How to practise for samfunnskunnskapsprøven and statsborgerprøven
Both exams are multiple-choice tests. You get questions with three answer options, one of which is correct, and you have a maximum of 60 minutes. That means practising is about two things: recognising the material, and recognising the format. Most people who fail don't fail because they're missing a whole topic, but because they've never seen how the questions are phrased.
What the exams look like
| Samfunnskunnskapsprøven | Statsborgerprøven | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions you get | 38 | 36 |
| Scoring questions | 34 | 32 |
| Correct answers needed to pass | 26 | 24 |
| Time | max 60 minutes | max 60 minutes |
| Languages | every language the exam is offered in | Norwegian only, bokmål or nynorsk |
Four of the questions don't count. HK-dir trials new questions in every session, and you won't know which four they are. That's worth knowing for one reason: don't waste time puzzling over a question that seems odd. Answer, and move on.
Practising is a loop, not a reading list
The most common mistake is to read first and test at the end. That way, you spend weeks reading about things you already know, and only discover your gaps the day before the exam.
Turn it around:
- Take a full practice exam first. It costs nothing and takes under half an hour.
- See what you got wrong. Not the topics you find difficult, but the ones you actually answered incorrectly.
- Read up on exactly those learning objectives.
- Take the exam again. New questions, same objectives.
Repeat until you pass with a good margin several times in a row. One good result is luck; five in a row is knowledge.
How much time do you need?
It depends entirely on how much you already know, which is why no honest plan can say "two weeks". Someone who's lived in Norway for eight years and someone who arrived last year don't need the same amount. The only way to find out is to take an exam and see where you stand.
The exam itself, by the way, takes much less time than people think. With us, half of users take under 16 minutes for a full practice exam, and four out of five finish in under 30. You've got plenty of time.