Austria · Staatsbürgerschaftsprüfung

Austrian citizenship practice test: Staatsbürger­schafts­test

The Staatsbürgerschaftsprüfung, often called the Staatsbürgerschaftstest, is the knowledge test for Austrian citizenship. It is sat in German and asks 18 questions in two hours. Your provincial government runs it once you have applied.

10 free sample questionsAnswers includedNo account needed
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What the Staatsbürgerschaftsprüfung asks of you

What has not been published

  • A full question pool for the federal areas. The regulation does not publish one; the federal site offers the Mein Österreich booklet, its example questions and an online practice test.
  • A national calendar of sittings. Each province invites its own applicants.
  • A test fee for the other six provinces. None is stated on the provincial pages we could reach.
  • A minimum wait between attempts.
The format, the pass rule and the retakes are in a federal regulation. The questions themselves are not, and the provincial part differs from province to province.
Practice

10 sample questions, with answers

Of these, 5 are on the democratic order and 5 on the history of Austria, in the order Anlage A to the regulation lists its topics. They are in German as the real paper is set, with an English translation underneath. The correct answer is marked.

  1. Question 1 · Die Menschenwürde (Human dignity)

    Welchen Rang hat die Europäische Menschenrechtskonvention (EMRK) in Österreich?

    What status does the European Convention on Human Rights have in Austria?

    • Verordnungsrang (The status of an ordinance)
    • Nur Empfehlungen (Only recommendations)
    • Verfassungsrang (Constitutional status) ✓ correct answer
    • Nur Gesetzesrang (Only the status of an ordinary law)
  2. Question 2 · Österreich als liberaler Staat (Austria as a liberal state)

    Welche Grundrechte sind in Österreich unter anderem geschützt?

    Which fundamental rights are protected in Austria, among others?

    • Das Recht jedes Staatsbürgers auf einen Posten in der Regierung (The right of every citizen to a post in the government)
    • Ausschließlich Rechte für Staatsbürgerinnen und Staatsbürger (Rights for citizens exclusively)
    • Meinungsfreiheit, Religionsfreiheit und Versammlungsfreiheit (Freedom of expression, of religion and of assembly) ✓ correct answer
    • Ausschließlich das Recht auf Eigentum und sonst keine Rechte (Only the right to property and no other rights)
  3. Question 3 · Österreich als Rechtsstaat (Austria as a state under the rule of law)

    Was bedeutet das rechtsstaatliche Prinzip?

    What does the rule-of-law principle mean?

    • Die Regierung kann Urteile der Gerichte jederzeit selbst aufheben (The government can overturn court rulings itself at any time)
    • Der Staat und alle Menschen sind an Recht und Gesetz gebunden (The state and everyone are bound by law) ✓ correct answer
    • Die Gesetze gelten nur für Ausländerinnen und Ausländer im Land (The laws apply only to foreign nationals living in the country)
    • Die Polizei und die Verwaltung stehen über Recht und Gesetz (The police and the administration stand above the law)
  4. Question 4 · Österreich als Demokratie (Austria as a democracy)

    "Österreich ist eine demokratische Republik. Ihr Recht geht vom Volk aus." Woher stammt dieser Satz?

    "Austria is a democratic republic. Its law emanates from the people." Where does this sentence come from?

    • Aus Artikel 1 des Bundes-Verfassungsgesetzes (From Article 1 of the Federal Constitutional Law) ✓ correct answer
    • Aus dem ersten Paragrafen des Strafgesetzbuches (From the first section of the Criminal Code)
    • Aus der Präambel des Staatsvertrags von 1955 (From the preamble of the 1955 State Treaty)
    • Aus dem Text der österreichischen Bundeshymne (From the text of the Austrian national anthem)
  5. Question 5 · Österreich als Republik (Austria as a republic)

    Was ist Österreich laut Bundesverfassung?

    What is Austria according to the Federal Constitution?

    • Ein Zentralstaat ohne Länder (A centralised state without provinces)
    • Eine konstitutionelle Monarchie (A constitutional monarchy)
    • Ein Fürstentum (A principality)
    • Eine demokratische Republik (A democratic republic) ✓ correct answer
  6. Question 6 · Frühe Siedler (Early settlers)

    In welchem Dokument wird der Name „Ostarrichi“ erstmals erwähnt?

    In which document is the name "Ostarrichi" first mentioned?

    • In der Bundesverfassung von 1920 (In the Federal Constitution of 1920)
    • Im Staatsvertrag von 1955 (In the State Treaty of 1955)
    • Im Vertrag von Saint-Germain (In the Treaty of Saint-Germain)
    • In einer Urkunde aus dem Jahr 996 (In a charter from the year 996) ✓ correct answer
  7. Question 7 · Die Herrschaft der Habsburger und die Auswirkungen auf das heutige Österreich (Habsburg rule and its effects on Austria today)

    Welches Herrschergeschlecht regierte Österreich rund 270 Jahre lang vor dem Aufstieg der Habsburger?

    Which ruling dynasty governed Austria for around 270 years before the rise of the Habsburgs?

