Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01

Practice test 3 — Hamburg

33 questions as in the real exam: 30 federal and 3 on Hamburg. 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

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  1. Question 1 of 33Catalogue question 34

    Which of these is Germany not?

    1. A — Germany is a parliamentary democracy with free elections.
    2. B — Germany is a state governed by the rule of law: the law binds the state itself too.
    3. C — Correct: Germany is not a monarchy — the head of state is elected, not inherited.
    4. D — Germany is a welfare state (Art. 20(1) Basic Law) with comprehensive social insurance.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  2. Question 2 of 33Catalogue question 141

    Who in Germany advises people on legal matters and represents them in court?

    1. A — Correct: lawyers advise on legal matters and represent their clients in court (§ 3 Federal Lawyers' Act).
    2. B — A judge decides on the case neutrally but does not advise or represent either party.
    3. C — A lay judge is part of the court and likewise does not advise or represent either party.
    4. D — A public prosecutor represents the prosecution on behalf of the state, not an individual citizen's interests.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  3. Question 3 of 33Catalogue question 186

    In 1953 there was an uprising in East Germany, which was long commemorated by a public holiday in West Germany. When was that?

    1. A — 1 May is Labour Day, not a commemoration of the 1953 East German uprising.
    2. B — Correct: on 17 June 1953, the East German leadership, with Soviet support, suppressed a popular uprising against increased work quotas and for political freedom; West Germany observed this day until 1990 as "Day of German Unity".
    3. C — 20 July commemorates the Stauffenberg assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, not the East German uprising.
    4. D — 9 November is a historically significant date (the 1938 November Pogroms, the fall of the Wall in 1989), but not the day of the 1953 East German uprising.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  4. Question 4 of 33Catalogue question 98

    When members of the German Bundestag change their parliamentary group, …

    1. A — Changing parliamentary groups does not strip a member of their free mandate (Art. 38(1) Basic Law); they remain a member of the Bundestag.
    2. B — Correct: if enough members leave the governing parliamentary groups by switching, the government's parliamentary majority can tip — the free mandate (Art. 38(1) Basic Law) makes this possible.
    3. C — No consent from the Federal President is required to change parliamentary groups; the free mandate permits this independently.
    4. D — There is no procedure for an early re-election of individual constituencies because of a change of parliamentary group — the mandate continues until the next regular election.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  5. Question 5 of 33Catalogue question 238

    In which places does the European Parliament work?

    1. A — Paris, London and The Hague are not among the three official working locations of the European Parliament.
    2. B — Correct: the European Parliament works in three locations — Strasbourg (plenary sessions), Brussels (committees, group meetings) and Luxembourg (secretariat-general).
    3. C — Rome, Bern and Vienna are not working locations of the European Parliament; Switzerland is also not an EU member.
    4. D — Bonn, Zurich and Milan are not working locations of the European Parliament.

    Source: www.europarl.europa.eu

  6. Question 6 of 33Catalogue question 185

    What did the term "Iron Curtain" refer to? The sealing off of …

    1. A — Correct: "Iron Curtain" referred to the political, military and ideological boundary between the Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc (Warsaw Pact) and the West during the Cold War.
    2. B — The term referred to the East-West division of Europe, not to a north-south division of Germany.
    3. C — The term was coined only after the Second World War for the East-West division, not for the Nazi era against the Allies.
    4. D — The term described the separation between Eastern and Western Europe, not specifically between Europe and the USA (which belonged to the West).

    Source: www.bpb.de

  7. Question 7 of 33Catalogue question 284

    What is needed for work is changing very quickly in the future. What can you do?

    1. A — What you learn is by no means unimportant — targeted continuing education is crucial for adapting to changing job requirements.
    2. B — Correct: given rapidly changing qualification requirements (partly due to digitalisation), lifelong learning is necessary, even after completing initial training.
    3. C — School knowledge alone is no longer enough for an entire working life given the rapid pace of change.
    4. D — Retiring earlier from working life is not a response to changing qualification requirements but a completely different issue (pension policy).

    Source: www.bmbf.de

  8. Question 8 of 33Catalogue question 271

    What is a custom in Germany at Christmas?

    1. A — Hiding colourful eggs is an Easter custom, not a Christmas custom.
    2. B — Correct: decorating a Christmas tree with baubles, lights and ornaments is a central German Christmas custom.
    3. C — Dressing up in masks and costumes is typical of carnival, not Christmas.
    4. D — Putting pumpkins in front of the door is a Halloween custom, not a German Christmas custom.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  9. Question 9 of 33Catalogue question 193

    From 1961 to 1989, Berlin was …

    1. A — Both East and West Berlin had their own mayors during this period, with a Governing Mayor in the western part.
    2. B — Berlin was not an independent state but an occupied, divided city under Allied Four-Power status.
    3. C — Correct: from August 1961 to November 1989, the Berlin Wall separated the eastern from the western part of the city.
    4. D — Only during the 1948/49 blockade was West Berlin exclusively reachable via the airlift — not continuously throughout the entire period of the wall until 1989, when regular transit routes existed.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  10. Question 10 of 33Catalogue question 233

    Which country is a neighbouring country of Germany?

