How can someone who denies the Holocaust be punished?

with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine

When does a case go to trial in Germany? When someone …

has committed a criminal offence and is charged.

What do eligible citizens in Germany receive before an election?

a notification card from the municipality

Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01

Practice test 7 — Rhineland-Palatinate

33 questions as in the real exam: 30 federal and 3 on Rhineland-Palatinate. 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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Question 1 of 33Catalogue question 96
How can someone who denies the Holocaust be punished?
- reduction of social benefits
- up to 100 hours of community service
- not at all, Holocaust denial is permitted
- with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine
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
Question 2 of 33Catalogue question 139
When does a case go to trial in Germany? When someone …
- converts to a different religion.
- has committed a criminal offence and is charged.
- holds a different opinion from that of the government.
- has parked their car wrongly and it is towed away.
1. A — A change of religion is protected by freedom of religion (Art. 4 Basic Law) and does not lead to a criminal trial.
2. B — Correct: a criminal trial takes place when the public prosecutor's office, after investigations, brings charges over an alleged criminal offence (§ 170 Code of Criminal Procedure), on which the court then decides.
3. C — A differing political opinion is protected by freedom of expression and does not give rise to a criminal trial.
4. D — Towing away a car for illegal parking is an administrative measure, generally not a separate court proceeding.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Question 3 of 33Catalogue question 126
What do eligible citizens in Germany receive before an election?
- a notification card from the municipality
- a voting permit from the Federal President
- a notification from the Federal Convention
- a notification from the parish office
1. A — Correct: before every election, the municipality sends a notification card with details of the polling station and time to everyone registered on the electoral roll.
2. B — There is no "voting permit" issued by the Federal President; the right to vote follows directly from the law.
3. C — The Federal Convention only meets to elect the Federal President and does not send out notification cards.
4. D — The parish office is a church, not a state, body and does not send out notification cards.
Source: www.bundeswahlleiterin.de
Question 4 of 33Catalogue question 171
A social market economy means that the economy …
- is regulated purely by supply and demand.
- is planned and directed by the state, without regard to supply and demand.
- is governed by demand abroad.
- is governed by supply and demand, but the state ensures a social balance.
1. A — Pure regulation by supply and demand without state balancing describes a free market economy, not a social market economy.
2. B — Complete state planning without market mechanisms describes a planned economy, the opposite of a social market economy.
3. C — Germany's economic order is not primarily governed by foreign demand but by the domestic market and social security.
4. D — Correct: the social market economy combines the market mechanisms of supply and demand with a state-organised social balance, for example through social insurance and worker protection.
Source: www.bpb.de
Question 5 of 33Catalogue question 106
In Germany, volunteer election officials help with elections. What is one task of election officials?
- They help children and elderly people to vote.
- They write cards and letters stating the polling station.
- They pass interim results on to journalists.
- They count the votes after the election closes.
1. A — Children may not vote in Germany; assistance with voting is provided, where needed, by a support person of the voter's own choosing, not a general election-official task.
2. B — Notification cards stating the polling station are sent out by the municipal administration, not by volunteer election officials on election day.
3. C — Passing interim results on to the media would violate the duty of neutrality and is not a task of election officials.
4. D — Correct: after the polling stations close, the election officials on the electoral board publicly count the votes.
Source: www.bundeswahlleiterin.de
Question 6 of 33Catalogue question 273
For problems with raising children, in Germany you go …
- to the doctor.
- to the public health office.
- to the residents' registration office.
- to the youth welfare office.
1. A — Doctors are responsible for medical matters, not primarily for advice on upbringing.
