Tips and Strategies to Pass the Einbürgerungstest or Naturalization Test in Germany

Tips and Strategies to Pass the Einbürgerungstest or Naturalization Test in Germany

I recently took the Einbürgerungstest or Naturalization Test in Germany last Sept 5, 2024 and got 33 out of 33 questions or 100%. If you are interested in getting similar results I will share to you some Tips and Strategies that I used in this blog post.

I took the test as part of the requirements listed by the Bürgerburo or Citzens Office of the Landratsamt or District Office in Freiberg. In order to make this blog post easy to follow,  I divided it into 3 Parts: Registration, Preparation, and Examination.

Registration

I went to the nearest Volkhochschule and made an examination appointment. The officer will ask for your eAT/Ausweiß or Residence Permit and a €27 fee. Not all branches of Volkhochshule offer this exam. I had to go to the next city which is in Dresden to register. My initial schedule on August was cancelled due to unavailability of the examination procter. I was informed of this through email and was offered the next available examination schedule option. If this happens to you, you just need to reply through email or call them to confirm the next schedule.

Preparation

The Test comprises of 33 questions selected radomly based on a 300 question list. I got the 300 question list online and through youtube videos. Volkhochschule also emailed me a PDF list of questions to familiarize with. Some questions on the list were updated and I got a timely email by Volkhochschule of this. 

Aside from familiarizing the examination questions including the answers, I also watched News and read News Articles online. I also read German History to better understand the form of government, the election process, and the culture.

I will post a video of this soon on my youtube channel allestimmt.

Examination

The examination took place in Volkhochschule Dresden. It is advised to be 15 Minutes ahead for orientation as the room assignment is not given beforehand or displayed at the entrance. You may need to get in line at the information desk for guidance and ask people around which floor it is. The room labels could also be different which adds to the confusion. 

I planned to arrive 30 minutes before the examination time but encountered a jam with the Straßenbahn or Tram from the Dresden Main Station. I resorted to walking that took me 20 minutes using Google Maps as a guide, 5 minutes to ask the Information Desk which room, and 5 minutes to find the actual room. I arrived on the dot and apologized as I was supposed to be there 15 minutes ahead. The proctor was kind enough to let me in and even let me borrow a pen as it was a pen and paper type of exam. If you need to take this exam at a neighbouring city like I did, give yourself buffer time to account for uncertainties like traffic jams.

The examination time lasts 1 hour after the introductions. You need to have your eAT/Ausweiß or Residence Permit and a blue pen. These are the only items permitted on your table before the procter hands out the Test Paper. Each examinee is assigned a set of table and chair with half a meter distance from each other. If you have a bag or Tumbler, you need to put it under your table or hang it on your chair. You need to put your phone on silent mode and place it in your bag. Smart watches that allow you to receive messages or read notes are prohibited. The Test Papers are individualized which will have your name printed on it. The Test will be in German. You will need to write down your mailing address as the test result or certificate will be mailed to you. You also need to sign on the last page.

As part of the introductions, you will be guided on how to properly shade your answer and how to change your answer. In our case, to select another answer we have to shade the box next to it and draw a circle around it. If you need to change your answer again, you need to draw an X on the previous one then shade your preferred box then encircle it. If you have difficulty on this, you can ask the procter for guidance. You need to wait for the proctor to officially say that you can start answering. You are prohibited from talking to your fellow examinees during the exam.

You are given an hour to finish the exam. It took me 3 minutes. As I was worried about the traffic jam and not being able to get home, I asked the proctor to allow me to leave right away which he obliged. Thankfully, the jam was fixed and I was able to get to the train on time and catch the Bus back home. I am still working on my driver's license for 4 years now. I am still waiting for their response to allow me to take the theoretical and practical exams. I just wish this gets resolved as soon as possible as using public transportation could oftentimes be unrealiable and risky if you are alone.

I got the Test Result or Certificate yesterday and was a bit surprised as I was expecting to have 2 mistakes on the exam. I had doubts on two questions so I didn't expect to have a perfect score. The proctor told us that to pass the exam, one needs to have at least 17 correct answers. Here is a picture of the certificate. I had to blurr out some parts for safety reasons. I hope this blog post has helped you and I wish you all the best on the exams.