Einbürgerungstest Pro

Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01

Practice test 20 — Schleswig-Holstein

33 questions as in the real exam: 30 federal and 3 on Schleswig-Holstein. 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 50

    Germany's economic system is called …

    1. A — A "free central economy" is a contradictory term and not a designation of the German economic system.
    2. B — Correct: the social market economy combines free competition with social balance (social insurance, worker protection) — Germany's economic model since 1948/49.
    3. C — A centrally directed economy contradicts Germany's market-based economic order.
    4. D — A planned economy, as existed in East Germany, is the opposite of West Germany's social market economy.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  2. Question 2 of 33Catalogue question 139

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

    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

  3. Question 3 of 33Catalogue question 27

    Germany is …

    1. A — Germany has a social market economy, not a socialist economic system.
    2. B — Correct: Germany is a federal state made up of 16 Länder with their own state authority (Art. 20(1) Basic Law).
    3. C — Germany has free elections, separation of powers and basic rights — the opposite of a dictatorship.
    4. D — Germany has no hereditary head of state, so it is not a monarchy.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  4. Question 4 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

  5. Question 5 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

  6. Question 6 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

  7. Question 7 of 33Catalogue question 270

    The Volkshochschule (adult education centre) in Germany is an institution …

    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

  8. Question 8 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

  9. Question 9 of 33Catalogue question 299

    Foreign workers recruited by the Federal Republic of Germany in the 1950s and 1960s were called …

    1. A — "Undeclared workers" refers to people employed illegally, without registration — the opposite of officially recruited labour.
    2. B — Correct: foreign workers recruited under bilateral recruitment agreements (including with Italy, Turkey, Spain) were referred to as "guest workers" (Gastarbeiter).
    3. C — "Temporary agency work" is a modern employment-law concept of staff leasing, not a historical term from the 1950s/60s.
    4. D — "Shift work" describes a working-time model, not a designation for the foreign workers of that time.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  10. Question 10 of 33Catalogue question 102

    With what can someone be honoured in the Federal Republic of Germany for a special achievement in the political, economic, cultural, intellectual or social field? With the …

    1. A — Correct: the Federal Cross of Merit (officially: Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) is the highest honour the Federal Republic awards for special merit.
    2. B — The federal eagle is Germany's heraldic animal, not an award for personal achievement.
    3. C — The Order of Merit of the Fatherland was an East German award, not one of the Federal Republic.
    4. D — The honorary title "Hero of the German Democratic Republic" was an East German award and has not existed since 1990.

    Source: www.bundespraesident.de

  11. Question 11 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

  12. Question 12 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

  13. Question 13 of 33Catalogue question 200

    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 — Schleswig-Holstein lay in the British zone and belonged to old West Germany, not East Germany.
    3. C — Correct: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was one of the five "new states" that joined the Federal Republic in 1990.
    4. D — The Saarland joined the Federal Republic in 1957 — never part of East Germany.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  14. Question 14 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?

    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

  15. Question 15 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

  16. Question 16 of 33Catalogue question 170

    What existed in Germany during the Nazi era?

    1. A — Correct: under the 1933 "Law against the Formation of New Parties", the Nazi party was the only permitted party — all others were banned.
    2. 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".
    3. C — There was strict press censorship and forced coordination (Gleichschaltung), not press freedom.
    4. 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

  17. Question 17 of 33Catalogue question 217

    During what period did the German Democratic Republic (GDR) exist?

    1. A — 1919 to 1927 falls within the Weimar Republic era, long before East Germany was founded.
    2. B — 1933 to 1945 was the Nazi era, not the East German era.
    3. C — 1945 to 1961 ends with the building of the wall, but East Germany continued to exist for almost thirty more years afterwards.
    4. D — Correct: East Germany existed from its founding on 7 October 1949 until its accession to the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  18. Question 18 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

  19. Question 19 of 33Catalogue question 87

    Who is the head of state of the Federal Republic of Germany?

    1. A — The Federal Chancellor is the head of government, not the head of state.
    2. B — Correct: under Art. 54 ff. of the Basic Law, the Federal President is Germany's head of state, with primarily representative duties.
    3. C — The President of the Bundesrat represents the chamber of the Länder, not the state as a whole.
    4. D — The President of the Bundestag chairs parliament but is not the head of state.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  20. Question 20 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

  21. Question 21 of 33Catalogue question 74

    What is the parliament for the whole of Germany called?

    1. A — The Federal Convention only meets to elect the Federal President; it is not a standing parliament.
    2. B — The People's Chamber (Volkskammer) was East Germany's parliament and has not existed since reunification.
    3. C — Correct: the Bundestag is the standing, directly elected parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany.
    4. D — The Federal Court of Justice is the highest court of ordinary jurisdiction, not a parliament.

    Source: www.bundestag.de

  22. Question 22 of 33Catalogue question 47

    The German state has many responsibilities. Which of these is not one of them?

    1. A — Correct: there is no state funding of private holiday trips for all citizens — that is not a state responsibility.
    2. B — Child benefit (Kindergeld) is a genuine state family benefit under the Income Tax Act / Federal Child Benefit Act.
    3. C — The state and the Länder do actually support museums and cultural institutions as part of cultural funding.
    4. D — Sports funding, for example via the German Olympic Sports Confederation and federal funds, is a genuine state responsibility.

    Source: www.bundesregierung.de

  23. Question 23 of 33Catalogue question 159

    What did not exist in Germany during the Nazi era?