2. B — The public health office is responsible for health matters, not specifically for problems with upbringing.
3. C — The residents' registration office handles residence matters, not advice on upbringing.
4. D — Correct: under the Child and Youth Welfare Act (Book VIII of the Social Code), the youth welfare office offers advice and support for problems with raising children.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Question 7 of 33Catalogue question 131
In Germany, a mayor is …
- the head of a school.
- the head of a bank.
- the head of a municipality.
- the chairperson of a party.
1. A — A headteacher leads an educational institution but is not a mayor.
2. B — A bank head leads a financial institution and has no municipal function.
3. C — Correct: the mayor is the elected head of a municipality and leads its administration.
4. D — A party chairperson leads a political party, not necessarily a municipality.
Source: www.bmi.bund.de
Question 8 of 33Catalogue question 157
In 1933, the National Socialists under Adolf Hitler established … in Germany.
- a dictatorship.
- a democratic state.
- a monarchy.
- a principality.
1. A — Correct: after seizing power, the National Socialists established, through the Enabling Act and forced coordination (Gleichschaltung), a totalitarian dictatorship without separation of powers or basic rights.
2. B — The opposite is true: parties were banned, elections abolished, and the democracy of the Weimar Republic destroyed.
3. C — There was no hereditary head of state; Nazi rule was not a monarchy.
4. D — A principality is ruled by a prince; the Nazi regime was a totalitarian Führer state, not a principality.
Source: www.bpb.de
Question 9 of 33Catalogue question 196
Why is the period in autumn 1989 in East Germany called "the turning point" (Die Wende)? During this time, East Germany changed politically …
- from a dictatorship to a democracy.
- from a liberal market economy to socialism.
- from a monarchy to social democracy.
- from a religious state to a communist state.
1. A — Correct: "die Wende" refers to East Germany's peaceful transition from the SED one-party dictatorship to democratic, pluralistic conditions in autumn 1989.
2. B — East Germany did not previously have a liberal market economy but a socialist planned economy — the turning point led in the opposite direction, toward a market economy.
3. C — East Germany was never a monarchy; it was a socialist one-party state that transformed into a democracy.
4. D — East Germany was not a religious state but already a communist/socialist-shaped state — the turning point led away from communism, not toward it.
Source: www.bpb.de
Question 10 of 33Catalogue question 51
Which of these is NOT part of a democratic state governed by the rule of law?
- people can express criticism of the government.
- citizens may demonstrate peacefully.
- people are arrested by a private police force without reason.
- someone commits a crime and is therefore arrested.
1. A — Criticism of the government is protected by freedom of expression and typical of a state governed by the rule of law.
2. B — Peaceful demonstrations are a basic right (Art. 8 Basic Law) and typical of a state governed by the rule of law.
3. C — Correct: Germany has no "private police" with powers of arrest — only the state holds the monopoly on the legitimate use of force, and arrests require a legal basis. Arbitrary arrests contradict the rule-of-law principle.
4. D — Being arrested for a crime, on a legal basis, is precisely a hallmark of a functioning rule-of-law state.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Question 11 of 33Catalogue question 269
In Germany, children from the age of three until they first start school have a right to …
- monthly pocket money.
- a place in a sports club.
- a kindergarten place.
- a holiday pass.
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
Question 12 of 33Catalogue question 181Image question
What did Willy Brandt want to express with his kneeling gesture at the former Jewish ghetto in Warsaw in 1970?
- He submitted to the former Allies.
- He asked Poland and Polish Jews for forgiveness.
- He showed his humility before the Warsaw Pact.
- He said a prayer at the grave of the Unknown Soldier.
1. A — The kneeling gesture was not a political-military gesture of submission to the Allies but a moral-historical one.
2. B — Correct: on 7 December 1970, Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt spontaneously knelt at the memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising — an internationally noted gesture asking forgiveness for the Nazi crimes against Polish Jews.
3. C — The "Warsaw Pact" was the Eastern military alliance, not the addressee of a gesture of humility in this context.
4. D — The kneeling took place at the ghetto memorial, not at a grave of the Unknown Soldier.
