keep that certificate: it tells you exactly how far off you were, and a near miss needs a very different plan from a wide one.
Work out what actually went wrong
Before you rebook, treat the first attempt as feedback rather than a verdict:
- Did the politics or history questions catch you? Those are the ones people misread when rushing.
- Did you run out of time? 33 questions in 60 minutes is generous, but only if you're not second-guessing every answer.
- Were you practising the wrong material? Old or invented question sets don't match the current catalogue.
- Did you skip your Bundesland's questions? The 3 state questions are easy marks people forget to revise.
Prepare differently for the retake
Don't just re-sit the same quiz and hope. Go back to the official catalogue, drill the themes that let you down, and practise full mocks under the real 60-minute limit. Aim to clear 17 comfortably and repeatedly — a steady margin is what carries you through test-day nerves. Our study guide lays out a plan you can follow.
GermanPass works from the official BAMF questions and explains each answer, so your weak spots turn into a focused revision list instead of a repeated mystery.
Keep the bigger picture in view
The test is only one part of naturalisation, and a retake doesn't undo the rest of your application. When you're ready to sit it again, follow our guide on booking the Einbürgerungstest and confirm the current process with BAMF. GermanPass is independent and doesn't provide legal advice.