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Leben in Deutschland test: questions for North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)

3 of the 33 test questions come from the 10 questions of the federal state you live in. Below are the 10 questions for Nordrhein-Westfalen with the answer, an English translation and an explanation. The practice tool has Nordrhein-Westfalen preselected: work through all 310 questions (300 general plus your state) or sit a 33-question mock test.

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The test in brief

  • 33 questions: 30 general questions and 3 questions about your federal state. Time: 60 minutes.
  • Each question has four options and exactly one correct answer.
  • For citizenship you need at least 17 correct answers.
  • In the „Leben in Deutschland“ test of the integration course, 15 correct answers are enough for the certificate; 17 or more also count for a citizenship application.

Registration, fee, test centres and exemptions: our Leben in Deutschland test guide

Where do the questions and answers come from?

The German wording of the questions and options is taken unchanged from the official catalogue: Annex 1 of the Citizenship Test Ordinance (Einbürgerungstestverordnung). For the 5 questions whose content BAMF updated in its catalogue of 7 May 2025 (for example the question on the current chancellor) we use BAMF's wording. The images also come from the ordinance.

The catalogue does not mark the correct answers. We built the answer key from two independent solutions and then checked it against the answers in BAMF's online catalogue. The English translations and explanations are by Level Exams; in the test itself the questions are asked in German only.

Questions whose answer changes over time (the current chancellor, the parliamentary groups, population and similar) are marked and show the situation in November 2026. Level Exams is not affiliated with BAMF, telc gGmbH, ÖSD or the Goethe-Institut.

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen): the 10 state questions with answers

  1. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 1

    Welches Wappen gehört zum Bundesland Nordrhein-Westfalen?

    Official image for question 1
    1. a)1
    2. b)2
    3. c)3
    4. d)4
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: b) Option 2

    In English

    Which coat of arms belongs to the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)?

    Explanation: The coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia has three parts: a white wavy band for the Rhine on green, a white horse on red for Westphalia, and the red rose of Lippe at the bottom. Number 1 is Bremen with its key, 3 Saxony-Anhalt and 4 Baden-Württemberg.

  2. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 2

    Welches ist ein Landkreis in Nordrhein-Westfalen?

    1. a)Ammerland
    2. b)Rhein-Sieg-Kreis
    3. c)Nordfriesland
    4. d)Vogtlandkreis
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: b) Rhein-Sieg-Kreis

    In English

    Which of these is a district (Landkreis) in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)?

    1. a) Ammerland
    2. b) Rhein-Sieg-Kreis
    3. c) Nordfriesland
    4. d) Vogtlandkreis

    Explanation: The Rhein-Sieg-Kreis is a district around Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia. Ammerland is in Lower Saxony, Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein and the Vogtlandkreis in Saxony.

  3. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 3

    Für wie viele Jahre wird der Landtag in Nordrhein-Westfalen gewählt?

    1. a)3
    2. b)4
    3. c)5
    4. d)6
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: c) 5

    In English

    For how many years is the state parliament (Landtag) of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) elected?

    1. a) 3
    2. b) 4
    3. c) 5
    4. d) 6

    Explanation: The state parliament (Landtag) of North Rhine-Westphalia is elected for 5 years; the term is the same in every federal state except Bremen.

  4. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 4

    Ab welchem Alter darf man in Nordrhein-Westfalen bei Kommunalwahlen wählen?

    1. a)14
    2. b)16
    3. c)18
    4. d)20
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: b) 16

    In English

    From what age can you vote in local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)?

    1. a) 14
    2. b) 16
    3. c) 18
    4. d) 20

    Explanation: In North Rhine-Westphalia you can vote in local elections (Kommunalwahlen) from the age of 16. The voting age for the Bundestag is 18.

  5. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 5

    Welche Farben hat die Landesflagge von Nordrhein-Westfalen?

    1. a)rot-weiß
    2. b)grün-weiß-rot
    3. c)schwarz-gold
    4. d)blau-weiß-rot
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: b) grün-weiß-rot

    In English

    What colours does the state flag of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) have?