    1. A — Correct: Czechia is one of Germany's nine direct neighbouring countries, to the south-east.
    2. B — Bulgaria lies on the Black Sea, far from Germany, with no common border.
    3. C — Greece lies in south-eastern Europe, with no common border with Germany.
    4. D — Portugal lies on the Atlantic in the far west of the Iberian Peninsula, far from Germany.

    Source: www.auswaertiges-amt.de

  11. Question 11 of 33Catalogue question 205

    With East Germany's accession to the Federal Republic of Germany, the new federal states now also belong to …

    1. A — Correct: through accession to the Federal Republic, the new states automatically became part of what was then the European Community (today's EU), without a separate accession process.
    2. B — The Warsaw Pact dissolved in 1991; the new states did not join it but left its sphere of influence with reunification.
    3. C — OPEC is an oil-exporting cartel that the federal states have nothing to do with.
    4. D — The European Defence Community was a failed project of the 1950s and no longer existed at all in 1990.

    Source: european-union.europa.eu

  12. Question 12 of 33Catalogue question 36

    Which measure provides social security in Germany?

    1. A — Correct: statutory health insurance is one of the five pillars of social insurance and secures medical care for everyone insured.
    2. B — Car insurance protects against financial risks in road traffic but is not social insurance.
    3. C — Building insurance protects property, not people's social security.
    4. D — Liability insurance covers damage to third parties but is not part of statutory social insurance.

    Source: www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de

  13. Question 13 of 33Catalogue question 100

    Which of these is not part of statutory social insurance?

    1. A — Correct: life insurance is private and voluntary — not one of the five pillars of statutory social insurance.
    2. B — Statutory pension insurance is one of the five pillars of social insurance.
    3. C — Unemployment insurance is one of the five pillars of social insurance.
    4. D — Long-term care insurance is one of the five pillars of social insurance.

    Source: www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de

  14. Question 14 of 33Catalogue question 225

    In which other country is there a large German-speaking population?

    1. A — In Czechia, Czech is the national language; German is not spoken by a large share of the population.
    2. B — In Norway, Norwegian is the national language, with no significant German-speaking population.
    3. C — In Spain, Spanish is the national language, with no significant German-speaking population.
    4. D — Correct: Austria has German as its official language and a predominantly German-speaking population — one of the countries with the most native German speakers besides Germany.

    Source: www.bmeia.gv.at

  15. Question 15 of 33Catalogue question 49

    In Germany, who determines school policy?

    1. A — Teachers implement education policy in the classroom but do not set it.
    2. B — Correct: under the Basic Law, education is a matter for the individual states ("cultural sovereignty" of the Länder) — each federal state has its own school law and ministry of education.
    3. C — There is no federal "family ministry" that determines school policy; education policy lies with the states, not the federal government.
    4. D — Universities are part of higher education, not the general school policy for which the states are responsible.

    Source: www.kmk.org

  16. Question 16 of 33Catalogue question 242

    In Germany, who decides whether a child attends kindergarten?

    1. A — Unlike compulsory schooling, attending kindergarten is not mandated by the state in Germany.
    2. B — The federal states do regulate the legal framework (e.g. the right to a childcare place), but do not decide in individual cases whether a particular child attends.
    3. C — Correct: attending kindergarten is voluntary in Germany; the parents or legal guardians decide whether their child goes.
    4. D — Schools are responsible for compulsory schooling, not for the kindergarten decision, which comes before school age.

    Source: www.bmfsfj.de

  17. Question 17 of 33Catalogue question 269

    In Germany, children from the age of three until they first start school have a right to …

    1. A — Pocket money is a private, voluntary contribution from parents, not a statutory entitlement against the state.
    2. B — There is no statutory entitlement to a place in a sports club.
    3. C — Correct: under § 24(2) of Book VIII of the Social Code, children from the completed age of three until starting school have a legal entitlement to a childcare place in a day-care facility.
    4. D — A "holiday pass" is a local offer in some cities, not a nationwide statutory entitlement.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  18. Question 18 of 33Catalogue question 99

    Who pays for social insurance in Germany?

    1. A — Correct: social insurance contributions are, as a rule, shared equally between employers and employees.
    2. B — Contributions from employees alone contradict the basic principle of equal-share financing in Germany.
    3. C — Not all citizens pay social insurance contributions, only employees subject to social insurance (or their employers).
    4. D — Contributions from employers alone do not match the equal-share financing model.

    Source: www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de

  19. Question 19 of 33Catalogue question 153

    What happened on 8 May 1945?

    1. A — Hitler had already died by suicide on 30 April 1945, eight days before the surrender.
    2. B — The building of the wall only began in 1961, sixteen years later.
    3. C — Adenauer was only elected the first Federal Chancellor in 1949, four years later.
    4. D — Correct: on 8 May 1945, the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht took effect, ending the Second World War in Europe.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  20. Question 20 of 33Catalogue question 203

    What was East Germany's economic system called?

