Einbürgerungstest Pro

Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01

Mock exam — Hesse

33 questions as in the real exam: 30 federal and 3 on Hesse. With an explanation for every option. Free, 2026.

Questions in the test
33
Split
30 + 3
Pass mark — naturalisation
17 / 33
Pass mark — "Leben in Deutschland"
15 / 33
Time
60 min
Two pass marks — read this
It is the same paper, but there are two pass marks. Naturalisation requires 17 of 33 correct. The "Leben in Deutschland" test at the end of an orientation course requires 15. So a score of 15 or 16 passes the orientation course and does not meet the naturalisation requirement. If you are sitting this for naturalisation, 17 is your number.
0 of 33 answered

Without JavaScript you see every question, answer and explanation as a list. The test works, just without the timer.

  1. Question 1 of 33Catalogue question 294

    Pentecost is a …

    1. A — Correct: Pentecost is a Christian holiday celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit fifty days after Easter.
    2. B — Pentecost is not a secular German day of remembrance like German Unity Day, but a religious festival.
    3. C — Pentecost is a joyful festival in Christianity, not a day of mourning.
    4. D — Pentecost is observed nationwide as a statutory public holiday, not only in Bavaria.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  2. Question 2 of 33Catalogue question 23

    In Germany, most people in employment are …

    1. A — Family businesses exist, but they employ only a small share of the total workforce.
    2. B — Voluntary work is unpaid and does not describe the majority of employed people who earn their living this way.
    3. C — Only a minority of people in employment in Germany are self-employed; the large majority are employees.
    4. D — Correct: the large majority of people in employment in Germany are in dependent employment with a company or in the public sector.

    Source: www.destatis.de

  3. Question 3 of 33Catalogue question 140

    What does a lay judge do in Germany? They …

    1. A — Correct: lay judges (Schöffen) are voluntary lay judges who decide on guilt and sentencing on an equal footing with professional judges (§§ 30 ff. Courts Constitution Act).
    2. B — Legal advice is the task of lawyers, not lay judges.
    3. C — Issuing documents is the task of authorities (e.g. the registry office), not lay judges.
    4. D — Defending the accused is undertaken by a defence lawyer, not a lay judge, who is part of the deciding court.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  4. Question 4 of 33Catalogue question 81

    Who elects the Federal Chancellor in Germany?

    1. A — The Bundesrat represents the Länder in legislation but does not elect the Federal Chancellor.
    2. B — The Federal Convention only elects the Federal President, not the Chancellor.
    3. C — There is no direct popular election of the Federal Chancellor in Germany.
    4. D — Correct: under Art. 63 of the Basic Law, the Bundestag elects the Federal Chancellor on the proposal of the Federal President.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  5. Question 5 of 33Catalogue question 97

    What do you automatically pay in Germany if you are in permanent employment?

    1. A — Correct: in employment subject to social insurance, contributions to pension, health, long-term care and unemployment insurance are automatically deducted from salary.
    2. B — Social assistance is paid out to people in need, not automatically paid by employees.
    3. C — Child benefit is paid out to parents; it is not an automatic payment made by employees.
    4. D — Housing benefit is a social benefit for people on low incomes toward rent, not an automatic contribution paid by employees.

    Source: www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de

  6. Question 6 of 33Catalogue question 241

    Ms Seger is having a baby. What does she have to do to receive parental allowance?

    1. A — Parental allowance is not a benefit from the health insurance fund but a separate family benefit under the Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act.
    2. B — Correct: parental allowance must be applied for in writing at the responsible parental allowance office — it is not paid out automatically.
    3. C — Parental allowance is not granted automatically; an application is mandatory.
    4. D — The employment office (today the Federal Employment Agency) is not responsible for parental allowance; permission from there is not required.

    Source: www.bmfsfj.de

  7. Question 7 of 33Catalogue question 90

    The German federal states participate in federal legislation through …

    1. A — Correct: the Bundesrat is the constitutional organ through which the 16 Länder participate in federal legislation (Art. 50 Basic Law).
    2. B — The Federal Convention only elects the Federal President and has nothing to do with ongoing legislation.
    3. C — The Bundestag is the parliament directly elected by the people, not the Länder's organ of participation.
    4. D — The federal government is the executive and not the Länder's organ of participation in legislation.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  8. Question 8 of 33Catalogue question 26

    Germany is …

    1. A — Germany is not a communist republic; it has a parliamentary democracy and a market economy.
    2. B — Correct: Art. 20(1) of the Basic Law defines Germany as a democratic and social federal state.
    3. C — Germany is not a monarchy — it has no hereditary head of state.
    4. D — "Socialist" is incorrect; Germany has a social market economy, not a socialist planned economy.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  9. Question 9 of 33Catalogue question 264

    For which festival do people in Germany wear colourful costumes and masks?

