Question 5 of 300 · Living in a Democracy

Question 5: Elections in Germany are free. What does that mean?

Official question from the BAMF catalog used for the Einbürgerungstest (German citizenship test) and the Leben in Deutschland test. Topic: Living in a Democracy.

The question as it appears on the exam

Wahlen in Deutschland sind frei. Was bedeutet das?

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

AMan darf Geld annehmen, wenn man dafür eine bestimmte Kandidatin/einen bestimmten Kandidaten wählt.You may accept money for voting for a specific candidate.
BDie Wählerin/der Wähler darf bei der Wahl weder beeinflusst noch zu einer bestimmten Stimmabgabe gezwungen werden und keine Nachteile durch die Wahl haben.The voter may not be influenced or forced to vote in a certain way, and must not suffer disadvantages from voting.Correct
CNur Personen, die noch nie im Gefängnis waren, dürfen wählen.Only people who have never been in prison may vote.
DAlle wahlberechtigten Personen müssen wählen.All eligible voters must vote.

Correct answer

B — Die Wählerin/der Wähler darf bei der Wahl weder beeinflusst noch zu einer bestimmten Stimmabgabe gezwungen werden und keine Nachteile durch die Wahl haben.

The voter may not be influenced or forced to vote in a certain way, and must not suffer disadvantages from voting.

Why this is the answer

This question belongs to the topic area “Leben in der Demokratie” (living in a democracy). One principle sits behind almost all of them: in Germany, state authority comes from the people — Article 20 of the Grundgesetz (the constitution). Citizens elect parliaments, parliaments pass laws, and the government answers to parliament. When you are unsure which option is right, ask yourself whether the answer increases ordinary people's say in government and puts limits on power. That option is almost always the correct one.

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.

wählen — to vote / elect
Ab 18 Jahren darf man bei der Bundestagswahl wählen.

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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