Norskprøve and Bergenstesten: Norwegian Language Tests for University Admission in Norway

The B2 requirement

Norwegian public universities and colleges ask international applicants for B2 level Norwegian across all four skills before you start a program taught in Norwegian. This rule runs through Samordna Opptak , the shared national admission service most Norwegian institutions use.

Norskprøven: the current standard route

Norskprøven is the state test for adult learners of Norwegian, run through HK-dir, the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. You meet the university language requirement once you score at least B2 in all four parts: reading, listening, speaking and writing. The written sections cost 1,034 kroner for the full test, and the oral part costs 1,034 kroner separately, or you sit individual skills at 517 kroner each if you already passed some parts.

How the two tests differ in format

Norskprøven tests reading, listening, speaking and writing as four separate parts, each graded on its own scale from A1 to C1, so your certificate shows a level for each skill rather than one combined score. Bergenstesten, while it still ran, graded written and oral components separately too, but used a simpler pass or pass-with-distinction system at B2 and C1 rather than Norskprøven's finer-grained skill-by-skill scale. This structural difference is part of why Samordna Opptak accepts specific combinations of the two rather than treating them as fully interchangeable.

Registering and sitting Norskprøven

You register for Norskprøven through your local voksenopplæring (adult education center) if you live in Norway, or through an approved external test location if you take it abroad. The test runs several times a year at larger centers, though smaller locations offer fewer sittings, so check your nearest center's calendar well ahead of your application deadline. Results arrive as a certificate showing your level on each of the four skills, and you need B2 or higher on every one of them to meet the university admission bar on Norskprøven alone.

Bergenstesten: still valid, no longer a fresh option

Bergenstesten, officially Test i norsk, høyere nivå, was the University of Bergen's own higher-level Norwegian test, graded as Bestått (passed) or Bestått med utmerkelse (passed with distinction) at B2 and C1. The university stopped arranging new sittings after 2022, so you cannot book a fresh Bergenstesten exam today. If you already hold a Bergenstesten result from before it closed, it still counts toward admission when you pair it with the right parts of Norskprøven.

Combining an old Bergenstesten result with Norskprøven

Samordna Opptak accepts two combinations for applicants who hold an older Bergenstesten certificate: a passed written Bergenstesten paired with at least B2 on the Norskprøven oral test, or a passed oral Bergenstesten paired with at least B2 on the Norskprøven reading, listening and writing parts. This lets you reuse an existing Bergenstesten result instead of retaking a full Norskprøven from scratch.

What if you have neither test yet

If you have not taken either exam, Norskprøven is your only current path through a dedicated language test, since Bergenstesten no longer runs. Completed Norwegian upper-secondary study at Vg3 level, or 60 credits of Norwegian language and society study from a Norwegian higher education institution, also satisfy the requirement without a separate test. Check your target institution's own admissions page too, since some run direct entry outside Samordna Opptak and may set their own process.

Preparing for the B2 level

Norwegian language schools, both inside Norway and through Norwegian cultural institutes abroad, run courses aimed at Norskprøven's B1 to B2 range, since this is the level most adult learners need for study or skilled work. HK-dir publishes sample tasks and past exam material for each skill, useful for practicing the exact task types you meet on test day. If you already hold an old Bergenstesten result and need only the matching Norskprøven parts, ask your language school about a shorter, targeted course rather than a full B1 to B2 program, since you may only need to close a gap in one or two skills.

Direct-entry institutions and folk high schools

A small number of Norwegian institutions, along with folkehøgskoler and some vocational programs, run admission outside the Samordna Opptak system and set their own language rules. These sometimes accept a lower level than B2 for programs taught partly in English, or ask for additional Norwegian study during your first year instead of full B2 proficiency at entry. Always check the specific institution's own admissions page for its language policy rather than assuming the Samordna Opptak B2 rule applies everywhere.

Does your result expire

Neither Norskprøven nor an existing Bergenstesten result carries an official expiry date from the testing bodies themselves, though Samordna Opptak and individual institutions can still set their own rule on how recent a certificate needs to be for a given intake. Check current guidance on Samordna Opptak's site or your target institution's admissions page if your certificate is several years old.

English-taught programs in Norway

Plenty of Norwegian master's programs, and a smaller number of bachelor's programs, teach entirely in English and do not ask for Norskprøven or Bergenstesten at all. These programs ask for an English proficiency test instead, such as IELTS or TOEFL, so confirm your program's language of instruction before you spend time preparing for a Norwegian language test you may not need.

Keep proof of your registration

Save your candidate number and registration confirmation for Norskprøven, since certificates sometimes arrive weeks after your test date and some university application portals let you submit a candidate number as interim proof while the official certificate is still in the post.