The 75 hours of social studies are not the exam
This is one of the most common misunderstandings, and it costs people both time and money: the training and the exam are two different things.
The training
Under the Integration Act, participants in the target group must have 75 hours of training in social studies. It's divided into three modules of 25 hours each and follows the social studies curriculum for adult immigrants. One hour means 60 minutes.
Having completed the 75 hours means you have taken part in the training. It's not the same as having passed anything.
The exam
The samfunnskunnskapsprøven (social studies test) is a separate exam. You register for it yourself, at a test centre in your kommune (municipality), and you pay a fee set by the kommune. You can take it regardless of whether you've had the training or not.
Why it's worth knowing
Two reasons.
One: people think they're done once the hours are finished, and only later discover that UDI asks for a passed exam. By then, they've lost weeks.
The other: people who aren't in the target group for the training think the exam doesn't apply to them either. It often does. The requirements for training and the requirements for documented knowledge aren't the same set of rules.
In short
| The training | The exam | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | 75 hours of teaching | Multiple-choice test, max 60 min |
| Who organises it | The kommune | Test centre in the kommune |
| Does it cost anything | No, for those in the target group | Yes, fee set by the kommune |
| Does it give a pass | No | Yes, if you have enough correct answers |