Source: www.bpb.de
Question 13 of 33Catalogue question 160
Which war lasted from 1939 to 1945?
- the First World War
- the Second World War
- the Vietnam War
- the Gulf War
1. A — The First World War lasted from 1914 to 1918, not 1939 to 1945.
2. B — Correct: the Second World War began on 1 September 1939 with the German invasion of Poland and ended on 8 May 1945 in Europe.
3. C — The Vietnam War took place from the 1950s to the 1970s, not 1939 to 1945.
4. D — The Gulf War took place in 1990/91, many decades later.
Source: www.bpb.de
Question 14 of 33Catalogue question 101
Trade unions are interest organisations of …
- young people.
- employees.
- pensioners.
- employers.
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
Question 15 of 33Catalogue question 192
Which of today's German federal states was formerly part of East Germany?
- Brandenburg
- Bavaria
- Saarland
- Hesse
1. A — Correct: Brandenburg was one of the five "new states" that joined the Federal Republic in 1990.
2. B — Bavaria lay throughout in the American occupation zone and belonged to old West Germany, not East Germany.
3. C — The Saarland belonged to the French zone or was for a time a separate territory, and joined the Federal Republic in 1957 — never part of East Germany.
4. D — Hesse lay in the American zone and belonged to old West Germany, not East Germany.
Source: www.bpb.de
Question 16 of 33Catalogue question 97
What do you automatically pay in Germany if you are in permanent employment?
- social insurance contributions
- social assistance
- child benefit
- housing benefit
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
Question 17 of 33Catalogue question 290
You bought a television in Germany. At home you unpack the television, but it does not work. The television is broken. What can you do?
- file a police report
- make a complaint / claim under warranty
- exchange the device without asking
- extend the warranty
1. A — A broken device is not a criminal matter but a civil-law warranty case — a police report is not the right remedy.
2. B — Correct: for a defective purchased item, you can, under the warranty provisions of the Civil Code (§ 437), make a claim with the seller and demand supplementary performance (repair or replacement).
3. C — Exchanging the device unilaterally without prior agreement is not the legally intended route; the claim to the seller comes first.
4. D — The warranty is a voluntary manufacturer's commitment and cannot simply be "extended" unilaterally; that is not a response step to a defective device.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Question 18 of 33Catalogue question 300
From which country did the first guest workers come to the Federal Republic of Germany?
- Italy
- Spain
- Portugal
- Turkey
1. A — Correct: the Federal Republic's first recruitment agreement was concluded in 1955 with Italy; Italian guest workers were thus the first of their kind.
2. B — The recruitment agreement with Spain only followed in 1960, after the one with Italy.
3. C — The recruitment agreement with Portugal followed in 1964, well after Italy.
4. D — The recruitment agreement with Turkey was only concluded in 1961 — later than the one with Italy, even though people of Turkish origin became the largest group in the long run (see question 297).
Source: www.bpb.de
Question 19 of 33Catalogue question 45
Which type of insurance does long-term care insurance belong to?
- social insurance
- accident insurance
- household contents insurance
- liability and fire insurance
1. A — Correct: long-term care insurance has been the fifth pillar of statutory social insurance since 1995, alongside pension, health, accident and unemployment insurance.
2. B — Accident insurance is a separate pillar of social insurance, not the same as long-term care insurance.
3. C — Household contents insurance is private property insurance and is not part of social insurance.
4. D — Liability and fire insurance are private insurance policies, not social insurance.
Source: www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de
Question 20 of 33Catalogue question 134
Someone wants to abolish the bus line you always take to work. What can you do to keep the bus line?
- I join a citizens' initiative to keep the bus line, or start one myself.
- I become a member of a sports club and train cycling.
- I contact the tax office, because as a taxpayer I have a right to the bus line.
- I write a letter to the municipality's forestry office.
1. A — Correct: a citizens' initiative is precisely the intended means for exerting local political influence on concrete administrative decisions such as public transport.
2. B — Cycling does not solve the problem of a discontinued bus line and is not a form of political influence.
