Sweden's first citizenship test: 60 questions, no pass mark yet
Anyone applying for Swedish citizenship now has a much clearer picture of what the new knowledge requirement actually looks like. The first civics test was held on Saturday at Stockholmsmassan in Alvsjo, south of Stockholm, where around 1,000 people sat down to answer 60 multiple-choice questions. Many had travelled a long way for it — from Gothenburg, Gavle and Helsingborg among other places.
The format is now confirmed. Sixty questions, four answer options each, one of them correct. Ninety minutes. On paper, in Swedish. The Universitets- och hogskoleradet, which built the test with the University of Gothenburg on a government commission, says the level corresponds to year nine of compulsory school. People coming out of the hall described questions on how power is divided between the state and the municipalities, on what the public sector is for, on how freedom of expression works, and on Swedish history — including which country was part of Sweden until 1809. Opinions on the difficulty split sharply: some called it easy, others said they could not answer everything.
The most important detail for applicants is the one that has not been settled: how many correct answers you need to pass. The threshold will be set after an analysis of the combined results from this first sitting, which runs during the autumn, with an announcement promised shortly. Because the level had never been tested before, this sitting counted as a pilot, it was free, and anyone who fails will get another attempt. That will not apply later — in future, failing means starting a fresh citizenship application.
The requirements changed on 6 June. Applicants between 16 and 66 must now show knowledge of Swedish society and of the Swedish language. The language test is still being developed and comes later. The civics requirement can also be met without sitting the test at all: a passing grade in samhallskunskap from compulsory school counts. Migrationsverket decides who is called to take it.
The test sits alongside the other tightened conditions — eight years' residence in Sweden, honest and orderly conduct, and a self-sufficiency requirement of three income base amounts a year, which for 2026 means a salary of at least 20,850 kronor a month before tax.