    • Die Hohenzollern (The Hohenzollerns)
    • Die Wittelsbacher (The Wittelsbachs)
    • Die Bourbonen (The Bourbons)
    • Die Babenberger (The Babenbergs) ✓ correct answer
  8. Question 8 · Umbrüche im 19. Jahrhundert (Upheavals in the 19th century)

    Seit wann gibt es das Kaisertum Österreich?

    Since when did the Austrian Empire exist?

    • Seit 996 (Since 996)
    • Seit 1683 (Since 1683)
    • Seit 1804 (Since 1804) ✓ correct answer
    • Seit 1867 (Since 1867)
  9. Question 9 · Der Aufstieg der Nationalstaaten und das Ende der Habsburger-Monarchie (The rise of the nation states and the end of the Habsburg monarchy)

    Welches Ereignis im Juni 1914 löste den Ersten Weltkrieg mit aus?

    Which event in June 1914 helped trigger the First World War?

    • Das Attentat auf Thronfolger Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo (The assassination of heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo) ✓ correct answer
    • Der Anschluss Österreichs an das nationalsozialistische Reich (Austria's Anschluss to the National Socialist Reich)
    • Der Wiener Kongress zur Neuordnung Europas nach Napoleon (The Congress of Vienna reordering Europe after Napoleon)
    • Die Ausrufung der Republik Deutschösterreich in Wien 1918 (The proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria in Vienna in 1918)
  10. Question 10 · 1918 bis 1938: das Ende der Monarchie, die Erste Republik und der Ständestaat (1918 to 1938: the end of the monarchy, the First Republic and the corporate state)

    Wann wurde die Republik Österreich (Erste Republik) ausgerufen?

    When was the Republic of Austria (First Republic) proclaimed?

    • Am 27. April 1945 (On 27 April 1945)
    • Am 15. Mai 1955 (On 15 May 1955)
    • Am 12. November 1918 (On 12 November 1918) ✓ correct answer
    • Am 26. Oktober 1955 (On 26 October 1955)
These questions are written by Belong Austria around the 17 topics of Anlage A to the Staatsbürgerschaftsprüfungs-Verordnung. They are not the official questions, which are not published, and they can contain mistakes. Each has exactly one correct answer, while a real question can have up to three. Study the federal booklet Mein Österreich and your province’s own booklet for the six provincial questions.

That was ten. There are 444 more.

454 questions, drilled topic by topic in the order Anlage A sets them, with a mistakes deck, spaced repetition and a mock at the real paper’s pace: 12 questions in 80 minutes, six on the democratic order and six on Austria’s history. The mock gives you a score and no pass verdict, because six of the real 18 are on the history of your own province and those are not ours to write.

Written by Belong Austria around the topics of Anlage A. They are not the official questions, and each has exactly one correct answer, where a real question can have up to three.

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Common questions

Passing the Staatsbürgerschaftsprüfung

How many points do you need to pass the Staatsbürgerschaftsprüfung?

There are two ways to pass. Either you reach half the points in each of the three areas (three of six on the democratic order, on the history of Austria and on the history of your province) or you reach two thirds of all points, which is 12 of 18. The rule is in § 5 of the Staatsbürgerschaftsprüfungs-Verordnung.

Can you take the Staatsbürgerschaftstest in English?

No. The paper is in German. It is also a separate requirement from the German language proof at level B1, and a pass does not replace that proof. Practice questions in English are for study; the paper in front of you will be in German.

Where do the six questions about my province come from?

From the material of the province whose government handles your application, which is decided by your main residence. Each Landesregierung sets the content of that part by its own regulation and publishes its own booklet. The other twelve questions follow the same federal topics everywhere.

What does the Staatsbürgerschaftstest cost?

It depends on the province. Vienna says the test and the study material are free. Vorarlberg charges an administrative levy of 30.80 euro per test, and Salzburg charges 24 euro for the exam certificate. The other provinces do not state a test fee on the pages we could reach, so ask your office.

When can I sit the test?

Only once you have applied for citizenship. There is no national calendar: your provincial government holds sittings as needed and at least once every calendar half-year. It must tell you the date, the place and the scope at least eight weeks ahead. It can also agree a different date with you. If you fail, you can retake it as often as you need.

Do I have to take the test at all?

Not if you were under 14 when the application was made or you are a minor at school in Austria who meets the school rules in § 10a. Anyone with a school certificate in Geschichte und Sozialkunde at least at the level of the fourth class of Hauptschule is also exempt, and so are people whose lasting poor health makes the proof impossible, confirmed by an official doctor's report.

The test is one requirement out of 6

Austrian citizenship also asks for 10 years of lawful and uninterrupted residence on the standard route, five of them settled, German at B1, a secure livelihood and an irreproachable record. Time abroad over 20 percent of the required period interrupts your residence.

See all Austrian citizenship requirements

Rules as of 1 October 2026 (snapshot 2026.1), decided by your provincial citizenship office.

More on the Staatsbürgerschaftstest

The 17 topics the federal questions come from

The democratic order, eight topics:

The history of Austria, nine topics:

The third area, the history of your province, is set by each Landesregierung.

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