Want to know what questions on the samfunnskunnskapsprøven look like? Here are 13 real practice questions with answer keys and explanations, plus a quick round with more questions. All are created by SamfunnPrep based on the same curriculum as the exam, so you can practice at the right level.
How to use the practice questions
The questions below are practice questions, not the official questions from the exam. We have created them based on the public curriculum at samfunnskunnskap.no, which is the same curriculum that HK-dir uses. The official exam questions are secret, but the topics and difficulty level are the same.
On the real exam you get 38 tasks, and 34 of them give points. Most are multiple-choice questions with three answer options, where one is correct. You have a maximum of 60 minutes, and you must have at least 26 correct to pass. If you want to understand the format better, read our guide about format, time and number of questions on the samfunnskunnskapsprøven. Read each question carefully, choose your answer, and then read the explanation—it points to the rule and the most common mistake.
Democracy and system of government
Question 1: What is the difference between voting rights in parliamentary elections and municipal elections?
- a) In parliamentary elections you must own a home; in municipal elections it is enough to rent.
- b) In parliamentary elections you must be a Norwegian citizen; in municipal elections it is enough to have lived in Norway for the last three years.
- c) In parliamentary elections you must be over 25 years old; in municipal elections over 18 years old.
Correct answer: b. To vote in parliamentary elections you must be a Norwegian citizen. For municipal and county elections you can vote if you have lived in Norway for the last three years, even without citizenship. The voting age is 18 years for both elections. The trap is thinking the rules are the same—they are not.
Question 2: Is Norway a member of the EU?
- a) Yes, Norway became a member in 1994.
- b) No, and Norway has no cooperation with the EU.
- c) No, but Norway is part of the EØS agreement and has access to the EU's internal market.
Correct answer: c. Norway is not a member of the EU—voters said no in referendums in 1972 and 1994. But through the EØS agreement (The European Economic Area), Norway is part of the EU's internal market with free movement of goods, services, capital and people. Many confuse "not in the EU" with "no connection at all."
Norway's history
Question 3: What happened to labor immigration to Norway after 1970?
- a) After the immigration stop in 1975 it was impossible to immigrate before 2004.
- b) Parliament introduced an immigration stop for labor migrants in 1975, but refugees and family members could still come.
- c) The first labor migrants from Pakistan came first in the 1990s.
Correct answer: b. Around 1970 the first large groups of labor migrants came, including from Pakistan, Turkey and Morocco. In 1975 Parliament introduced an "immigration stop" for labor migrants, but it was still possible to come as a refugee, family member or specialist. After the EU expansion in 2004 many labor migrants came from Eastern Europe. If you can also remember the sequence of major historical events—the Viking age, the Black Death (1349), the Reformation (1537) and the Constitution (1814)—history questions become easier.
Family, children and the right to decide
Question 4: From what age should parents place great weight on what the child thinks?
- a) From 10 years.
- b) From 12 years.
- c) From 16 years.
Correct answer: b. When the child has turned 12 years old, great weight should be placed on what it thinks in decisions concerning the child. From 15 years the child can decide for themselves about education and about joining or leaving organizations. This is an important part of children's rights in Norway.
Question 5: What conditions must be met to marry in Norway?
- a) Have the same religion, have a job and be a Norwegian citizen.
- b) Live together for five years, have children and be over 25 years old.
- c) Be over 18 years old, not be married before and have lawful residence in Norway.
Correct answer: c. To enter into marriage in Norway you must be over 18 years old, not be married before and have lawful residence. Marriage must always be entered into voluntarily, and forced marriage is prohibited. You cannot marry close relatives—from 1 January 2025 marriage between cousins is also prohibited.
Health and emergency numbers
Question 6: Which number do you call for acute, life-threatening illness or injury?
- a) 110.
- b) 112.
- c) 113.
Correct answer: c. 113 is the medical emergency number (ambulance). Remember the three emergency numbers: 110 fire, 112 police and 113 ambulance. If the doctor's office is closed but it is not a matter of life and death, you call on-call doctor 116 117. If you need someone to talk to, Mental Health 116 123 is free and open 24 hours. If you are concerned about a child, call Alarmtelefonen 116 111.
Question 7: What do young adults between 19 and 28 years pay for dental treatment in the public dental health service?
- a) Nothing—it is free for everyone under 28 years.
- b) At most 25 percent of the rates; the public covers the rest.
- c) Full price, just like other adults.
Correct answer: b. Children and young people get free dental treatment until and including the year they turn 18 years old. From 1 July 2025, 19-28 year-olds pay at most 25 percent of public rates. Other adults pay themselves as a rule. The trap is thinking everything is free, or that everyone pays the same amount.
