Samfunnskunnskapsproven at a glance
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tasks and scoring | 38 tasks, 34 scored, 4 trial items that do not count |
| Pass mark | At least 26 correct answers out of the 34 scored tasks |
| Duration | Maximum 60 minutes |
| Languages | 23 languages including Norwegian and English, read-aloud in 10 |
| Fee | 500 to 1,300 kroner, set by each test centre; one free sitting for those with right and obligation to tuition |
| Booking | Through the HK-dir registration portal or the local municipal test centre |
Question format is mainly multiple choice with three options and one correct answer, alongside some image tasks where the candidate marks the correct place in a picture. The four trial items are not identified during the sitting, so all 38 tasks should be answered.
Source: HK-dir test description · HK-dir registration
Dates and windows
| What | When | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting dates | Rolling; each municipal test centre publishes its own dates in the registration portal | Rolling |
| Registration | Open year round through the portal, or via the local test centre | Rolling |
| Payment | Registration is not valid until a payment method is chosen | Rolling |
| Summons letter or email | About two weeks before the sitting | Confirmed |
| Permanent residence language rule in force | From 1 September 2025, oral Norwegian at A2 or higher | Confirmed |
| Citizenship language rule | Oral Norwegian at B1 or higher, with reduced A2 level for defined groups | Confirmed |
| Resit after illness | Permitted without paying again, per HK-dir | Confirmed |
This test has no national calendar, so the practical deadline is whatever your own kommune test centre offers. Candidates in smaller municipalities should ask early, because HK-dir tells people with no scheduled dates to contact the centre directly.
What this means for your preparation
The single most common error is treating the social studies test as one exam with one meaning. It is one exam with two different values depending on the language you sit it in. A pass in English or Hindi is fully valid for a permanent residence application and worth nothing for a citizenship application. The second most common error is quoting the old A1 oral threshold for permanent residence, which UDI replaced with A2 from 1 September 2025.
The language you choose fixes the route
HK-dir offers the paper in 23 languages, and UDI accepts a pass in any language you understand for a permanent residence permit. For citizenship UDI is explicit that the social studies test must be taken in Norwegian, and that a candidate who first passed in another language has to retake it in Norwegian. An Indian applicant who intends to naturalise eventually therefore has a choice at the first sitting: take the easy English route now and pay to sit again later in Norwegian, or sit in Norwegian once and have a result that serves both applications. The content is identical either way, so the only variable is reading speed in Norwegian under a 60-minute limit.
State the thresholds UDI actually publishes
Two numbers circulate widely and both are out of date. Permanent residence now requires the oral Norwegian test at A2 or higher, in force from 1 September 2025 for applicants aged 18 to 67, together with a social studies pass in any understood language. Citizenship requires the oral test at B1 or higher plus the citizenship test or the social studies test in Norwegian. UDI allows the lower A2 oral level for citizenship only in defined cases: stateless persons, people over 55 who came through a protection application or refugee resettlement, people over 55 on disability benefit, and anyone who applied before 1 October 2022.
Scoring leaves a thinner margin than it looks
The headline is 38 tasks, but only 34 are scored and 26 of those must be correct. That is a pass rate of roughly 76 per cent on the scored items, not the 68 per cent you get if you wrongly divide 26 by 38. Because the four trial items are not flagged during the sitting, there is no way to identify and skip them, and a wasted minute on a trial question is a minute lost. With 38 tasks in 60 minutes the working pace is under a minute and a half per item, which is comfortable in a first language and tight in a language you are still learning.
Booking is municipal, and binding
There is no national sitting date to plan around. Dates are set by individual test centres and become visible in the HK-dir portal only after you pick a county, so availability in a small kommune can be months apart while a city centre runs sittings frequently. Registration becomes binding once you select a payment method, and HK-dir states the fee is due whether or not you turn up. The one documented relief is illness, which allows a free retake. Fees run from 500 to 1,300 kroner depending on the centre, so it is worth comparing neighbouring municipalities before booking.
Sequence the tests against your application date
Both UDI routes pair the social studies test with a separate oral Norwegian test, and the oral test is the slower of the two to prepare for. Treat the social studies paper as the fixed, learnable component and the oral test as the constraint on your timeline. If permanent residence is the near-term goal, an A2 oral result plus a translated social studies pass is enough, and a summons arrives roughly two weeks before the sitting, so allow that lead time. If citizenship is the goal, book the Norwegian-language sitting rather than the translated one even if it costs you an extra attempt, since UDI will not accept a converted result.
Common questions
Can I take the Norwegian social studies test in English?
Yes. HK-dir makes the test available in 23 languages, including English, and questions are read aloud in ten of them. UDI accepts a pass in any language you understand when you apply for a permanent residence permit. The restriction applies only to citizenship: UDI states that the social studies test must be taken in Norwegian for a naturalisation application, and that a pass obtained in another language has to be retaken in Norwegian.
What is the pass mark for samfunnskunnskapsproven?
You need at least 26 correct answers. The paper contains 38 tasks, but HK-dir counts only 34 of them, because four are trial items being tested for future papers. Those four are not marked on the paper, so you cannot tell which ones they are during the sitting. The maximum time allowed is 60 minutes. Most tasks are multiple choice with three options, with some image tasks where you mark the correct spot.
How much does the test cost in 2026?
HK-dir does not set a single national price. Each test centre fixes its own fee, and the published range is 500 to 1,300 kroner. Payment can be made by bank card through the registration portal, by online banking, by invoice, or directly with the test centre, and your registration is not valid until you have chosen a payment method. Candidates who hold both the right and the obligation to receive civics tuition can sit once free by asking their local test centre to register them.
What Norwegian level do I need for permanent residence in Norway now?
The oral Norwegian test at level A2 or higher, for applicants aged 18 to 67. UDI applied this from 1 September 2025. Alongside it you must pass a social studies test in a language you understand. UDI lists exemptions, including qualifying Norwegian or Sami grades from upper secondary or higher education, at least 30 ECTS of university Norwegian, meeting university language admission requirements, health or personal circumstances, or a municipal exemption decision.
Is the citizenship test the same as the social studies test?
They are separate tests that UDI treats as alternatives for the same requirement. For citizenship UDI accepts either the citizenship test, called statsborgerproven, or the final social studies test taken in Norwegian. Both sit alongside the separate oral Norwegian requirement, which is B1 or higher for naturalisation. HK-dir runs both through the same test centre network, so the practical difference for most applicants is which paper their centre schedules and which one they have already passed.
When are the test dates published?
There is no national calendar. HK-dir says test centres set their own dates and that you find the dates available in your municipality inside the registration portal after selecting your county. If your centre shows nothing, HK-dir directs you to contact it directly to ask about availability. Once you are booked, a summons letter or email arrives roughly two weeks before the sitting. Registration is binding and the fee is payable even if you do not attend, with illness the documented exception.
