Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01
Practice test 17 — Saxony-Anhalt
33 questions as in the real exam: 30 federal and 3 on Saxony-Anhalt. 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
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.
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- Question 1 of 33Catalogue question 91
In Germany, a change of government in a federal state can affect federal politics. Governing becomes …
- A — A state election result does not directly change the majority in the Bundestag, which is elected independently.
- B — New majority relations in the Bundesrat typically make governing more difficult if the federal government lacks a majority there — not the opposite.
- C — Correct: since the state governments make up the Bundesrat, a change of government in one state can alter the majority relations in the Bundesrat — if the federal government loses its majority there, getting laws approved becomes harder.
- D — The financial wealth of a federal state has no direct influence on cooperation between the federal government and the states in the legislative process.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- Question 2 of 33Catalogue question 72
What is the name of the current Federal Chancellor of Germany?
- A — Gerhard Schröder (SPD) was Federal Chancellor from 1998 to 2005 — no longer in office.
- B — Angela Merkel (CDU) was Federal Chancellor from 2005 to 2021 — no longer in office.
- C — Ursula von der Leyen is President of the European Commission, not the German Federal Chancellor.
- D — Correct: Friedrich Merz (CDU) was elected Federal Chancellor by the Bundestag on 6 May 2025 and has since led a coalition government of CDU/CSU and SPD.
Source: www.bundeskanzler.de
- Question 3 of 33Catalogue question 170
What existed in Germany during the Nazi era?
- A — Correct: under the 1933 "Law against the Formation of New Parties", the Nazi party was the only permitted party — all others were banned.
- B — The right to the free development of one's personality is a basic right under today's Basic Law (Art. 2); in the Nazi state, the individual was subordinated to the "national community".
- C — There was strict press censorship and forced coordination (Gleichschaltung), not press freedom.
- D — The protection of human dignity as an inviolable basic right is a lesson drawn from the Nazi era, only anchored in 1949 in Art. 1 of the Basic Law — in the Nazi state, human dignity was systematically violated.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- Question 4 of 33Catalogue question 203
What was East Germany's economic system called?
- A — A market economy is based on free competition — the opposite model to the East German economy.
- B — Correct: East Germany operated a centrally directed socialist planned economy, in which the state determined production and prices.
- C — "Supply and demand" describes market mechanisms, which precisely did not determine prices in East Germany's planned economy.
- 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
- Question 5 of 33Catalogue question 167
Which countries were referred to as the "Allied occupying powers" in Germany after the Second World War?
- A — Poland and Sweden were not occupying powers with their own zone in Germany.
- B — Italy and Japan were Germany's allies in the war (Axis powers), not occupying powers.
- C — Spain and Portugal were neutral in the Second World War and were not occupying powers in Germany.
- D — Correct: the USA, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France divided Germany into four occupation zones after 1945.
Source: www.bpb.de
- Question 6 of 33Catalogue question 296
In Germany, the last four weeks before Christmas are called …
- A — Repentance and Prayer Day is a single Protestant holiday in November, not the entire four-week pre-Christmas period.
- B — The harvest festival is celebrated in autumn (usually early October) to give thanks for the harvest, and is not the same as Advent.
- C — Correct: Advent comprises the four Sundays before Christmas and traditionally serves as preparation for Christmas.
- D — All Saints' Day is a Catholic holiday on 1 November commemorating the deceased and saints, not a four-week period before Christmas.
Source: www.bpb.de
- Question 7 of 33Catalogue question 241
Ms Seger is having a baby. What does she have to do to receive parental allowance?
- 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.
- B — Correct: parental allowance must be applied for in writing at the responsible parental allowance office — it is not paid out automatically.
- C — Parental allowance is not granted automatically; an application is mandatory.
- 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
- Question 8 of 33Catalogue question 182
What is the Jewish house of prayer called?
- A — A basilica is a type of building, often used in Christianity, not a Jewish house of prayer.
