Bern citizenship test

How the Bern citizenship test works

Bern checks basic knowledge with a written test on paper. You answer 48 questions, each with four options of which exactly one is correct. You have 90 minutes, and you pass with 29 correct answers. The questions are written at language level A2, so you do not need specialist vocabulary.

The test is run by schools on behalf of the municipalities. Important for your planning: you take it before submitting your application. It is held at least three times a year, you can retake it as often as you like, and the certificate remains valid indefinitely. The fee is set by the municipality and ranges from 260 to 390 francs.

The questions cover three subject areas:

1. Geography, history, languages, religions, culture and public holidays of Switzerland and the canton of Bern
2. Democracy, federalism, rights and duties
3. Social security, health, work and education

Current affairs may also come up. There is no public question catalogue, and the test series are changed periodically.

Who does not have to take the test

Exempt are people under 16, people with at least five years of compulsory schooling under a Swiss curriculum, and people who have completed upper secondary or tertiary education in Switzerland.

What you should know about the canton of Bern

Because Bern does not publish its questions, a solid general knowledge of the canton pays off. These points come up again and again in test series and study material:

• Bilingualism: Bern has two official languages, German and French. Biel/Bienne is the largest bilingual city in Switzerland. The French-speaking Bernese Jura has a guaranteed seat in the government.
• Authorities: The parliament is the Grosser Rat (Grand Council) with 160 members and meets in the town hall in the old town. The government, the Regierungsrat, has seven members. Both are elected every four years, most recently in March 2026. The current constitution dates from 1993.
• Structure: The canton is divided into five administrative regions and ten administrative districts. Each district is headed by a government prefect (Regierungsstatthalterin or Regierungsstatthalter). Since 1 January 2026 Bern has had 334 municipalities, because Moutier moved to the canton of Jura. Besides residents’ and parish municipalities there are Burgergemeinden (burgher communities).
• People’s rights: A cantonal initiative needs 15,000 signatures within six months, a referendum 10,000 signatures within three months. A Bernese speciality is the Volksvorschlag: a referendum with its own counter-proposal.
• History: Berchtold V of Zähringen founded the city in 1191, and Bern joined the Confederation in 1353. From 1536 to 1798 Bern ruled over Vaud. Bern has been the federal city since 1848. In 1979 the canton of Jura was created from the northern Jura. Albert Einstein developed the special theory of relativity in Bern in 1905.
• Geography: After Graubünden, Bern is the second largest canton and stretches from the Jura across the Central Plateau into the Alps. The Aare flows around the old town, and Lakes Thun and Brienz lie near Interlaken. The highest mountain is the Finsteraarhorn; the best-known panorama is formed by the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
• Culture: The old town with the Zytglogge clock tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. The Zibelemärit onion market takes place on the fourth Monday in November, the Lauberhorn ski race in Wengen and the Unspunnen festival in Interlaken. Jeremias Gotthelf described life in the Emmental, which is also where Emmental cheese comes from.

The naturalisation process in the canton of Bern

First you take the citizenship test, because the certificate is one of the required documents. Then you submit the application to your municipality. The municipality checks your integration and decides on municipal citizenship. The canton then reviews the file and forwards it to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), which issues the federal naturalisation permit. With the canton’s decision you receive cantonal citizenship and thus Swiss citizenship.

For the language certificate you need at least B1 spoken and A2 written in German or French. The residence rule is two years without interruption in the municipality where you apply.

How to prepare

The Bern tests are based on the textbooks «Die Schweiz verstehen» (hep Verlag) and «Der Bund kurz erklärt» from the Federal Chancellery. Work through both and then try the published sample series 31/2023 to get to know the format. Several adult education schools, such as the bzi in Interlaken, offer preparation courses and practice tests.

Since there is no catalogue to memorise, understanding pays off: what does the Grosser Rat do, what does the Regierungsrat do, and why are neither the same as the Gemeinderat of your municipality? Follow the news from Bern and Switzerland regularly too, because current affairs can be part of the test.

The Bern mock test on this page has the same format as the real test: 48 questions in 90 minutes, passed with 29 correct.