    1. A — Correct: Rosenmontag is the high point of street carnival, when colourful costumes, masks and disguises are traditionally worn, especially in the Rhineland.
    2. B — May Day (1 May) is Labour Day, without a tradition of costumes.
    3. C — At Oktoberfest, some people wear traditional dress (dirndls, lederhosen), but that is not disguise with masks and costumes in the carnival sense.
    4. D — Pentecost is a Christian festival with no tradition of costumes.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  10. Question 10 of 33Catalogue question 212

    What is Germany's full name?

    1. A — "Federal State Germany" is not an official state designation.
    2. B — "Federal States Germany" is not an official state designation but describes the constituent states.
    3. C — Correct: the official full name is Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany), laid down in the Basic Law.
    4. D — "Federal District Germany" is not an official designation.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  11. Question 11 of 33Catalogue question 124

    The Bundestag election in Germany is the election of …

    1. A — The Federal Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag, not directly by the people in the Bundestag election.
    2. B — The state parliaments are elected in separate Landtag elections, not in the Bundestag election.
    3. C — Correct: the Bundestag election determines the composition of the Bundestag, the parliament for the whole of Germany.
    4. D — The Federal President is elected by the Federal Convention, not in the Bundestag election.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  12. Question 12 of 33Catalogue question 110

    For how many years is the Bundestag elected in Germany?

    1. A — 2 years is too short for the Bundestag's legislative term.
    2. B — 3 years is too short for the Bundestag's legislative term.
    3. C — Correct: under Art. 39 of the Basic Law, the Bundestag is elected for four years.
    4. D — 5 years is too long for the Bundestag's legislative term (that applies roughly to the European Parliament).

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  13. Question 13 of 33Catalogue question 201

    Which of the following lists contains only federal states that belonged to former East Germany?

    1. A — Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein were West German states; only Brandenburg belonged to East Germany.
    2. B — Correct: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are exactly the five "new states" that joined the Federal Republic in 1990.
    3. C — Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate were West German states; only Thuringia and Saxony belonged to East Germany.
    4. D — Hesse and Lower Saxony were West German states; only Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg belonged to East Germany.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  14. Question 14 of 33Catalogue question 280

    If you want to challenge an incorrect tax assessment in Germany, you must …

    1. A — Inaction results in the incorrect assessment becoming final after the deadline expires — you lose the right to have it corrected.
    2. B — Throwing the notice away does not change its legal validity; the obligation to pay remains.
    3. C — Correct: an objection to an incorrect tax assessment must be filed in writing with the tax office within one month of notification (§ 355 Fiscal Code).
    4. D — Waiting leads to the incorrect assessment becoming final once the deadline expires; a new notice does not arrive automatically.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  15. Question 15 of 33Catalogue question 35

    What does the German state use to finance social insurance?

    1. A — Church tax finances religious communities, not state social insurance.
    2. B — Correct: social security contributions (to pension, health, long-term care, unemployment and accident insurance), paid jointly by employees and employers, finance social insurance.
    3. C — Donations are voluntary and are not a load-bearing source of funding for social insurance.
    4. D — Club membership fees finance clubs, not the state social insurance system.

    Source: www.bundesregierung.de

  16. Question 16 of 33Catalogue question 14

    Freedom of expression in Germany means that I …

    1. A — Insulting someone (§ 185 Criminal Code) is a criminal offence and is not covered by freedom of expression.
    2. B — Correct: freedom of expression (Art. 5(1) Basic Law) expressly protects stating your own opinion, including online.
    3. C — Publicly displaying symbols of unconstitutional or terrorist organisations is a criminal offence (§ 86a Criminal Code) and is not protected speech.
    4. D — The opposite is true: criticising the government is precisely a core area protected by freedom of expression.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  17. Question 17 of 33Catalogue question 19

    What is meant by the right to "freedom of movement" in Germany?

