Statsborgerprøven vs norskprøven: which test do you need?

For Norwegian citizenship you need two things: an oral norskprøven result at B1 or higher, and either statsborgerprøven or samfunnskunnskapsprøven taken in Norwegian.

Neither test stands in for the other. Statsborgerprøven does not document your Norwegian, and norskprøven does not document your knowledge of Norwegian society. Check who needs the test to see which rules apply to your case.

• Norskprøven = language test: reading, listening, writing, oral. Citizenship needs the oral part at B1.
• Statsborgerprøven = knowledge test: 36 questions about Norwegian society, in Norwegian at A2 reading level.
• Citizenship needs both: a language pass and a knowledge pass.

The two tests differ in almost every practical detail — what they measure, how they are scored, when they run and what they cost.

Norskprøven has four parts: reading, listening, writing and oral. You can sit one, two, three or all four — they are separate results, not a single exam. Reading, listening and writing are taken on a PC. Reading and listening are assessed automatically and adapt to your level as you answer, while writing and the oral part are assessed by experienced teachers. Results for every part you sat arrive at the same time, a few weeks after the test.

For writing and oral you do not register for a single level. You choose a level pair: A1–A2, A2–B1 or B1–B2. That choice matters. On the oral part you can be awarded a level above the pair you registered for. On the written part you cannot, so registering too low caps your result.

Most municipalities hold norskprøven four times a year in fixed periods, and each period has its own registration window weeks in advance. In 2026 the periods are 18–29 May (register 13–17 April), 21–25 September (register 17–21 August) and 30 November–4 December (register 26–30 October). In 2027 they are 8–12 March (register 25–29 January) and 18–28 May (register 12–16 April). Not every test centre runs every period, so check your own municipality before you plan around a date.

Your municipality sets the fee: from about 400 kroner for a single part up to about 2 500 kroner for the whole test. Registration is binding, but a medical certificate lets you move to a later period without paying again. If you are entitled to mandatory Norwegian training, you may sit all parts free once. Statsborgerprøven works differently — there are no national periods, so you book it whenever your test centre opens dates.

• Registration windows open about five weeks before each test period and close within one week.
• Registration is binding; a doctor's note lets you move it without paying again.
• Plan backwards: the oral B1 result must exist when you hand in your citizenship documents.

For citizenship, UDI requires oral Norwegian at B1 or higher for most applicants aged 18 to 67. HKdir describes B1 as the level where you can take part in conversations about familiar topics, and it states plainly that if you are applying for Norwegian citizenship you need level B1 on the oral test. UDI lists the oral part of norskprøven at B1 or B2 among the approved tests.

A2 on the oral part is accepted for four groups: stateless applicants; applicants over 55 who came to Norway through protection or resettlement; applicants over 55 who receive disability benefits; and anyone who applied before 1 October 2022. For a permanent residence permit the bar is lower — from 1 September 2025 the requirement is oral Norwegian at A2 or higher plus the social studies test in a language you understand.

The knowledge side and the language side have separate exemption rules, and UDI is the authority on both. For the citizenship tests, your municipality can grant an exemption if you document why you cannot sit them. You are also exempt if you have grade 2 or better in Norwegian or Sámi from Norwegian primary or lower secondary school or upper secondary school, or grade 2 or better in social studies, a certificate of competence in modular education and vocational training (MFY), or 10 ECTS credits in the subject.

Health reasons or other strong personal circumstances can also justify an exemption. Because the criteria and the documentation differ from case to case, read UDI's exemption pages for your own situation rather than relying on what worked for someone else.