Austrian Citizenship Test: How Many Questions Do You Need to Get Right?
How many questions are on the Austrian citizenship test and how many do you need to answer correctly to pass? Everything you need to know about the pass mark and format.
Before you start preparing for the Austrian citizenship test, it helps to know exactly what you are aiming for. How many questions are there, how many do you need to answer correctly and what happens if you fall short?
Here is a straightforward breakdown.
The numbers
The test has 18 questions in total. You need to answer at least 12 of them correctly to pass. That works out to approximately 67 percent, or two thirds of the questions.
From the other side, you can get up to 6 questions wrong and still pass. That is a reasonable margin, but not a generous one. Getting 7 wrong means you fail and have to retake it.
How are the 18 questions divided?
The 18 questions split into two groups.
Thirteen are federal questions. These are the same for every citizenship applicant across all of Austria, regardless of which state you live in. They cover Austrian democracy, history and culture, the European Union and fundamental rights.
Five are state-specific questions. These change depending on which Austrian state you are registered in. They relate to the history, political structure and particular features of your state. The state-specific questions are different in Tyrol compared to Vienna, for example, so it is important to study the right set for your location.
What format are the questions?
All 18 questions are multiple choice with four answer options each. You select your answer, you do not have to write anything from memory. The format is the same across all states.
What happens if you do not pass?
You can retake the test. The specific conditions around retakes, including whether there is a waiting period between attempts, vary by state. The relevant state authority can tell you what applies in your case.
Your result is generally communicated to you on the day of the test.
Is it hard to reach the pass mark?
For people who prepare properly, no. The test covers a defined body of knowledge and the full question catalogue is publicly available, so there are no surprises. The multiple choice format also means you never have to produce an answer from scratch.
The most common reason people fall short is not that the questions are tricky. It is that they underestimated how specific the questions are. Knowing broadly that Austria has a Nationalrat is not enough. You need to know details like how many members it has, how long the legislative term lasts and what its specific functions are. That level of detail requires active study, not just general reading.
The state-specific questions catch people out more often than the federal ones, mainly because they tend to get less preparation time. Five questions out of 18 is a significant share of the test.
How long do you need to study?
Two to three weeks of regular practice is enough for most people. Thirty to 45 minutes a day, working through the material section by section and testing yourself as you go, covers everything comfortably in that time.
If Austrian history and politics are already familiar to you, you may need less. If you are starting from scratch, four weeks gives you more room to revisit the parts that did not stick the first time.
Where to practise
PassCitizen has all the Austrian citizenship test questions for free, organised by topic and state. You can go through one section at a time or take a full 18-question mock test whenever you feel ready. No signup needed.
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