- B — A mosque is the Islamic house of prayer, not the Jewish one.
- C — Correct: the synagogue is the house of prayer and religious centre of the Jewish community.
- D — A church is the Christian house of prayer, not the Jewish one.
Source: www.zentralratderjuden.de
- Question 9 of 33Catalogue question 32
Which of these is not a branch of state power in Germany?
- A — Legislation is one of the three branches of state power under Art. 20(2) of the Basic Law.
- B — Government belongs to the executive branch, one of the three branches of state power.
- C — Correct: the press is often called the "fourth estate" but is not a branch of state power under Art. 20(2) of the Basic Law — it is precisely independent of the state.
- D — The judiciary is one of the three branches of state power under Art. 20(2) of the Basic Law.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- Question 10 of 33Catalogue question 300
From which country did the first guest workers come to the Federal Republic of Germany?
- 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.
- B — The recruitment agreement with Spain only followed in 1960, after the one with Italy.
- C — The recruitment agreement with Portugal followed in 1964, well after Italy.
- 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 11 of 33Catalogue question 159
What did not exist in Germany during the Nazi era?
- A — Correct: after 1933, all competing parties were banned and elections were reduced to mere acclamation events without real choice — free elections no longer existed.
- B — Press censorship was comprehensive and systematic, controlled by the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.
- C — Arbitrary arrests without rule-of-law oversight, for example by the Gestapo, were widespread.
- D — The systematic persecution and extermination of European Jews in the Holocaust was a central feature of the Nazi regime.
Source: www.bpb.de
- Question 12 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?
- A — 1 May is Labour Day, not a commemoration of the 1953 East German uprising.
- 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".
- C — 20 July commemorates the Stauffenberg assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, not the East German uprising.
- 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
- Question 13 of 33Catalogue question 244
What school-leaving qualification is normally needed to begin studying at a university in Germany?
- A — Correct: the Abitur (general higher education entrance qualification) is the classic school-leaving qualification that entitles someone to study at a university.
- B — A Diplom is an academic degree obtained only after completing a course of study — not a prerequisite for starting one.
- C — Prokura is a commercial power of attorney, not a school qualification.
- D — A journeyman's examination completes vocational training in a trade but does not generally directly entitle someone to university study.
Source: www.kmk.org
- Question 14 of 33Catalogue question 55Image question
What does this picture show?
- A — Correct: the picture shows the Reichstag building in Berlin, seat of the German Bundestag since 1999, easily recognisable by its glass dome.
- B — The Federal Constitutional Court sits in Karlsruhe in a different, much more modern building complex, not the Reichstag building.
- C — The Bundesrat meets in its own building on Leipziger Platz in Berlin, not the Reichstag building.
- D — The Federal Chancellery is a separate modern building near the Reichstag, architecturally clearly distinguishable.
Source: www.bundestag.de
- Question 15 of 33Catalogue question 292
People in Germany live by the principle of religious tolerance. What does that mean?
- A — Building mosques is legally permitted in Germany and protected by freedom of religion — the opposite of the statement.
- B — Religious tolerance precisely does not mean that everyone believes in God — being without a religious affiliation and atheism are also protected.
- 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.
- 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 16 of 33Catalogue question 152
When were the National Socialists under Adolf Hitler in power in Germany?
- A — 1918 to 1923 was the early Weimar Republic; the Nazi party existed but was not in power.
- B — 1932 to 1950 is incorrectly dated — Hitler's seizure of power was in 1933, and the Nazi regime ended in 1945.
- C — Correct: Hitler became Reich Chancellor on 30 January 1933; the Nazi regime ended with the surrender on 8 May 1945.
- D — 1945 to 1989 describes the post-war period and the division of Germany, not Nazi rule.
Source: www.bpb.de
- Question 17 of 33Catalogue question 228
What is East Germany's accession to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990 generally called?
- 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.
- 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.
- C — Correct: East Germany's accession to the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990 is called "German Reunification".