3. C — Taxpayers have no direct enforceable right to a particular bus line, and the tax office is not responsible for public transport planning.
4. D — The forestry office is responsible for forests, not public transport — the correct body would be the transport or public order office, or the municipal council.
Source: www.bmi.bund.de
Question 21 of 33Catalogue question 59
How many years ago did the first Jewish community exist on the territory of present-day Germany?
- about 300 years ago
- about 700 years ago
- about 1150 years ago
- about 1700 years ago
1. A — 300 years is far too few — Jewish life in Germany is documented as considerably older.
2. B — 700 years considerably underestimates the age of the first documented Jewish community.
3. C — 1150 years likewise underestimates the oldest document.
4. D — Correct: Emperor Constantine's edict of 11 December 321 CE, addressed to the city council of Cologne, is the oldest written evidence of Jewish life on the territory of present-day Germany — the occasion for the 2021 theme year '1700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany'.
Source: www.2021jlid.de
Question 22 of 33Catalogue question 292
People in Germany live by the principle of religious tolerance. What does that mean?
- No mosques may be built.
- Everyone believes in God.
- Everyone can believe whatever they want.
- The state decides which god people believe in.
1. A — Building mosques is legally permitted in Germany and protected by freedom of religion — the opposite of the statement.
2. B — Religious tolerance precisely does not mean that everyone believes in God — being without a religious affiliation and atheism are also protected.
3. C — Correct: religious tolerance and the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Basic Law (Art. 4) mean that everyone can freely decide what faith to hold, or to have none at all.
4. D — The state in Germany precisely does not decide on its citizens' faith; that would be incompatible with the state's ideological neutrality.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Question 23 of 33Catalogue question 153
What happened on 8 May 1945?
- the death of Adolf Hitler
- the start of the building of the Berlin Wall
- the election of Konrad Adenauer as Federal Chancellor
- the end of the Second World War in Europe
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
Question 24 of 33Catalogue question 287
You want to end your employment at a company in Germany. What must you observe?
- the salary payments
- working hours
- the notice period
- the insurance obligation
1. A — Salary payments concern ongoing pay, not the formal requirements for a resignation.
2. B — Working hours concern daily/weekly work duration, not the ending of employment.
3. C — Correct: when resigning, you must observe the notice period set out in the employment contract or by law (§ 622 Civil Code) for the resignation to take effect.
4. D — The insurance obligation during an ongoing employment relationship is not a direct requirement for the formal resignation itself.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Question 25 of 33Catalogue question 263
In Germany, young people are criminally responsible from age 14. This means: young people aged 14 and older who violate criminal law …
- are punished.
- are treated like adults.
- share the punishment with their parents.
- are not punished.
1. A — Correct: from age 14, criminal responsibility applies; young people can be held criminally responsible for offences and punished under the Youth Courts Act (JGG) — however, with more lenient, education-oriented sanctions than for adults.
2. B — Young people are dealt with under youth criminal law, which has its own, more lenient and education-oriented rules than adult criminal law — it is not identical to how adults are treated.
3. C — A sentence is imposed personally and is not "shared" with the parents; German criminal law does not recognise collective family liability.
4. D — The opposite is true: from age 14, young people can indeed be held criminally liable.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Question 26 of 33Catalogue question 247
A woman is pregnant. She is specially protected by law shortly before and after the birth of her child. What is this protection called?
- parental leave
- maternity protection
- birth preparation
- the postpartum period (Wochenbett)
1. A — Parental leave is a later, voluntary period of leave taken by either parent for childcare, not the special statutory protection shortly before/after birth.
2. B — Correct: maternity protection (Maternity Protection Act) protects pregnant and breastfeeding women, in particular through employment bans and protection against dismissal shortly before and after giving birth.
3. C — Birth preparation refers to courses and medical preparation for birth, not a legal protection concept.
