Citizenship Exam Prep
Complete guide to Denmark's Indfødsretsprøven - 45 questions in 45 minutes, 80% pass mark, mandatory values sub-section, administered by SIRI.
Denmark's citizenship knowledge test - the Indfødsretsprøven - is written by SIRI (Styrelsen for International Rekruttering og Integration, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) and held at language centres (sprogcentre) across Denmark. Of the eight major European citizenship exams, it has one of the strictest pass requirements: you must answer correctly on 80% of questions overall, and there is a separate mandatory sub-section on democratic values where you must score at least 4 out of 5.
This guide covers the test's format, its content areas, the specific factual knowledge it requires, and how to approach preparation efficiently.
The Indfødsretsprøven consists of 45 multiple-choice questions completed in 45 minutes - exactly one minute per question. The passing requirements are:
Both conditions must be satisfied simultaneously. A candidate who scores 37/45 overall but only 3/5 on the values sub-section fails the test. The test is written, conducted entirely in Danish with no aids allowed, and each question has two or three answer options.
The five mandatory values questions address the fundamental democratic and social values of Danish society. These are not general knowledge questions - they test applied understanding of Danish constitutional values: how democracy works, what freedom of expression means in practice, the role of equality before the law, and what it means to live in a constitutional state.
This sub-section exists because Denmark's approach to citizenship places special weight on candidates' genuine understanding of - and commitment to - democratic principles. Treating these five questions as any other part of the test is a mistake. They carry disproportionate consequence: failing them alone fails the entire test, regardless of how well you do on the remaining 40 questions.
Study the values questions with extra depth: understand not just what the correct answer is, but why it reflects a democratic or constitutional principle.
Of the 45 questions, 35 are based on the official learning material, Læremateriale til Indfødsretsprøven (August 2026 edition, 246 pages in 6 chapters). The other 10 are unprepared: 5 questions on current affairs from roughly the last six months, and the 5 values questions. The themes below are not official test categories, just a practical way to group what you need to know:
Freedom of speech, the right to vote, equality before the law, religious freedom (religionsfrihed), the separation of state and church in law (despite the existence of Folkekirken as the state church), non-discrimination, and what citizenship entails in terms of both rights and responsibilities.
The Folketing (parliament) with its 179 seats, the Prime Minister (statsminister) and the Cabinet, the Danish Monarch (currently Kong Frederik X, who ascended on 14 January 2024 when Queen Margrethe II abdicated), the electoral system, the 5 regions (regioner), and the 98 municipalities (kommuner).
The Grundlov (the Danish Constitution): the first Grundlov was signed on 5 June 1849 - now celebrated annually as Grundlovsdag - and the current constitution dates from 1953. Social welfare, the folkepension (state pension, currently at age 67, rising to 68 in 2030), the Danish healthcare system, the labour market model known as flexicurity (flexible hiring combined with generous unemployment benefits and active labour market policy), and education.
Key historical events the test covers:
Denmark's population of approximately 5.9 to 6.0 million. Capital: København (Copenhagen). Currency: the Danish krone (DKK) - Denmark is in the EU but does not use the euro, having opted out in a 1992 referendum. The state church is Folkekirken (Evangelical-Lutheran), with approximately 74% of the population as registered members, though religious practice is much lower. The national day: Grundlovsdag (5 June).
The Danish citizenship test has historically asked about the reigning monarch, and this answer changed recently. Kong Frederik X has been king since 14 January 2024, when his mother Dronning Margrethe II - who had reigned since 1972 - voluntarily abdicated. This is a factual change that older study materials and practice tests may not reflect. Ensure any materials you use are current.
Among the eight major European citizenship exams covered in CivicPass, Denmark's 80% pass requirement is the highest - higher than Germany (52%), Spain (60%), France (40 of 100 points on the written component), and the UK (75%). The one-minute-per-question time limit is also notably tight.
This combination - high pass mark, tight time limit, and a mandatory values sub-section that must independently pass - means that rote familiarity with the content is not enough. You need reliable, quick recall across the full breadth of the learning material. A score of 77% still fails. Practice under time pressure and track your accuracy by theme to identify where you are losing points.
The Danish labour market model - flexicurity - is a concept the test covers regularly and that many candidates underestimate. The term combines "flexibility" and "security": Danish labour law makes it relatively easy for employers to hire and dismiss workers (flexibility), while the social welfare system provides generous unemployment benefits and active re-employment support (security). Denmark is internationally recognised for this model, which is often contrasted with the stricter employment protections of France and Germany.
Understanding flexicurity goes beyond knowing the word. The test may ask what it means in practice - who benefits, how unemployment is funded, and what "active labour market policy" refers to.
Prioritise the values sub-section. Begin your preparation with the five values questions as a category. Understand each one deeply - the reasoning behind the correct answer, not just the answer itself. These questions must be answered correctly (at least 4 of 5) as a standalone requirement; they are not just a small part of the overall score.
Work at the pace of one question per minute. The 45-minute limit for 45 questions is unforgiving for anyone who reads slowly in Danish or needs time to parse institutional vocabulary. Do timed practice runs from the start of your preparation, not just near the end. If you regularly finish in 35 minutes with 90%+ accuracy, you are prepared. If you are running out of time, you need more speed-specific practice.
Learn the historical dates precisely. The Indfødsretsprøven includes specific date questions where approximations fail. The first Grundlov: 5 June 1849. Occupation start: 9 April 1940. Liberation: 5 May 1945. Women's municipal suffrage: 1908. National suffrage: 1915. EU membership: 1 January 1973. These are memorisable, bounded, and regularly tested.
Know the current monarch. This is a single factual update - Kong Frederik X since 14 January 2024 - but it is a high-probability question that candidates using older materials get wrong.
Understand Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Both are autonomous territories within the Kingdom of Denmark (Rigsfællesskabet), not independent nations. The exam tests the distinction between the two, their respective home rule dates (Faroe Islands 1948, Greenland 1979), and what self-government means for Greenland (2009). These details are easy to confuse under pressure.
The official portal danskogproever.dk provides the learning material, past test papers with answer keys, and information about test dates and registration. There is no published official question catalogue. You register directly with a language centre (sprogcenter), at the latest 5 weeks before the test: the winter 2026 test is on 25 November 2026, with a registration deadline of 21 October 2026. The fee is 946 kr. (2026), a retake requires a new fee, and results arrive within up to 4 weeks. The official learning material written by SIRI is the primary authoritative source - treat external practice resources as supplementary.
The Indfødsretsprøven is not designed to be difficult for the sake of difficulty - it is designed to ensure that people joining the Danish community have a genuine understanding of how Danish democracy works and what it means to live by Danish constitutional values. The 80% pass mark is high, but the content itself is learnable and bounded. With deliberate, active preparation focused especially on the values sub-section and historical dates, most candidates can reach the required standard.