June 20, 2026 · 1 min read
How Many Questions Are on the Einbürgerungstest? (2026 Guide)
By Lena Vogel — Integration course tutor, 8 years, Berlin
If you're preparing for German naturalisation, the first thing to nail down is the format of the Einbürgerungstest: how many questions, and how many you need to get right.
The short answer
- 33 questions in total
- 17 correct to pass
- 60 minutes to complete it
- Multiple choice, drawn from the official BAMF question catalogue
Of the 33 questions, 30 are general (the same across Germany) and 3 are specific to your federal state (Bundesland).
Where the questions come from
Every question is taken from a public catalogue of 300 general questions, plus 10 questions for each of the 16 federal states. Because the catalogue is public, there's nothing on the test you can't see and practise in advance — which is exactly why regular practice works so well.
What the questions cover
The general questions fall into a few themes:
- Politics and democracy — how Germany is governed, elections, and institutions
- History and responsibility — the Nazi era, division, and reunification
- People and society — rights, freedoms, and the Basic Law (Grundgesetz)
The 3 state questions cover the Bundesland where you take the test.
How to make sure you get 17+
The pass mark leaves room for mistakes, but the strongest candidates don't lean on that. Aim to score comfortably above 17 on full mock tests before you book — that buffer absorbs any test-day nerves.
GermanPass mock tests mirror the real 33-question, 60-minute format, so by the time you sit the official test the structure already feels familiar.
Before you book
Study from the official catalogue and confirm current details here: BAMF — Einbürgerungstest. Then work through full mock tests until 17 out of 33 feels like your floor, not your ceiling.