Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01
German citizenship test North Rhine-Westphalia — the 10 state questions explained
If you sit the test in North Rhine-Westphalia, three of your 33 questions come from exactly these ten. The other 30 are federal. Questions from other states will not appear in your test.
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state and was assembled in 1946 by the British occupying power from the Rhine Province, Westphalia and Lippe — three parts, like its arms with the wavy band, the steed and the rose. The Ruhr area carried coal and steel for decades, the borders with the Netherlands and Belgium run along the west, and Cologne Cathedral is World Heritage.
- Capital
- Düsseldorf
- Question catalogue
- 10
- Split
- 3 / 33
- Your pool
- 310
What to know about this state
- By population North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous German state. To the west it borders the Netherlands and Belgium. (www.nrw.de)
- The Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia sits in Düsseldorf on the bank of the Rhine. Düsseldorf is the state capital, while Cologne is the state's most populous city. (www.landtag.nrw.de)
- The coat of arms has three elements: the Rhine as a silver wavy band, the white steed for Westphalia and the golden rose for Lippe. (www.nrw.de)
- For decades the Ruhr area was the centre of coal mining and the steel industry. The Zollverein colliery in Essen is now UNESCO World Heritage, and the last hard-coal mine closed in 2018. (www.nrw.de)
- Cologne Cathedral is one of Germany's best-known churches and is UNESCO World Heritage. Aachen Cathedral was the coronation church of the kings of the Holy Roman Empire. (www.nrw.de)
- The Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War, was concluded in Münster and Osnabrück in 1648. The state itself was created in 1946 by the British occupying power. (www.nrw.de)
More people live here than in any other state, and correspondingly many naturalisations are granted here. The districts and independent cities act as the naturalisation authorities, while the five regional administrations exercise oversight. The ten state questions take up, among other things, the Ruhr area and Rhineland carnival.
Questions on North Rhine-Westphalia
Without JavaScript you see every question, answer and explanation as a list. The test works, just without the timer.
- Question 1 of 7North Rhine-Westphalia · Catalogue question 2
Which is a rural district in North Rhine-Westphalia?
- A — Ammerland lies in Lower Saxony, not in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- B — Correct: the Rhein-Sieg district lies south of Cologne/Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- C — North Frisia lies in Schleswig-Holstein, not in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- D — The Vogtland district lies in Saxony, not in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Source: www.land.nrw
- Question 2 of 7North Rhine-Westphalia · Catalogue question 5
What colours does the state flag of North Rhine-Westphalia have?
- A — Red and white is not North Rhine-Westphalia's state flag; that is associated with Brandenburg or Bremen.
- B — Correct: North Rhine-Westphalia's state flag shows the colours green, white and red in three equally wide horizontal stripes.
- C — Black and gold is not North Rhine-Westphalia's state flag; that is associated with Baden-Württemberg.
- D — Blue, white and red is not North Rhine-Westphalia's state flag.
Source: www.land.nrw
- Question 3 of 7North Rhine-Westphalia · Catalogue question 6
Where can you get information about political topics in North Rhine-Westphalia?
- A — Churches are religious institutions and not an official point of contact for political education.
- B — The public order office deals with public safety and order, not political education.
- C — The consumer advice centre advises on consumer issues, not political education.
- D — Correct: the North Rhine-Westphalia State Centre for Political Education is the responsible institution for cross-party political information.
Source: www.lzpb.nrw.de
- Question 4 of 7North Rhine-Westphalia · Catalogue question 7
The state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia is called …
- A — Cologne is the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, but not the state capital.
- B — Bonn was the federal capital of old West Germany and today hosts several federal ministries, but is not North Rhine-Westphalia's state capital.
- C — Correct: Düsseldorf is the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia and the seat of the state parliament and state government.
- D — Dortmund is a significant city in the Ruhr area, but not the state capital.
Source: www.land.nrw
- Question 5 of 7North Rhine-Westphalia · Catalogue question 8Image question
Which federal state is North Rhine-Westphalia?

Kartengeometrie: Natural Earth (ne_10m_admin_1_states_provinces), Public Domain. Karte für diese App gezeichnet. - A — On this map the number 1 marks a different federal state. North Rhine-Westphalia lies in western Germany, bordering the Netherlands and Belgium.
- B — Correct: on this map the number 2 sits on North Rhine-Westphalia. North Rhine-Westphalia lies in western Germany, bordering the Netherlands and Belgium.
- C — On this map the number 3 marks a different federal state. North Rhine-Westphalia lies in western Germany, bordering the Netherlands and Belgium.
- D — On this map the number 4 marks a different federal state. North Rhine-Westphalia lies in western Germany, bordering the Netherlands and Belgium.
Source: www.land.nrw
- Question 6 of 7North Rhine-Westphalia · Catalogue question 9
What is the head of government of North Rhine-Westphalia 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 North Rhine-Westphalia is called Ministerpräsident/in (Minister-President).
Source: www.land.nrw
- Question 7 of 7North Rhine-Westphalia · Catalogue question 10
Which minister does North Rhine-Westphalia not have?
- A — A justice ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including North Rhine-Westphalia's.
- B — Correct: foreign policy is exclusively a federal matter (Art. 32 Basic Law); no federal state — including North Rhine-Westphalia — has its own foreign ministry.
- C — A finance ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including North Rhine-Westphalia's.
- D — An interior ministry is one of the classic departments of every state government, including North Rhine-Westphalia's.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Last checked: · Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01 · Every figure on this page is checked against its primary source.