The Sproochentest is Luxembourg's official Luxembourgish language exam for citizenship. It has exactly two parts, both oral: a 10-minute speaking test judged at level A2 and a 35-minute listening test at level B1. No reading, no writing. It is run by the Institut national des langues Luxembourg (INLL), costs 75 euros per attempt, and the certificate it produces is one of the conditions for Luxembourgish nationality.
That is the whole definition. The rest of this page unpacks each piece: who has to take it, what the two parts contain, how the scoring works, what it costs over time, and when you can actually sit it.
The Sproochentest is two oral tests on one day: 10 minutes of speaking at A2 and 35 minutes of listening at B1. Pass the speaking with 50 percent, or make the average of both parts reach 50 percent, and the certificate is yours.
Who takes it, and why it exists
The INLL's own FAQ answers the who in one line: "anyone who wishes to apply for Luxembourgish nationality and is required to take the language tests". The naturalisation conditions on guichet.public.lu require "a Luxembourgish language test pass certificate", and the Sproochentest is that test.
So the exam is not a general language diploma you collect for a CV. It exists for one file: the citizenship application, alongside five years of residence and a civics course. Where the language sits among those conditions is covered in do you need Luxembourgish in Luxembourg, and the full conditions list in Luxembourg citizenship requirements.
The format: two tests, one day
| Part | What happens | Length | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | First an interview with an examiner, then you describe a visual you choose from three offered | 10 minutes, in two parts of 5 | A2 |
| Listening | Three recordings: a radio message, an everyday conversation, and an exchange or presentation on a topic. Multiple-choice answers on a tablet | 35 minutes | B1 |
Two details in that table do real work. The speaking is interview-first: the conversation with the examiner comes before the picture task, not the other way around. And the picture is a choice of three, so you describe the visual you like best, not one forced on you. Both come from the INLL's exam page, which also confirms there is no written part of any kind.
The levels are the calming part. A2 speaking is simple everyday conversation: your work, your family, your weekend. B1 listening is higher, but it is recognition, not production; you pick answers, you do not speak. What each level really asks of you is broken down in what level is the Sproochentest.
How the scoring works
The pass rule has two doors, per the INLL and guichet.public.lu. Score at least 50 percent on the speaking and you pass outright. Score lower on speaking, and you still pass if the average of your speaking and listening reaches 50 percent. A strong listening score can carry a weaker interview.
That arithmetic makes the speaking the part worth training first, and it is why every serious prep plan is speaking-heavy. The full mechanics, with worked examples, are in how the Sproochentest is scored.
Cost, retakes, and how long the certificate lasts
Registration costs 75 euros, and it is per attempt: fail and re-enter, and you pay again. Two INLL FAQ answers soften that. There is no limit to the number of times you can take the exam, though you can only register again once the previous result has arrived. And the certificate, once earned, "is valid for an unlimited period of time". You can pass years before you file for citizenship and the pass still counts.
How hard is it, honestly
The institute publishes its own numbers. Per the statistics report the INLL released in December 2022, 21,437 candidates sat the Sproochentest between December 2008 and July 2022 and 14,725 passed: 69 percent of those who sat. In the most recent year that report covers, 2021/22, the rate was 67 percent of those who sat. Roughly two candidates in three walk out with a pass, and the figure counts sittings, including repeat attempts.
So the exam is neither a formality nor a wall. The honest difficulty picture, nerves included, is in is the Sproochentest hard.
When you can take it
Sessions are published in rounds on the INLL's MyINL portal, and demand is ahead of seats. As of 11 August 2026, no published 2026 session is still open for registration: the dates that remain, all in December at INLL Glacis and Belval, are sold out or past their registration deadline, and the portal's notice reads: "Registrations for the January 2027 sessions of the Sproochentest will open on Tuesday 1st September, 2026 at 10 am."
Last checked: 11 August 2026, against the MyINL portal.
So the date that matters is the registration window, not the exam day you would prefer. The paperwork, the documents, and the deadline mechanics are all in how to register for the Sproochentest.
Where that leaves you
You now know what the exam is: two oral tests, A2 and B1, 75 euros, one certificate that never expires, for one purpose. One boundary worth naming: this page owns the definition, and the training side lives in the Sproochentest practice hub, where the topics, drills and mock runs are.
What a definition cannot give you is the feel of answering out loud with a clock running. That takes ten minutes to fix: take a free mock exam, hear the format from the inside, and the word Sproochentest stops being scary and starts being a plan.