The Sproochentest, in detail

What the Sproochentest is for

The Sproochentest is the Luxembourgish language exam required of candidates for naturalisation. It follows from the amended law of 8 March 2017 on Luxembourg nationality, which makes acquiring nationality conditional on proving a knowledge of Luxembourgish.

It is run by the Institut national des langues Luxembourg (INL). According to information published by the INL, the resulting certificate has no time limit: once you pass, you do not have to sit it again.

The exam does not measure general Luxembourgish. It measures two specific skills at two different levels: speaking at A2 and listening comprehension at B1. There is no reading, no writing and no grammar paper.

Test 1: Speaking (Ausdrock), level A2

The speaking test lasts around ten minutes and takes place in front of two examiners. It has two parts of roughly five minutes each.

1. The interview

An examiner interviews you on a topic you choose from two options. Topics come from a bank of everyday subjects: work and profession, training, family, friends, leisure, food and drink, media, travel and holidays, languages, housing.

It is not a monologue: the examiner follows up, asks for detail, comes back to something you have just said. Reacting is part of the mark.

2. Describing a picture

You are shown three pictures; you pick one and describe it. What is expected is a simple but structured description: who, where, what, and what the scene suggests to you. Describing five elements in full sentences is worth more than listing twenty isolated words.

The eight speaking criteria

Speaking is assessed on the spot by the two examiners against a grid of criteria. Here is that grid, with what each item actually looks at.

LetzTest prepares the second test, listening: the simulation reproduces its exact format, three audio documents and fifteen questions in 35 minutes. The marks shown are practice estimates, not exam marks.

Test 2: Listening comprehension (Héierverständnis), level B1

The second test covers comprehension and is taken on a tablet. It uses three audio documents, in this order:

1. A radio news item: fast delivery, figures, place names.
2. A conversation between two people: everyday language, overlapping speech, informal expressions.
3. An exchange or a talk on a defined topic: more structured, longer.

After each recording you answer a multiple-choice questionnaire. The INL states that this test lasts 35 minutes (inll.lu).

The trap is not vocabulary. It is speed. B1 listening means the document is delivered at natural pace. Training at real speed, not slowed down, is the best preparation.

The 50% rule and compensation

The rule is simple, and worth knowing from day one of your preparation:

• You pass if you obtain at least half the points in the speaking test.
• If your speaking mark falls below half, it can be compensated by the listening mark: the exam counts as passed if the average of the two tests reaches at least 50%.

In other words: speaking is the decisive test, but a strong listening score can rescue a speaking mark just under the threshold. That is why neither can be neglected, and why LetzTest always shows both estimates, with a "compensation possible" or "compensation insufficient" status.

Registering for the exam

Registration is handled by the INL only, online, through the MyINL platform (myinl.inll.lu). LetzTest does not register anyone for the exam and has no access to sessions.

• Registration fee: €75, an amount set by Grand-Ducal regulation according to information published by the INL.
• Places: the INL states that more than 800 places are released every month, and that they are taken very quickly. Sessions are not all published at once: new dates are added regularly.
• Exam sites: the INL lists two, Luxembourg-Glacis and Belval.
• Number of attempts: the INL states there is no limit to how many times you may apply, but you must wait for the result of the previous session before registering again.
• No-show or withdrawal: according to the INL, a candidate who withdraws without valid reason or fails to appear loses the registration fee and has to register again.

In practice: check the registration platform several times a week rather than once a month, and start preparing before you have a date. Candidates who wait for their invitation before getting to work rarely have as much time as they imagined.

On the day

Bring valid identification. The INL accepts, among others, a foreign passport, an identity card, a refugee or stateless person’s travel document, a residence permit or an immigration certificate. Bring the document you registered with; a photocopy is not enough.

A few practical points:

• Arrive early: both exam sites need time for access and seating.
• You do not choose your examiner or the order of the tests; follow your invitation.
• For the picture task, pick the image you can describe, not the one you like most.
• If you go blank, say so in Luxembourgish and rephrase. Silence costs more than an imperfect sentence: the criteria reward making yourself understood and interacting.
• If you need an accommodation for a certified disability, the INL states that it provides the material facilities and/or personal assistance required. Request it from the INL in advance.

Preparing in a way that pays off

Three mistakes come up again and again among candidates who fall just short:

1. Working on the language in general rather than on the exam. The format is very specific. Practising without reproducing it (choosing between two topics, handling follow-ups, hearing each recording once) is preparing for a different exam.
2. Only ever listening to slowed-down Luxembourgish. The three listening documents are spoken at natural speed and played once. That is the speed to have heard well before exam day.
3. Answering too briefly. Two of the eight criteria, completion of the tasks and interaction, penalise one-word answers directly. A useful rule: a fact, a reason, an example.

LetzTest simulates the listening paper exactly as it runs: three audio documents, fifteen questions, 35 timed minutes, then the answer explained question by question. See the price and what is included.