If you pay for the social studies test yourself, you normally register in the HK-dir portal. Choose the county where you live, find a test centre and complete the payment step. The municipality sets the price. In 2026, HK-dir states a range of NOK 500–1,300.
If you are entitled to one free test, the test centre must register you. Contact the municipality or adult education centre instead of paying in the portal.
First: Should you register yourself?
There are two main routes.
| Your situation | What should you do? |
|---|---|
| You are entitled to a free test | The municipality or test centre registers you |
| You are not entitled to a free test | You register yourself and pay the test fee |
The municipality knows whether you are entitled to a free test. Ask the adult education centre or test centre if you are unsure.
Do not pay as a private candidate until you have received an answer. If you have already used your free test, you normally have to pay for another attempt.
How to register yourself
- Open HK-dir's page called “Register for the test”.
- Continue to the registration portal.
- Choose the county where you live.
- Choose a test centre that has published a date.
- Choose the social studies test.
- Enter the correct ID number and contact details.
- Choose a payment method.
- Check that you receive confirmation by SMS and email.
You are not registered until you have chosen a payment method and received the confirmation.
Check the name, ID number, email address and telephone number in the confirmation. Save the message. If any details are wrong, contact the test centre immediately. The test centre can help with your specific registration.
A test centre that you cannot click has not published a new date. Contact the centre and ask when the next test will be arranged.
You can read more about the format, time and number of questions.
Price and payment
The test centre or municipality sets the fee. HK-dir states that the price may vary between NOK 500 and 1,300.
Payment methods also vary. Common options are:
- bank card in the registration portal
- online bank payment
- invoice
- another arrangement with the test centre
Registration is binding. This means that you normally have to pay even if you do not attend. If you have a medical certificate, you may take the test at another time without paying again. Contact the test centre as soon as possible.
When and where can you take the test?
Municipalities arrange the test through approved test centres, often at an adult education centre. Dates vary. There is therefore no single test calendar or national deadline that applies to everyone.
The portal shows the dates that test centres have published. If you cannot find a date, contact the centre directly.
You take the test on a computer at the test centre. You cannot take it at home or use your own computer.
The test centre should send an invitation about two weeks before the test. It states the date, time and address. Read the whole message. Contact the test centre if anything is wrong.
Do you need accommodations?
The test can be adapted to your needs. For example, you may receive extra time or sit in a separate room.
You must contact the test centre quickly and no later than three days after you registered. Do not wait until the test day.
If the test is not available in a language you understand well, you can apply for an oral test or the use of an interpreter. This must be agreed with the test centre and requires an application.
Choose the correct test
The social studies test and the citizenship test are not the same.
- The social studies test is available in 23 languages. For permanent residence, the normal requirement is a passed test in a language you understand, together with the other requirements.
- The citizenship test is available only in Norwegian, Bokmål or Nynorsk.
- For Norwegian citizenship, you must normally pass the citizenship test or the social studies test in Norwegian. UDI has separate age rules and exemptions.
Do not choose a test only because its name seems familiar. Check your purpose with UDI. Also see the difference between the citizenship test and the social studies test.
What to bring
You must show valid physical identification. The ID number must be the same as the one used for registration.
HK-dir accepts, among other documents:
- a valid passport
- a Norwegian driving licence, but not a digital driving licence
- a Norwegian bank card with a photo
- a national ID card from an EEA country
- a Norwegian refugee travel document or immigrant's passport
- a residence card
- an asylum seeker card with a signature and place of birth
Bring the original physical document. A photo on your phone is not enough.
Arrive in good time. The test supervisor will give you a place and a computer. Mobile phones, smartwatches, notes and dictionaries are not allowed during the test.
When will you receive the result?
The result arrives two to four weeks after the test. You can log in to My page and see the result.
The test centre sends the result to you. If you pass, you receive a test certificate by post. If a Norwegian national identity number is registered in the test system, you can also view and share the result through Vitnemålsportalen.
If you find an error in the registered ID number or contact details, contact the test centre.
How to plan the date
If you will use the result in an application to UDI, plan backwards.
Allow time for:
- waiting for an available test date
- about two weeks from the invitation to the test
- two to four weeks for the result
- extra time if you need to take the test again
Registering is not the same as passing the test. Do not make an important application plan without allowing time for the result.
Prepare before you pay
Read the official curriculum and practise how multiple-choice questions work. SamfunnPrep has original practice questions based on the public curriculum. They are not the secret questions from the real test.
You can use SamfunnPrep to find the topics you need to work on more. When you have chosen a test date, make a simple weekly plan and practise a little every day.
Try SamfunnPrep for free before the test day.