Work, vacation and economics
Question 8: How much vacation is an employee entitled to under the vacation law?
- a) 3 weeks.
- b) 4 weeks and 1 day.
- c) 6 weeks.
Correct answer: b. The vacation law gives the right to at least 4 weeks and 1 day (25 working days) vacation per year, and employees over 60 years get an extra week. Vacation pay is earned the year before, with at least 10.2 percent of wages, and it replaces regular pay when you have vacation. That is why a newly hired employee gets vacation, but often little vacation pay in the first year.
Question 9: What is the basic amount (G) in the National Insurance?
- a) The lowest wage an employer is allowed to pay.
- b) The amount everyone must pay in tax each year.
- c) An amount adjusted each year and used to calculate pensions and many social security benefits.
Correct answer: c. The basic amount is adjusted on 1 May each year and is 136 549 kroner from May 2026. Benefits such as unemployment benefits, disability benefits and old-age pension are calculated from G. Note: Norway has no general statutory minimum wage—answer option a) is a common misunderstanding.
New in Norway: citizenship and benefits
Question 10: What must you meet to apply for Norwegian citizenship?
- a) You must have lived in Norway for three years and have a permanent job.
- b) You only need permanent residence permit, without any residence requirement.
- c) You must meet the residence requirement and pass a spoken Norwegian test and the citizenship test or the samfunnskunnskapsprøven.
Correct answer: c. The main rule in 2026 is residence for 8 of the last 11 years, passed spoken Norwegian test at least at level B1, and passed the citizenship test or the samfunnskunnskapsprøven in Norwegian. The rules may become stricter, so always check with UDI before you apply.
Question 11: What is the difference between barnetrygd and kontantstøtte?
- a) Barnetrygd is only for children in daycare; kontantstøtte for children at home.
- b) Barnetrygd applies to all children under 18 years; kontantstøtte applies to children aged 13–19 months without a full-time place in daycare.
- c) Barnetrygd is only for low-income families; kontantstøtte for everyone.
Correct answer: b. Barnetrygd is given for all children under 18 years who live in Norway, regardless of family income. Kontantstøtte is given only for children between 13 and 19 months who do not have a full-time place in daycare. The two benefits are often confused, but they have completely different conditions.
Geography and digital judgment
Question 12: How many counties is Norway divided into?
- a) 11.
- b) 15.
- c) 19.
Correct answer: b. Norway is divided into 15 counties and 357 municipalities (as of 1 January 2025). The number has changed a lot: until 2020 there were 19 counties, then many merged, and in 2024 several were split back up. Here it pays to use the latest number.
Question 13: You receive a phone call from someone who says he is from the police and asks you to transfer money to a "safe account". What is correct?
- a) Follow the instructions quickly—refusing to cooperate with the police is punishable.
- b) Transfer the money only if the name is found on the police's websites.
- c) This is fraud—hang up and call the police yourself at 02800.
Correct answer: c. The police never ask people to transfer money or provide BankID codes over the phone. Scammers can even forge the police's phone number. Hang up, call the police yourself at 02800, and alert your bank if you have provided any information. Good digital judgment is a separate part of the curriculum.
Quick round: more questions with answer key
Here are more questions in short form—cover the answer and test yourself:
- Which number do you call if you are concerned about a child? Alarmtelefonen 116 111, free and open 24 hours.
- When is there a fire ban in or near forest? From 15 April to 15 September.
- What is the right of public access? The right to move freely and camp in uncultivated land, as long as you show consideration.
- How many UN sustainability goals are there? 17 goals, with a deadline in 2030.
- What is GDPR? A European data protection law that gives you the right to access and delete your data.
- What is the difference between MinID and BankID? BankID has the highest security level; MinID provides access to some public services and is often the first e-ID newly arrived immigrants get.
- How much equity do you need as a rule to buy a home? Around 10 percent of the purchase price.
- What proportion of the population are immigrants? About 17.5 percent at the beginning of 2026.
Which traps do most people fall into?
The most common mistakes are not about difficult knowledge, but about details: mixing up voting rights in different elections, thinking "not in the EU" means "no EØS connection", or using old numbers for counties and rates. Always read the entire question, and watch out for words like "not", "only" and "always". If you want to practice the topics where you are weakest, you can practice for free on hundreds of questions at SamfunnPrep.
How many do you need to get right to pass?
You must have at least 26 of 34 point-giving tasks correct to pass the samfunnskunnskapsprøven. That is roughly three out of four answers. When you register, you will find the price and test centers in our guide about registration and price, and if you are considering taking the citizenship test instead, we explain the difference between the tests. If you fail, you can register again—see what to do if you do not pass.
Ready to practice? Practice real sample questions and see which topics you master—try SamfunnPrep for free.
