What could the Swedish civics test for permanent residency look like?

These language and civics tests haven't yet been drawn up, but here's what they could look like based on the suggestions in a new proposal.

What topics will the society test cover?

The test on knowledge of Swedish society would be designed to "test basic knowledge needed to live and work in Swedish society", the proposal states, and it will be based on material adapted from the website informationsverige.se.

It would test the following areas, according to the proposal:

• Coming to Sweden
• Living in Sweden
• Supporting yourself and developing in Sweden
• The rights and obligations of the individual
• Starting a family and living with children in Sweden
• Having influence in Sweden
• Caring for your health in Sweden
• Growing old in Sweden

Will it be in Swedish?

Yes. It will be at CEFR level A2, the same level of Swedish as the language test.

• What could the Swedish language test for permanent residency look like?

This is equivalent to SFI level C, and is classified as a "basic" level of Swedish.

It won't be a formal test of your Swedish, but you will have to have A2 level skills in reading Swedish in order to understand the questions.

Here are the CEFR guidelines for an A2 level:

"Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need."

What would the test itself be like?

According to the proposal, the test would be held digitally and would consist of two parts each lasting 50 minutes, with a ten minute break in between. This is quite a long test – a digital driving theory test is only 50 minutes long for comparison – so there will be time to cover a lot of different topics.

The questions asked will be so-called "closed questions", so you will not be asked to argue or explain, just choose an answer. Tests will be marked automatically, allowing for a quick turnaround.

They will be a simplified version of material on the informationsverige.se website, adapted to A2 level Swedish and less comprehensive.

The proposal states that a glossary of terminology would be included for vocabulary above A2 level.

Although the exact layout of the test has not been confirmed, the proposal recommends that tests are held at the Swedish Transport Administration as they already have a system in place for handling large-scale digital driving theory tests.

Will there be a course or textbook I can use to study for the test?

There will not be a textbook, but there will be a website you'll be able to access to read up on the topics covered in the test. This is due in part to the fact that websites are more easily updated than textbooks, and also the fact that a website is more accessible than a book you may have to pay for.

It's worth bearing in mind that by the time you qualify for permanent residency you will have been living in Sweden for around four years, so there's a good chance you will have picked up most of the information covered in the test just by living your daily life here.