    1. A — Correct: freedom of movement (Art. 11 Basic Law) guarantees the right to freely choose your place of residence anywhere in the federal territory.
    2. B — That is freedom of occupation (Art. 12 Basic Law), a separate basic right — not freedom of movement.
    3. C — That is freedom of religion (Art. 4 Basic Law), a separate basic right — not freedom of movement.
    4. D — Questions of clothing relate at most to the general freedom of action, not to the specific right of freedom of movement.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  18. Question 18 of 33Catalogue question 96

    How can someone who denies the Holocaust be punished?

    1. A — Reducing social benefits is not a criminal sanction for Holocaust denial.
    2. B — 100 hours of community service is not a penalty provided for this offence under German criminal law.
    3. C — Incorrect: Holocaust denial is a criminal offence in Germany, not permitted.
    4. D — Correct: under § 130(3) of the Criminal Code (incitement to hatred), denying or trivialising the Holocaust is punishable by imprisonment of up to five years or a fine.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  19. Question 19 of 33Catalogue question 101

    Trade unions are interest organisations of …

    1. A — Youth organisations specifically represent young people's interests, not the core function of trade unions.
    2. B — Correct: trade unions represent the interests of employees, for example regarding wages and working conditions, and negotiate collective agreements.
    3. C — Pensioners have their own associations, but they are not the core constituency of trade unions.
    4. D — Employers have their own associations (employers' associations), which are the trade unions' counterpart in collective bargaining.

    Source: www.dgb.de

  20. Question 20 of 33Catalogue question 228

    What is East Germany's accession to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990 generally called?

    1. A — NATO's eastward enlargement refers to the later accession of Eastern European states to NATO from the 1990s/2000s onward, not East Germany's accession to the Federal Republic.
    2. B — The EU's eastward enlargement (mainly 2004) refers to the accession of Central and Eastern European states to the EU, a different historical event.
    3. C — Correct: East Germany's accession to the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990 is called "German Reunification".
    4. D — "European Community" was the predecessor organisation of the EU, not a term for German reunification.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  21. Question 21 of 33Catalogue question 7

    Which right is among the basic rights guaranteed by the German constitution? The right to …

    1. A — Correct: Art. 4 Basic Law guarantees freedom of faith, of conscience, and of religious and ideological belief.
    2. B — There is no "right to entertainment" in the Basic Law.
    3. C — There is no enforceable basic right to a specific job, only freedom of occupation (Art. 12 Basic Law).
    4. D — The Basic Law does not contain an enforceable basic right to housing as such, though welfare-state support exists.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  22. Question 22 of 33Catalogue question 151

    Who built the Berlin Wall?

    1. A — Great Britain was a Western occupying power but had no part in building the wall.
    2. B — Correct: the East German (GDR) leadership had the Berlin Wall built during the night of 12–13 August 1961 to stop its citizens fleeing to the West.
    3. C — The Federal Republic of Germany (the West) was the destination of the flight movement, not the builder of the wall.
    4. D — The USA was a Western occupying power but was not involved in building the wall.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  23. Question 23 of 33Catalogue question 31

    In Germany, parties working together to form a government is called …

    1. A — "Unity" is not an established political term for a governing alliance.
    2. B — Correct: a coalition is an alliance of several parties to jointly form a government, usually needed because no single party has a majority.
    3. C — A ministry is an executive authority, not an alliance of parties.
    4. D — A parliamentary group (Fraktion) is the grouping of one party's members in parliament, not the governing alliance itself.

    Source: www.bundestag.de

  24. Question 24 of 33Catalogue question 103

    What is referred to in Germany as a "traffic light coalition"? The cooperation …

    1. A — The CDU and CSU are sister parties with a joint parliamentary group, not a "traffic light" alliance of three parties.
    2. B — Correct: "traffic light coalition" refers to the alliance of SPD (red), FDP (yellow) and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (green) — named after the three party colours, which match the colours of a traffic light. This coalition governed Germany from 2021 to 2024.
    3. C — This combination of parties does not match the historical traffic-light coalition or its colour scheme.
    4. D — An alliance of CDU and SPD is called a "grand coalition", not a traffic-light coalition.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  25. Question 25 of 33Catalogue question 190

    What does the abbreviation GDR (DDR) stand for?