    1. 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.
    2. B — Press censorship was comprehensive and systematic, controlled by the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.
    3. C — Arbitrary arrests without rule-of-law oversight, for example by the Gestapo, were widespread.
    4. D — The systematic persecution and extermination of European Jews in the Holocaust was a central feature of the Nazi regime.

    Source: www.bpb.de

  24. Question 24 of 33Catalogue question 44

    As a citizen in Germany, who can you not vote for directly?

    1. A — Members of the European Parliament are elected directly by citizens (European elections).
    2. B — Correct: the Federal President is not elected by the people but by the Federal Convention (Art. 54 Basic Law), a body that convenes specially from the Bundestag and state representatives.
    3. C — State parliament (Landtag) members are elected directly by the citizens of their respective federal state.
    4. D — Bundestag members are elected directly by the eligible electorate (Art. 38 Basic Law).

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  25. Question 25 of 33Catalogue question 107

    For how many years is the Bundestag elected in Germany?

    1. A — 2 years is too short; the Bundestag's legislative term is longer.
    2. B — Correct: under Art. 39 of the Basic Law, the Bundestag is elected for four years.
    3. C — 6 years is too long for the Bundestag's legislative term.
    4. D — 8 years is too long for the Bundestag's legislative term.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  26. Question 26 of 33Catalogue question 285

    Ms Frost works as a permanent employee in an office. What does she not have to pay from her salary?

    1. A — Income tax is withheld directly from gross salary — this applies to Ms Frost as an employee.
    2. B — Unemployment insurance contributions are likewise deducted from salary.
    3. C — Pension and health insurance contributions are likewise withheld directly from salary.
    4. D — Correct: value-added tax (VAT) is charged when purchasing goods and services and is remitted by the seller to the tax office — it is not deducted from an employee's salary.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  27. Question 27 of 33Catalogue question 182

    What is the Jewish house of prayer called?

    1. A — A basilica is a type of building, often used in Christianity, not a Jewish house of prayer.
    2. B — A mosque is the Islamic house of prayer, not the Jewish one.
    3. C — Correct: the synagogue is the house of prayer and religious centre of the Jewish community.
    4. D — A church is the Christian house of prayer, not the Jewish one.

    Source: www.zentralratderjuden.de

  28. Question 28 of 33Catalogue question 67

    What is primarily a responsibility of the federal states in Germany?

    1. A — Defence lies with the federal government under Art. 87a of the Basic Law, not with the states.
    2. B — Foreign policy is a federal matter (Art. 32 Basic Law), not a state matter.
    3. C — Central economic policy is coordinated predominantly at the federal level.
    4. D — Correct: education and school policy lie at their core with the states ("cultural sovereignty") — each federal state has its own school system and ministry of education.

    Source: www.kmk.org

  29. Question 29 of 33Catalogue question 257

    An adult woman wants to complete her Abitur later in life in Germany. She can do this at …

    1. A — A university already requires the Abitur as a prerequisite; you cannot obtain it there.
    2. B — Correct: an evening grammar school (Abendgymnasium) enables adults to obtain the general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) later in life alongside work.
    3. C — The Hauptschule leads to a lower-level qualification (Hauptschulabschluss), not the Abitur.
    4. D — A private university likewise already requires a higher education entrance qualification.

    Source: www.kmk.org

  30. Question 30 of 33Catalogue question 136

    In Germany, you go to the labour court in the case of …

    1. A — Disputes about utility cost statements for rented flats belong before the Local Court (civil court), not the labour court.
    2. B — Correct: the labour court has jurisdiction over disputes arising from an employment relationship, such as an unfair dismissal claim (§ 2 Labour Courts Act).
    3. C — Neighbour disputes are of a civil-law nature and belong before the Local Court, not the labour court.
    4. D — Claims after a traffic accident are civil-law matters (compensation) and belong before the ordinary civil courts, not the labour court.

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  31. Questions on Schleswig-Holstein

    Question 31 of 33Schleswig-Holstein · Catalogue question 7

    The state capital of Schleswig-Holstein is called …

    1. A — Husum is a well-known North Sea town, but not the state capital.
    2. B — Flensburg lies on the Danish border and is home to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, but is not the state capital.
    3. C — Lübeck is a significant Hanseatic town and UNESCO World Heritage Site, but not the state capital.
    4. D — Correct: Kiel is the state capital of Schleswig-Holstein and the seat of the state parliament and state government.

    Source: www.schleswig-holstein.de

  32. Question 32 of 33Schleswig-Holstein · Catalogue question 10

    Which minister does Schleswig-Holstein not have?

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

    Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de

  33. Question 33 of 33Schleswig-Holstein · Catalogue question 5

    What colours does the state flag of Schleswig-Holstein have?

    1. A — White and blue are Bavaria's colours, not Schleswig-Holstein's — beware of this seemingly similar answer.
    2. B — Correct: Schleswig-Holstein's state flag shows the colours blue (top), white (middle) and red (bottom), combining the colours of its constituent regions Schleswig (blue) and Holstein (red and white).
    3. C — White and red is not the complete state flag of Schleswig-Holstein; blue is missing.
    4. D — Green, white and red is not Schleswig-Holstein's flag; that is associated with North Rhine-Westphalia.

    Source: www.schleswig-holstein.de

Questions on Schleswig-Holstein · Practice tests

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