Is the German citizenship test available in English?

No. The German citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest) is only held in German. There is no English version, and you can't use a dictionary, a translation app or an interpreter during the test. You can study with an English translation, though – as long as you switch to the German original well before test day, because the German wording is all you'll see in the exam.

What “German only” means in practice

• All 33 questions and all answer options are in German. You have 60 minutes and need at least 17 correct answers – the test format is the same for everyone.
• The official catalogue of 460 questions is published in German by the BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees), for example in its online test centre. The sample test there is in German only, too. Any English version you find online – including the one in our app – is an unofficial translation.
• You sit the test on your own, under supervision. Nobody is allowed to translate for you.
• Only the German text counts. If a translation is imprecise, the German original decides. According to the BAMF, the wording in the test may even differ slightly from the catalogue – so understanding matters more than memorising.

You'll need B1 German anyway

Naturalisation normally requires German at B1 level (§ 10 (4) StAG, the Nationality Act), proven for example with the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ) or a B1 certificate from telc, Goethe or ÖSD. So by the time you apply, you're expected to read simple German – and most test questions are short sentences. What's new for many people is the civic vocabulary: Fraktion (parliamentary group), Legislative (legislature) or Volkssouveränität (sovereignty of the people) aren't everyday German. That vocabulary is what you need to learn. If your German isn't at B1 yet, allow more time – we then recommend six to eight weeks of preparation. Certificates and exceptions are covered in the German language requirement for citizenship.

Some people don't have to take the test at all – for example if you have a German school-leaving certificate, or if illness, disability or age make it impossible. See who is exempt from the citizenship test.

How to study: English first, then German

Become German has an English translation for every one of the 460 questions. While practising and in practice exams you can show or hide it at any time, and in the settings you choose whether it's on by default. Here's how to use it well:

1. First pass – understand. Read each question in German first, then check the English to confirm you've understood it. Focus on why the right answer is right.
2. Build your word list. For every question, note the key German term and its meaning – Bundesrat, Koalition, Rechtsstaat. Our citizenship test glossary explains 50 of them in plain English.
3. Second pass – German only. Answer without the translation. Open it only when you're stuck, and come back to that question later.
4. Final phase – exam mode. Take full practice exams in German only: 33 questions, 60 minutes, no help.
5. Remember the German answer, not the English one. On test day you need to recognise “der Bundestag”, not “the federal parliament”.

Our rule of thumb: practise in German only for at least the last two weeks before your test. For a day-by-day schedule, see how long to study for the citizenship test.

The German words that unlock the questions

A handful of small words decide what a question is really asking. Learn these first:

Words that don't translate one-to-one

Some terms look familiar in English but mean something slightly different in the German system. They're behind a lot of wrong answers:

• Land can mean a country (“Welches Land ist ein Nachbarland von Deutschland?” – which country borders Germany?) or one of the 16 federal states. The context tells you which.
• Bundesrat is often translated as “Federal Council”. It isn't elected by the people: it's made up of representatives of the state governments.
• Ministerpräsident/in sounds like “prime minister”, but it's the head of a federal state's government. The federal cabinet is led by the Bundeskanzler/in (chancellor).
• Staatsoberhaupt (head of state) is the Bundespräsident/in (federal president), not the chancellor.
• Opposition means all MPs who don't belong to the governing party or parties – not one particular party.
• Bürgermeister/in is a mayor, the head of a municipality (Gemeinde). In the city states of Berlin and Hamburg, though, the head of the state government also carries a Bürgermeister title.

Tips for reading the German questions

• Spot “nicht” and “kein” first. Some questions ask for the one option that doesn't fit. In “Was gehört in Deutschland nicht zur Exekutive?” (what is not part of the executive?) the answer is die Gerichte (the courts), because they belong to the judiciary.
• Read question and answer as one sentence. Many questions end with “…” and the options complete the sentence: “Deutschland ist …” – “ein Bundesstaat.” (a federal state).
• Don't let double gender forms slow you down. “die Bundeskanzlerin/der Bundeskanzler” simply means the chancellor, female or male. “Sie/Er” is she/he.
• Split long compound nouns. Bundes-verfassungs-gericht is federal + constitution + court. Wahl-benachrichtigung is election + notification – the polling card your municipality sends before an election.
• Expect the same fact in different words. Three questions ask how long or how often the Bundestag is elected – the answer is always four years. Once you understand the fact, the wording doesn't matter.
• Watch the look-alikes. Bundestag vs. Bundesrat, Koalition vs. Fraktion, Legislative vs. Exekutive – these pairs are behind many wrong answers. More in how to pass the citizenship test: 10 tips.

How the English guide pages help

On our English guide pages – the topic and state question lists and the picture questions – every question shows the German wording under the English text, and for text questions the correct answer in German as well, so you learn both at once. In the app, all 460 questions with answers are listed in German; the search also finds English words, and each question page shows the translation if you've switched it on.