    1. A — A market economy is based on free competition — the opposite model to the East German economy.
    2. B — Correct: East Germany operated a centrally directed socialist planned economy, in which the state determined production and prices.
    3. C — "Supply and demand" describes market mechanisms, which precisely did not determine prices in East Germany's planned economy.
    4. D — Capitalism describes a market economic order with private ownership of the means of production — the opposite of East Germany's system.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  21. Question 21 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

  22. Question 22 of 33Catalogue question 204

    How did the Federal Republic of Germany and East Germany become one state?

    1. A — No military occupation took place; the process was a voluntary, legally regulated accession.
    2. B — Correct: under the former Art. 23 of the Basic Law, the five new states joined the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990 (the accession principle, not a new joint state).
    3. C — The opposite is the case: the eastern states joined the Federal Republic, not the other way around.
    4. D — There was no military occupation of West Germany by East Germany.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  23. Question 23 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

  24. Question 24 of 33Catalogue question 211

    Which politician is associated with the "Ostverträge" (Eastern Treaties)?

    1. A — Helmut Kohl is above all associated with German reunification in 1990, not with the Eastern Treaties of the early 1970s.
    2. B — Correct: with his "Ostpolitik", Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt initiated the Eastern Treaties (including with the Soviet Union and Poland, 1970), which led to détente with the Eastern Bloc.
    3. C — Mikhail Gorbachev was the Soviet head of state and party who shaped the reform policies of glasnost and perestroika, not a German politician of the Eastern Treaties.
    4. D — Ludwig Erhard was known for the social market economy and the economic miracle, not for the Eastern Treaties.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  25. Question 25 of 33Catalogue question 46

    The German state has many responsibilities. Which of these is one of them?

    1. A — Correct: building and maintaining infrastructure such as roads and educational facilities such as schools is a classic state responsibility as part of public services.
    2. B — Selling food and clothing is a matter for private businesses within the market economy, not the state.
    3. C — There is no state-provided free newspaper supply; the press is free and organised privately.
    4. D — Car and bus manufacturing is carried out by private companies, not by the state.

    Source: www.bundesregierung.de

  26. Question 26 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

  27. Question 27 of 33Catalogue question 62

    When a German federal state's parliament is elected, this is called …

    1. A — A municipal election concerns the level of municipalities and districts, not the state parliament.
    2. B — Correct: the election of a state parliament (Landtag; in the city-states, the Bürgerschaft/Abgeordnetenhaus) is called a Landtagswahl.
    3. C — The European election determines the German members of the European Parliament, not a state parliament.
    4. D — The Bundestag election determines the all-German parliament, not that of an individual federal state.

    Source: www.bundeswahlleiterin.de

  28. Question 28 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

  29. Question 29 of 33Catalogue question 202

    Which side did East Germany belong to in the "Cold War"?

    1. A — East Germany did not belong to the Western powers but to the Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc.
    2. B — Correct: East Germany was a founding member of the Warsaw Pact (1955), the Eastern military alliance led by the Soviet Union.
    3. C — NATO was the Western military alliance that West Germany (not East Germany) joined in 1955.
    4. D — East Germany was clearly anchored in the Eastern Bloc, not non-aligned.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  30. Question 30 of 33Catalogue question 132

    Many people in Germany volunteer in their free time. What does that mean?

    1. A — Military service is a paid, full-time or compulsory activity, not volunteering in the sense meant here.
    2. B — Correct: volunteering means voluntary, unpaid work, for example in sports clubs, fire brigades or social organisations.
    3. C — Government work is a paid, full-time position, not volunteering.
    4. D — Paid work in a hospital is gainful employment, not volunteering — the core of volunteering is precisely that it is unpaid.

    Source: www.bmfsfj.de

  31. Questions on Hamburg

    Question 31 of 33Hamburg · Catalogue question 7

    Which federal state is a city-state?

    1. A — Correct: alongside Berlin and Bremen, Hamburg is one of Germany's three city-states.
    2. B — Saxony is an area state, not a city-state.
    3. C — Bavaria is an area state, not a city-state.
    4. D — Thuringia is an area state, not a city-state.

    Source: www.hamburg.de

  32. Question 32 of 33Hamburg · Catalogue question 10

    Which senator does Hamburg not have?

    1. A — A justice department is one of Hamburg's classic Senate administrations.
    2. B — Correct: foreign policy is exclusively a federal matter (Art. 32 Basic Law); even the city-state of Hamburg has no department for external relations in the sense of a foreign-policy authority.
    3. C — A finance department is one of Hamburg's classic Senate administrations.
    4. D — An interior department is one of Hamburg's classic Senate administrations.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  33. Question 33 of 33Hamburg · Catalogue question 9

    What is the head of government of the city-state of Hamburg called?

    1. A — "Minister-President" is the title used in the 13 area states, not in Hamburg.
    2. B — Correct: in Hamburg, the head of government is called First Mayor (Erste Bürgermeisterin/Erster Bürgermeister) and is simultaneously President of the Senate.
    3. C — "Governing Senator" is not a real title in a German city-state.
    4. D — "Lord Mayor" (Oberbürgermeister) is the title for heads of ordinary large cities, not Hamburg's special title.

    Source: www.hamburg.de

Questions on Hamburg · Practice tests

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