4. D — "Wochenbett" is the medical term for the period directly after birth, not a legal protection term.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Question 27 of 33Catalogue question 110
For how many years is the Bundestag elected in Germany?
- 2 years
- 3 years
- 4 years
- 5 years
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
Question 28 of 33Catalogue question 270
The Volkshochschule (adult education centre) in Germany is an institution …
- for religious education.
- only for young people.
- for continuing education.
- only for pensioners.
1. A — The Volkshochschule offers a broad, ideologically neutral course programme and is not an institution for religious education.
2. B — The Volkshochschule is aimed at adults of all age groups, not exclusively at young people.
3. C — Correct: the Volkshochschule is the central institution for adult and continuing education in Germany, with courses ranging from languages to professional qualifications, culture and health.
4. D — The Volkshochschule is open to all adults, not only to pensioners.
Source: www.dvv-vhs.de
Question 29 of 33Catalogue question 194
On 3 October, Germany celebrates the Day of German …
- Unity.
- Nation.
- Federal States.
- Cities.
1. A — Correct: 3 October is the "Day of German Unity", Germany's national holiday commemorating East Germany's accession to the Federal Republic in 1990.
2. B — "Day of the German Nation" is not the official name of the holiday.
3. C — There is no official "Day of the Federal States" on 3 October.
4. D — There is no official "Day of the Cities" on 3 October.
Source: www.bpb.de
Question 30 of 33Catalogue question 178
From June 1948 to May 1949, the citizens of West Berlin were supplied by an airlift. What circumstance was responsible for this?
- Air supply of the West Berlin population was cheaper for France.
- American soldiers were afraid of ambushes during land transport.
- Supply via the airlift was faster for Great Britain.
- The Soviet Union cut off all land traffic.
1. A — Cost was not the reason for the airlift; it was a forced emergency solution, not an economic decision by France.
2. B — There is no documented general fear of ambushes as the reason; the roads were simply blocked.
3. C — Speed was not the trigger; without the blockade, the land route would have been the obvious, faster option.
4. D — Correct: from June 1948, the Soviet Union blockaded all land and water routes to West Berlin to put political pressure on the city — the Western Allies responded with the Berlin Airlift.
Source: www.bpb.de
Questions on Rhineland-Palatinate
Question 31 of 33Rhineland-Palatinate · Catalogue question 5
What colours does the state flag of Rhineland-Palatinate have?
- white and red
- black, red and gold
- black and yellow
- green, white and red
1. A — White and red is not Rhineland-Palatinate's state flag; that is associated with Hamburg or Berlin.
2. B — Correct: Rhineland-Palatinate's state flag shows the federal colours black, red and gold.
3. C — Black and yellow is not Rhineland-Palatinate's state flag; that is associated with Saxony-Anhalt.
4. D — Green, white and red is not Rhineland-Palatinate's flag; that is associated with North Rhine-Westphalia.
Source: www.rlp.de
Question 32 of 33Rhineland-Palatinate · Catalogue question 6
Where can you get information about political topics in Rhineland-Palatinate?
- at the churches
- at the consumer advice centre
- at the municipality's public order office
- at the state centre for political education
1. A — Churches are religious institutions and not an official point of contact for political education.
2. B — The consumer advice centre advises on consumer issues, not political education.
3. C — The public order office deals with public safety and order, not political education.
4. D — Correct: the Rhineland-Palatinate State Centre for Political Education is the responsible institution for cross-party political information.
Source: www.politische-bildung-rlp.de
Question 33 of 33Rhineland-Palatinate · Catalogue question 10
Which minister does Rhineland-Palatinate not have?
- justice minister
- foreign minister
- finance minister
- interior minister
1. A — A justice ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Rhineland-Palatinate's.
2. B — Correct: foreign policy is exclusively a federal matter (Art. 32 Basic Law); no federal state — including Rhineland-Palatinate — has its own foreign ministry.
3. C — A finance ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Rhineland-Palatinate's.
4. D — An interior ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Rhineland-Palatinate's.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

Questions on Rhineland-Palatinate · Practice tests

Last checked: 2026-08-27 · Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01 · Every figure on this page is checked against its primary source.