    1. a) red-white
    2. b) green-white-red
    3. c) black-gold
    4. d) blue-white-red

    Explanation: The flag of North Rhine-Westphalia has horizontal stripes of green, white and red from top to bottom. Red and white are the colours of Hesse.

  6. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 6

    Wo können Sie sich in Nordrhein-Westfalen über politische Themen informieren?

    1. a)bei den Kirchen
    2. b)beim Ordnungsamt der Gemeinde
    3. c)bei der Verbraucherzentrale
    4. d)bei der Landeszentrale für politische Bildung
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: d) bei der Landeszentrale für politische Bildung

    In English

    Where can you find information about political topics in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)?

    1. a) at the churches
    2. b) at the municipality's public order office (Ordnungsamt)
    3. c) at the consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale)
    4. d) at the State Agency for Civic Education (Landeszentrale für politische Bildung)

    Explanation: The State Agency for Civic Education (Landeszentrale für politische Bildung) offers non-partisan information, brochures and events on politics and democracy. The Ordnungsamt is responsible for public order, not for political information.

  7. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 7

    Die Landeshauptstadt von Nordrhein-Westfalen heißt …

    1. a)Köln.
    2. b)Bonn.
    3. c)Düsseldorf.
    4. d)Dortmund.
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: c) Düsseldorf.

    In English

    The state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) is called …

    1. a) Köln.
    2. b) Bonn.
    3. c) Düsseldorf.
    4. d) Dortmund.

    Explanation: Düsseldorf is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia and the seat of the state parliament and government. Cologne (Köln) is the largest city in the state; Bonn was the capital of the Federal Republic from 1949 to 1990.

  8. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 8

    Welches Bundesland ist Nordrhein-Westfalen?

    Official image for question 8
    1. a)1
    2. b)2
    3. c)3
    4. d)4
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: c) Option 3

    In English

    Which federal state is North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)?

    Explanation: North Rhine-Westphalia lies in the west of Germany and borders the Netherlands and Belgium; number 3 marks it. Number 1 is Lower Saxony, 2 Rhineland-Palatinate and 4 Hesse.

  9. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 9

    Wie nennt man den Regierungschef / die Regierungschefin in Nordrhein-Westfalen?

    1. a)Erster Minister / Erste Ministerin
    2. b)Premierminister / Premierministerin
    3. c)Bürgermeister / Bürgermeisterin
    4. d)Ministerpräsident / Ministerpräsidentin
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: d) Ministerpräsident / Ministerpräsidentin

    In English

    What is the head of government in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) called?

    1. a) First Minister (Erster Minister)
    2. b) Prime Minister (Premierminister)
    3. c) Mayor (Bürgermeister)
    4. d) Minister-President (Ministerpräsident)

    Explanation: The head of the North Rhine-Westphalia government is the Ministerpräsident (Minister-President), elected by the state parliament (Landtag). Titles such as ‘First Minister’ or ‘Prime Minister’ are not used in the German federal states.

  10. Nordrhein-Westfalen · question 10

    Welchen Minister / welche Ministerin hat Nordrhein-Westfalen nicht?

    1. a)Justizminister / Justizministerin
    2. b)Außenminister / Außenministerin
    3. c)Finanzminister / Finanzministerin
    4. d)Innenminister / Innenministerin
    ›Show answer

    Correct answer: b) Außenminister / Außenministerin

    In English

    Which minister does North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) not have?

    1. a) Minister of Justice (Justizminister)
    2. b) Foreign Minister (Außenminister)
    3. c) Minister of Finance (Finanzminister)
    4. d) Minister of the Interior (Innenminister)

    Explanation: The federal states do not conduct their own foreign policy; relations with foreign states are a matter for the Federation (Article 32 of the Basic Law). North Rhine-Westphalia does have ministers of justice, finance and the interior.

All 300 general questions with answers

Questions for your federal state

Each state's 10 questions with answers, translation and explanations on their own page.

Citizenship also requires B1 German

Besides this knowledge test, a citizenship application needs a German certificate at level B1 or higher (for example telc Deutsch B1, the DTZ or the Goethe-Zertifikat B1). Our guide explains which certificates are accepted, and the free placement test shows where you stand.

German exam for citizenshipFree placement test