1.1 Exam Format, Structure & Scoring

Understanding the assessment

The Samfunnskunnskapsprøven checks practical knowledge of Norwegian society. HK-dir, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, publishes the candidate rules. Municipal test centres arrange sittings. This guide is independent study by OpenExamPrep. Its four-option practice questions are learning checks; the official test uses a different format.

Knowing the procedure helps you spend your preparation time on understanding society. Separate three questions: what knowledge is assessed, how to book a sitting, and what result an immigration application requires. HK-dir explains the examination, the municipality handles your appointment, and UDI explains residence or citizenship requirements.

Format and score

The four trial items do not affect your result. Treat every item carefully because you should not plan around identifying trial questions. The threshold is a minimum: 27 correct scored answers also passes. Dividing 26 by 34 gives about 76.5%; dividing by all 38 gives a misleading preparation target because the four trial items are excluded from scoring.

Language and access

The test is offered in 23 languages. Choose your language at the test centre when taking the test, rather than assuming that registration fixes it. Audio is available in ten language options. The current lists are on HK-dir's candidate page; do not infer test availability from a language offered by a commercial course. For example, Polish is absent from HK-dir's current test-language list.

If you intend to use the result for citizenship, the social studies test must be passed in Norwegian, Bokmål or Nynorsk. Reading this English guide does not change that requirement. Study the same concepts in Norwegian and use the official practice material to judge your comprehension before choosing a Norwegian sitting.

Booking, fees and adaptations

Municipalities arrange test dates and determine fees. Some candidates have a right to one free attempt. Ask your municipality whether that applies to you and check its current price before paying; there is no single national candidate fee. Someone receiving tuition may be registered with help from the training provider. Other candidates can use the registration route linked from HK-dir.

Special adaptations can include extra time, a separate room, an oral test or interpreter assistance. Contact the centre as soon as possible and no later than three days after registering. Documentation is needed for some adaptations. A person with poor reading skills can apply for an oral version without a medical recommendation. Extra time is a possible accommodation, not a nationally promised 90-minute entitlement for every applicant.

Arriving at the centre

Read your centre's instructions and arrive in good time. You take the examination on its computer, not your own laptop. Show valid physical identification and use the same identification number as in your registration. HK-dir accepts several document types, including passports, Norwegian driving licences, Norwegian photo bank cards, EEA national identity cards, refugee travel documents or immigrant passports, residence cards, and qualifying asylum-seeker IDs. A digital driving licence is not accepted. Check the complete current list and any document conditions before travelling.

Do not bring notes or use websites, a dictionary, a phone or another electronic aid during the test. Communicate only with staff when assistance is needed. Cheating can invalidate the result, remove entitlement to a certificate and lead to a one-year wait before retaking. This differs from simply failing the knowledge test. Follow staff instructions for login and belongings; ordinary BankID access to an online service does not establish how the supervised test will authenticate you.

Study and pacing exercise

Practise with the official examples so that both multiple-choice and picture tasks are familiar. With 60 minutes for 38 items, the average is about 95 seconds per item. This is a planning calculation, not an instruction to spend exactly that long on each question. A familiar question may take much less time, leaving room for a difficult scenario. Follow the actual interface instructions about navigation and submission.

For a fictional practice session, give yourself 35 minutes for an initial attempt, 15 minutes to reconsider uncertain choices if the practice interface permits, and ten minutes to check completion. These three periods total 60 minutes. Afterward, group errors by concept: healthcare access, employment, democratic institutions, and so on. Explain why the right choice follows from a civic rule instead of memorising its position.

Results and next steps

HK-dir says results become available within 2–4 weeks. Do not plan an application around an invented guarantee of an immediate onscreen result. Check My page and the test centre's instructions for the result and certificate. Keep a copy of your documentation and check its recorded language.

Use the official practice and curriculum page and our practice questions alongside the teaching chapters. A practice percentage helps identify weaknesses; it cannot predict which items on an official sitting are scored.

Remember

• The test contains 38 questions, of which 34 are scored; at least 26 correct scored answers are needed.
• Most official questions have three alternatives; picture tasks can require placing a marker.
• The standard limit is 60 minutes, with 23 language options and audio in ten language options.

Official sources

Checked 18 October 2026: HK-dir: test rules; Adaptations; Test day; Results.