- D — "European Community" was the predecessor organisation of the EU, not a term for German reunification.
Source: www.bpb.de
- Question 18 of 33Catalogue question 35
What does the German state use to finance social insurance?
- A — Church tax finances religious communities, not state social insurance.
- B — Correct: social security contributions (to pension, health, long-term care, unemployment and accident insurance), paid jointly by employees and employers, finance social insurance.
- C — Donations are voluntary and are not a load-bearing source of funding for social insurance.
- D — Club membership fees finance clubs, not the state social insurance system.
Source: www.bundesregierung.de
- Question 19 of 33Catalogue question 100
Which of these is not part of statutory social insurance?
- A — Correct: life insurance is private and voluntary — not one of the five pillars of statutory social insurance.
- B — Statutory pension insurance is one of the five pillars of social insurance.
- C — Unemployment insurance is one of the five pillars of social insurance.
- D — Long-term care insurance is one of the five pillars of social insurance.
- Question 20 of 33Catalogue question 8
What is not in Germany's Basic Law?
- A — This sentence appears word for word in Art. 1(1) of the Basic Law — so it IS in the Basic Law.
- B — Correct: the Basic Law guarantees equality before the law (Art. 3), not equality of wealth. Germany is a social market economy, not a system of equal distribution.
- C — This right follows from freedom of expression in Art. 5(1) of the Basic Law — so it IS in the Basic Law.
- D — This principle appears word for word in Art. 3(1) of the Basic Law — so it IS in the Basic Law.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- Question 21 of 33Catalogue question 29
Which animal is the heraldic animal of the Federal Republic of Germany?
- A — The lion is the heraldic animal of other countries or of individual German Länder (e.g. Hesse), not of the federal state.
- B — Correct: the federal eagle has been Germany's heraldic animal since the Weimar Republic, going back to imperial symbolism.
- C — The bear is Berlin's heraldic animal, not the federal one.
- D — The horse is Lower Saxony's heraldic animal, not the federal one.
Source: www.bundespraesident.de
- Question 22 of 33Catalogue question 1
In Germany, people may openly say something against the government because …
- A — Freedom of religion (Art. 4 Basic Law) protects belief and worship, not political criticism of the government.
- B — The duty to pay tax comes from tax law and creates no right to free speech.
- C — The right to vote (Art. 38 Basic Law) governs casting a ballot, not speaking freely day to day.
- D — Correct: Art. 5(1) Basic Law guarantees everyone the right to express their opinion freely — including sharp criticism of the government.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- Question 23 of 33Catalogue question 101
Trade unions are interest organisations of …
- A — Youth organisations specifically represent young people's interests, not the core function of trade unions.
- B — Correct: trade unions represent the interests of employees, for example regarding wages and working conditions, and negotiate collective agreements.
- C — Pensioners have their own associations, but they are not the core constituency of trade unions.
- D — Employers have their own associations (employers' associations), which are the trade unions' counterpart in collective bargaining.
Source: www.dgb.de
- Question 24 of 33Catalogue question 121
A party wants to enter the German Bundestag. But it must have a minimum share of votes. This is called …
- A — Correct: this minimum threshold is called the "5% threshold" (electoral threshold clause) and is regulated in the Federal Elections Act.
- B — "Admission limit" is not an official term for this electoral rule.
- C — "Base value" is not a technical term of electoral law.
- D — "Guideline" is not the technical term for this specific electoral threshold.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- Question 25 of 33Catalogue question 165
What was the name of the first Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany?
- A — Correct: Konrad Adenauer (CDU) was elected the first Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 and remained in office until 1963.
- B — Kiesinger was the third Federal Chancellor (1966–1969), head of the first grand coalition.
- C — Helmut Schmidt was the fifth Federal Chancellor (1974–1982).
- D — Willy Brandt was the fourth Federal Chancellor (1969–1974), known for his Ostpolitik.
Source: www.bundeskanzler.de
- Question 26 of 33Catalogue question 291
Why do you have to state on your tax return in Germany whether you belong to a church or not?