    1. A — "Third German Broadcasting" is not the correct expansion of the abbreviation DDR.
    2. B — "The German Republic" is not the official name of the East German state.
    3. C — "Third German Republic" is not a correct expansion; there was no such numbering.
    4. D — Correct: DDR stands for Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic), the official name of the East German state from 1949 to 1990.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  26. Question 26 of 33Catalogue question 79

    What does the abbreviation FDP stand for in Germany?

    1. A — "Peaceful Demonstrative Party" is not a real designation.
    2. B — "Free Germany Party" is not the official name of the FDP.
    3. C — "Leading Democratic Party" is not the correct expansion of the abbreviation.
    4. D — Correct: FDP stands for Freie Demokratische Partei (Free Democratic Party), founded in 1948, traditionally liberal and pro-business in orientation.

    Source: www.fdp.de

  27. Question 27 of 33Catalogue question 258

    What is the youth welfare office in Germany allowed to do?

    1. A — The choice of school is made by the parents (or, depending on the school type, allocated by the school authority), not by the youth welfare office.
    2. B — Correct: in cases of acute risk to a child's welfare — such as abuse or neglect — the youth welfare office can intervene under § 8a of Book VIII of the Social Code / § 1666 of the Civil Code and take a child into care.
    3. C — Child benefit is paid out by the family benefits office (Federal Employment Agency), not by the youth welfare office.
    4. D — Checking whether a child attends kindergarten is not a typical task of the youth welfare office, especially since attending kindergarten is voluntary in Germany.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  28. Question 28 of 33Catalogue question 158

    The "Third Reich" was a …

    1. A — Correct: the Nazi propaganda term "Third Reich" referred to the totalitarian one-party state under Hitler.
    2. B — Elections and parties were abolished; the opposite of a democracy.
    3. C — There was no hereditary monarch; rule was based on the "Führer principle", not dynastic succession.
    4. D — A council republic is a councils-based democratic system, such as briefly existed in Munich in 1918/19 — the exact opposite of the Nazi dictatorship.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  29. Question 29 of 33Catalogue question 82

    Who chairs the German federal cabinet?

    1. A — The President of the Bundestag chairs parliamentary sessions, not the cabinet.
    2. B — The Federal President has representative duties but does not lead the work of government.
    3. C — The President of the Bundesrat chairs the chamber of the Länder, not the federal cabinet.
    4. D — Correct: the Federal Chancellor chairs the federal cabinet and sets the guidelines of policy (Art. 65 Basic Law).

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  30. Question 30 of 33Catalogue question 195

    Which of today's German federal states was formerly part of East Germany?

    1. A — Hesse lay in the American zone and belonged to old West Germany, not East Germany.
    2. B — Correct: Saxony-Anhalt was one of the five "new states" that joined the Federal Republic in 1990.
    3. C — North Rhine-Westphalia lay in the British zone and belonged to old West Germany, not East Germany.
    4. D — The Saarland joined the Federal Republic in 1957 — never part of East Germany.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  31. Questions on Hesse

    Question 31 of 33Hesse · Catalogue question 2

    Which is a rural district in Hesse?

    1. A — Ammerland lies in Lower Saxony, not in Hesse.
    2. B — Altötting lies in Bavaria, not in Hesse.
    3. C — Prignitz lies in Brandenburg, not in Hesse.
    4. D — Correct: the Main-Taunus district lies in the Rhine-Main region in Hesse.

    Source: www.hessen.de

  32. Question 32 of 33Hesse · Catalogue question 9

    What is the head of government of Hesse called?

    1. A — "First Minister" is not a title used in Germany.
    2. B — "Prime Minister" is the title used in other countries, not in German federal states.
    3. C — "Mayor" is the title for local heads, not for the state as a whole.
    4. D — Correct: as in most area states, the head of government in Hesse is called Ministerpräsident/in (Minister-President).

    Source: www.hessen.de

  33. Question 33 of 33Hesse · Catalogue question 10

    Which minister does Hesse not have?

    1. A — A justice ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Hesse's.
    2. B — Correct: foreign policy is exclusively a federal matter (Art. 32 Basic Law); no federal state — including Hesse — has its own foreign ministry.
    3. C — A finance ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Hesse's.
    4. D — An interior ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Hesse's.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

Questions on Hesse · Practice tests

Last checked: · Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01 · Every figure on this page is checked against its primary source.