Question 1

Welches Wappen gehört zum Bundesland Nordrhein-Westfalen? (Which coat of arms belongs to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia?)

Accepted Answer

Option B. The correct picture is the official answer given. North Rhine-Westphalia's coat of arms has three parts: a white wavy line on green for the Rhine, a white horse on red for Westphalia, and a red rose for Lippe. These stand for the regions that formed the state.

Question 2

Welches ist ein Landkreis in Nordrhein-Westfalen? (Which of the following is a district in North Rhine-Westphalia?)

Accepted Answer

Rhein-Sieg-Kreis (Rhein-Sieg-Kreis). The Rhein-Sieg-Kreis is a district (Landkreis) in North Rhine-Westphalia. The other names belong to other states: Ammerland is in Lower Saxony, Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein and Vogtlandkreis in Saxony. Learn at least one district of your own state for the exam.

Question 3

Für wie viele Jahre wird der Landtag in Nordrhein-Westfalen gewählt? (For how many years is the state parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia elected?)

Accepted Answer

Option C. The state parliament (Landtag) of North Rhine-Westphalia is elected every 5 years. Most German states use a 5-year term today; only a few (for example Bremen) still elect every 4 years. The German Bundestag, by contrast, is elected every 4 years.

Question 4

Ab welchem Alter darf man in Nordrhein-Westfalen bei Kommunalwahlen wählen? (From what age are you allowed to vote in local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia?)

Accepted Answer

16 (16). In North Rhine-Westphalia, young people may vote in local elections (for town councils, district councils and mayors) from the age of 16. Several German states have lowered the local voting age to 16 so that young people can take part in decisions in their community. In Bundestag elections the voting age is 18.

Question 5

Welche Farben hat die Landesflagge von Nordrhein-Westfalen? (What colors are on the state flag of North Rhine-Westphalia?)

Accepted Answer

grün-weiß-rot (green-white-red). The state flag of North Rhine-Westphalia is green-white-red. Green stands for the Rhineland, and white and red for Westphalia, the regions that were joined to form the state. Red-white is the flag of Hesse. The flag often also shows the state coat of arms.

Question 6

Wo können Sie sich in Nordrhein-Westfalen über politische Themen informieren? (Where can you find information about political issues in North Rhine-Westphalia?)

Accepted Answer

bei der Landeszentrale für politische Bildung (at the State Agency for Civic Education). The Landeszentrale für politische Bildung in North Rhine-Westphalia offers neutral information on politics, democracy and history: brochures, books, events and websites, mostly free of charge. The consumer advice centre helps with shopping and contracts, the regulatory office (Ordnungsamt) deals with public order, and churches are religious communities, not political information services.

Question 7

Die Landeshauptstadt von Nordrhein-Westfalen heißt … (The state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia is...)

Accepted Answer

Düsseldorf. (Düsseldorf). The capital of North Rhine-Westphalia is Düsseldorf, where the Landtag and state government are based. Cologne (Köln) is the largest city in the state, and Bonn was the capital of West Germany, but neither is the state capital.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Option C. The correct map is the official answer given. North Rhine-Westphalia lies in the west of Germany and borders the Netherlands and Belgium. It includes the Ruhr area and cities like Cologne and Düsseldorf. When you study the maps, look at the position of the state within Germany and its neighbours.

Question 9

Wie nennt man die Regierungschefin/den Regierungschef in Nordrhein-Westfalen? (What is the title of the head of government in North Rhine-Westphalia?)

Accepted Answer

Ministerpräsidentin/Ministerpräsident (Minister-President). In North Rhine-Westphalia, as in all German territorial states (Flächenländer), the head of the state government is called Ministerpräsidentin or Ministerpräsident (Minister-President). The Landtag elects this person. Titles like 'Mayor' are used for city heads or in the city-states, and 'Prime Minister' or 'First Minister' are not German titles.

Question 10

Welche Ministerin/welchen Minister hat Nordrhein-Westfalen nicht? (Which minister does North Rhine-Westphalia not have?)

Accepted Answer

Außenministerin/Außenminister (Minister of Foreign Affairs). North Rhine-Westphalia has its own state government with ministers for areas such as justice, finance and the interior. Foreign policy, however, is a federal matter under the Basic Law (Article 32), so only the federal government in Berlin has a Foreign Minister. Therefore North Rhine-Westphalia has no Minister of Foreign Affairs.

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

Welches Wappen gehört zum Bundesland Nordrhein-Westfalen?Which coat of arms belongs to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia?

Welches ist ein Landkreis in Nordrhein-Westfalen?Which of the following is a district in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Für wie viele Jahre wird der Landtag in Nordrhein-Westfalen gewählt?For how many years is the state parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia elected?

Ab welchem Alter darf man in Nordrhein-Westfalen bei Kommunalwahlen wählen?From what age are you allowed to vote in local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Welche Farben hat die Landesflagge von Nordrhein-Westfalen?What colors are on the state flag of North Rhine-Westphalia?

Wo können Sie sich in Nordrhein-Westfalen über politische Themen informieren?Where can you find information about political issues in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Die Landeshauptstadt von Nordrhein-Westfalen heißt …The state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia is...

Welches Bundesland ist Nordrhein-Westfalen?Which federal state is North Rhine-Westphalia?

Wie nennt man die Regierungschefin/den Regierungschef in Nordrhein-Westfalen?What is the title of the head of government in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Welche Ministerin/welchen Minister hat Nordrhein-Westfalen nicht?Which minister does North Rhine-Westphalia not have?