- A — Correct: members of certain religious communities (mainly the large churches) pay church tax, which is levied as a surcharge on income/wage tax — church membership must therefore be stated.
- B — Statistical purposes are not the legal reason for the disclosure requirement; the actual reason is the levying of church tax.
- C — The opposite is true: those who do not belong to a tax-levying religious community pay no church tax, so overall less, not more.
- D — The church itself is not responsible for the general tax return; the tax office administers tax collection, with church tax being collected on behalf of the churches as part of that.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- Question 27 of 33Catalogue question 22
What form of government does Germany have?
- A — Germany has no head of state by hereditary succession; it is not a monarchy.
- B — Germany is a democracy with free elections, not a dictatorship.
- C — Correct: Germany is a republic — the head of state (Federal President) is elected, not inherited (Art. 20(1) Basic Law).
- D — A principality is ruled by a prince; that does not apply to Germany.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
- Question 28 of 33Catalogue question 288
What is the basis of Germany's special responsibility for Israel?
- A — EU membership does not establish a special historical responsibility toward Israel; it concerns other policy areas.
- B — Correct: Germany's special responsibility toward Israel is grounded in the Holocaust — the Nazi crimes against European Jews — and is recognised as part of Germany's raison d'état.
- C — The Basic Law contains no explicit clause on Israel; the special responsibility is historically and politically grounded, not anchored as such in constitutional law.
- D — The Christian tradition is not the basis of the special historical-political responsibility; this is expressly linked to the Nazi past.
Source: www.bundesregierung.de
- Question 29 of 33Catalogue question 190
What does the abbreviation GDR (DDR) stand for?
- A — "Third German Broadcasting" is not the correct expansion of the abbreviation DDR.
- B — "The German Republic" is not the official name of the East German state.
- C — "Third German Republic" is not a correct expansion; there was no such numbering.
- 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
- Question 30 of 33Catalogue question 107
For how many years is the Bundestag elected in Germany?
- A — 2 years is too short; the Bundestag's legislative term is longer.
- B — Correct: under Art. 39 of the Basic Law, the Bundestag is elected for four years.
- C — 6 years is too long for the Bundestag's legislative term.
- D — 8 years is too long for the Bundestag's legislative term.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Questions on Saxony-Anhalt
Question 31 of 33Saxony-Anhalt · Catalogue question 5What colours does the state flag of Saxony-Anhalt have?
- A — Blue, white and red is not Saxony-Anhalt's state flag.
- B — Correct: Saxony-Anhalt's state flag shows two equally wide stripes, yellow (top) and black (bottom).
- C — Green, white and red is not Saxony-Anhalt's flag; that is associated with North Rhine-Westphalia.
- D — White and red is not Saxony-Anhalt's state flag; that is associated with Hamburg or Thuringia.
Source: www.sachsen-anhalt.de
- Question 32 of 33Saxony-Anhalt · Catalogue question 9
What is the head of government of Saxony-Anhalt called?
- A — "First Minister" is not a title used in Germany.
- B — "Prime Minister" is the title used in other countries, not in German federal states.
- C — "Mayor" is the title for local heads, not for the state as a whole.
- D — Correct: as in most area states, the head of government in Saxony-Anhalt is called Ministerpräsident/in (Minister-President).
Source: www.sachsen-anhalt.de
- Question 33 of 33Saxony-Anhalt · Catalogue question 10
Which minister does Saxony-Anhalt not have?
- A — A justice ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Saxony-Anhalt's.
- B — Correct: foreign policy is exclusively a federal matter (Art. 32 Basic Law); no federal state — including Saxony-Anhalt — has its own foreign ministry.
- C — A finance ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Saxony-Anhalt's.
- D — An interior ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including Saxony-Anhalt's.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
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Questions on Saxony-Anhalt · Practice tests
Last checked: · Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01 · Every figure on this page is checked against its primary source.