Question 263 of 300 · Law and the Rule of Law

Question 263: In Germany, young people from the age of 14 are criminally responsible. This means: young people who are 14 and older and violate criminal law …

Official question from the BAMF catalog used for the Einbürgerungstest (German citizenship test) and the Leben in Deutschland test. Topic: Law and the Rule of Law.

The question as it appears on the exam

In Deutschland sind Jugendliche ab 14 Jahren strafmündig. Das bedeutet: Jugendliche, die 14 Jahre und älter sind und gegen Strafgesetze verstoßen, …

The Einbürgerungstest is written and sat in German only, with no dictionary allowed. Use the English below to understand the question, but learn to recognise the German wording above — that is what you will see on the day.

Diese Frage auf Deutsch →

Answer options

Awerden bestraft.are punished.Correct
Bwerden wie Erwachsene behandelt.are treated like adults.
Cteilen die Strafe mit ihren Eltern.share the punishment with their parents.
Dwerden nicht bestraft.are not punished.

Correct answer

A — werden bestraft.

are punished.

Why this is the answer

This is about the Rechtsstaat — government bound by law. The core idea: not only citizens have to obey the law, the state does too. Courts are independent, nobody may enforce their own rights by force, and anyone can sue over a government decision. The Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court) in Karlsruhe decides whether a law is compatible with the constitution. Any option in which the state stands above the law, or in which courts write laws instead of applying them, is wrong.

Key exam terms in this question

These exam terms appear in the question or in the answer options. Once you know them, you can still spot the right answer when the wording changes.

das Gesetz — law / statute
Ein Gesetz wird im Bundestag beschlossen.
die Strafe — punishment / penalty
Bei einer Straftat kann es eine Strafe geben.

All exam vocabulary with translations →

How this question fits into the exam

On exam day you answer 33 questions in 60 minutes: 30 from the general catalog of 300 questions — this question is one of them — and 3 about your federal state. You pass with 17 correct answers. Aiming for exactly 17 leaves no margin for nerves, so take timed mock exams until 33 out of 33 feels routine.

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