You can prepare for the social studies test alongside work with short, flexible sessions. Study one topic at a time, review mistakes and practise for the test when you have time. If you work shifts, plan around the time available each week.
How do you prepare for the social studies test alongside work?
First choose a few realistic study sessions for the coming week. The goal is to understand the whole curriculum, not to fill a calendar with hours you will not manage to use. The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) divides the material into three areas: education, skills and working life; family, health and everyday life; and Norway past and present. The official curriculum is available for free at samfunnskunnskap.no.
Start by setting a test date or a period by which you want to be ready. Test centres set dates locally, and results normally arrive 2–4 weeks after the test. If you need the result for permanent residence, allow for this time. Read the registration guide, and always check deadlines for your residence permit with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
Make a plan that works with early and late shifts
Use three session lengths that you can switch between. That way, you can keep going even when your work week changes. The times below are suggestions, not a rule about how much you must study to pass.
| Time available | Do one specific thing | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | Review one explanation or five of your own key points. | What is the difference between a municipality and a county municipality? |
| 20 minutes | Read a short section of the curriculum and answer a few practice questions. | Workers' rights. |
| 45 minutes | Read a topic, test yourself and review mistakes. | Health and public services. |
| Around 60 minutes | Do a varied timed practice session and review it afterwards. | Use this less often, when you have a longer period of free time. |
If you work a day shift, a short session may fit before work or after dinner. If you work an evening shift, it may fit in the morning. After a night shift, study when you are actually rested; do not sacrifice necessary sleep to follow a plan. If you take extra shifts, choose the next available time instead of trying to “catch up” on everything in one day.
A simple weekly plan could be two short study sessions, one revision session and one session with mixed questions. Check your work schedule every Sunday or when new shifts are assigned. Add only what you can realistically complete. If the week fills up, keep one short revision session. Continue with the rest next week.
What should you do in a short session?
A short session should have one task and a clear stopping point. That way, you do not spend half the time choosing where to start. Always note the next topic before you finish for the day.
Try this order:
- Read: Choose one question you want to understand, such as who passes laws.
- Explain: Close the text and say the answer in your own words.
- Check: Open the curriculum again and correct anything you remembered incorrectly.
- Practise: Answer a couple of new questions on the topic when you have time.
- Note: Write one key point about what you need to review later.
On SamfunnPrep, you can find a free practice test. Use the practice questions to check your understanding after reading. SamfunnPrep creates its own questions based on the public curriculum. They are not the closed questions you will encounter in the test itself. The general guide to the social studies test explains how to cover all the material.
How can you revise without rereading everything?
Start by revising what you have forgotten or misunderstood. An error log makes it easier to use ten free minutes well. Write the topic, cause of the mistake and correct explanation in three short columns. Distinguishing subject errors from language errors helps you choose your next session.
| Type of mistake | Sign | Next session |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge gap | You do not know the rule or institution. | Read the relevant curriculum and explain it aloud. |
| Language | You misunderstand a word in the question. | Write the word with a simple example. |
| Rushing | You miss “not” or choose before reading all the answers. | Practise reading the whole question. |
Return to mistakes after a few days and again the following week. Switch between topics so you can tell whether you are only remembering the order of one particular practice set. Read the article about common test mistakes for more practical tips.
When should you do a timed practice test?
Do a timed practice test after you have read all three curriculum areas at least once. Before then, a full test may mainly show that you have not got through the material. First use HK-dir's sample test to see the screen and question types. HK-dir stresses that the sample questions are similar to, but not the same as, those on the actual test.
The social studies test itself lasts up to 60 minutes. It has 38 questions, of which 34 count, and you need at least 26 correct out of the 34. You do not know which four are trial questions. The test format is explained here. A practice test score is useful for finding weak topics, but it cannot reliably predict your result on test day.
After the session, give at least as much attention to mistakes as to your score. Ask yourself: Did I understand the topic? Did I understand the language? Did I read carefully enough? Use your answers to choose your next two study sessions. If Norwegian as the test language is difficult, check which test language you should choose before registering.
Checklist for your next work week
A small plan you follow is more useful than a big plan that sits unused. Write this in your calendar or on a note:
- Two available times for new curriculum, even if they are only 10–20 minutes.
- One time to review last week's mistakes.
- One new topic from a different curriculum area.
- A check of the next test date and time to receive results, if you are applying soon.
- A new plan when your shifts change.
Advice about test format, registration and curriculum was checked 1 October 2026. Adapt your sessions to your health, working hours and the time before your application. When you need more questions to practise, you can try SamfunnPrep for free.
