How I passed the naturalisation test

The moment it got serious

I still remember exactly the evening I printed out the application form. 14 pages. I sat at the kitchen table thinking: surely this cannot be that hard. I have lived in Switzerland for 12 years, I pay taxes, I know where Bern is.

Spoiler: I did not know where Glarus is. Nor when the Federal Constitution came into force. And certainly not how many cantons have a Landsgemeinde.

The test was manageable. But it was different from what I had imagined.

My preparation: what worked

I started practising about five weeks before the test. Not intensively, more like 15 to 20 minutes a day, mostly in the evening on the sofa. At first I just quizzed away at random, with no system. That was a mistake.

What really helped: practising topics separately. One week just geography. Then history. Then politics. That way you quickly notice where your gaps are. For me it was history, clearly. 1848, 1874, 1971 — I kept mixing up the years.

My tip: do not just practise everything jumbled together. Pick one topic a week and work through it properly. That is the only way to find your gaps.

In the last week I did nothing but simulations. 48 questions, timer running. The first time I scored 58%. Just short. The third time, 74%. That is when I knew: this is going to work out.

Test day

8am, the town hall. I was 20 minutes early, which turned out to be a good idea, because it gave me time for a coffee and to calm down. I was nervous all the same.

The room looked like a classroom. About 15 people, each at their own desk. Show your ID, sign the form, questionnaire on the desk. Done.

Honestly, the 48 questions were easier than expected. Not because they were easy, but because I already knew them. Not the exact same ones, but the same type of question. "How many cantons does Switzerland have?" does not come up. But "Which canton is the largest by area?" does.

What surprised me: about a third of the questions were about everyday knowledge. Waste separation, compulsory insurance, how the school system works. Hardly anyone practises that specifically, but it is exactly what comes up.

The stumbling blocks

Three things I stumbled over:

Dates. When was the old-age pension (AHV) introduced? When did women get the right to vote? When did Switzerland join the UN? These questions come up, and if you do not have the numbers ready, it becomes guesswork. I wrote the ten most important dates on a piece of paper and stuck it on the fridge.

Cantonal capitals. Zurich is not the capital of the canton of Zurich. Actually, it is. But Lucerne is also the capital of the canton of Lucerne. And Aarau is the capital of Aargau. But what is the capital of Appenzell Ausserrhoden? Herisau. That is exactly what comes up.

The political system. Federal Council, Federal Assembly, National Council and Council of States, concordance. I thought I understood it. Then came the question: "How many members does the Council of States have?" And suddenly I was not sure whether it was 46 or 200.

The result

Two weeks of waiting. That was almost worse than the test itself. Then the letter: 78%. Passed.

I was relieved, obviously. But also a little proud. Not because the test was so difficult, but because I had really put the work in. The evenings on the sofa with the quiz had paid off.

What I would tell you

Start early enough. Not three days before, but four to six weeks. 15 minutes a day is enough, but you actually have to stick with it.

Do the simulation. Several times. Not so you memorise the questions, but so you get a feel for the time pressure. 48 questions in 60 minutes sounds like a lot of time, but if you get stuck on one question, it gets tight.

And: do not stress too much. 60% is enough. That is 19 mistakes you are allowed to make. If you turn up even moderately prepared, you will pass. Promise.

You will find every step towards naturalisation in our free guide.