Norskprøve guide · 6 min read

How long does it take to go from A2 to B1 Norwegian?

Most people who apply for Norwegian citizenship now need B1 on the oral Norskprøve. If you are at A2 today, the obvious question is how long the step takes. Here is a realistic answer, without a sales pitch on top.

The short answer: about 150 to 200 hours

Cambridge's guided learning hours, the most quoted estimate for CEFR levels, put A2 at about 180 to 200 hours from zero and B1 at about 350 to 400. The difference, roughly 150 to 200 hours, is a fair estimate for the step from A2 to B1 in all four skills. These figures are for English, but Norwegian is one of the closest languages to English, so they are a reasonable guide.

For the citizenship requirement you only need B1 on the oral test, not on reading and writing. If you already live in Norway and hear Norwegian every day, the oral step is often faster than the full estimate.

Source: Cambridge, guided learning hours

What that means per week

These are ranges, not promises. What shortens them most is speaking every day, not reading about grammar.

1 hour a day (7 hours a week): about 5 to 7 months.
2 hours a day: about 3 months.
An intensive day course (15 to 20 hours a week): about 2 to 3 months.
Oral B1 only, living in Norway, daily speaking practice: often 2 to 4 months.

What actually separates A2 from B1

At A2 you describe: who you are, where you live, what you do. At B1 you explain and connect: why, what happened before, what you plan, what you think and why. On the oral test this means you keep a conversation going with another candidate instead of answering in single sentences.

Reasons and contrasts: fordi, derfor, men, selv om.
Past and future: jeg bodde, jeg har jobbet, jeg skal, jeg kommer til å.
Opinions: jeg synes at, jeg tror at, jeg er enig, men.
Interaction: asking the other person a question back.

A 12 week plan for the oral test

Snakke is not an oral examiner. It gives you the building blocks: spaced repetition vocab and grammar from A1 to B2, and an AI tutor you chat with in Norwegian that corrects you. Use it daily, then say your answers out loud on your own.

Weeks 1 to 3: 400 to 600 common words through daily vocab review, and answer 5 simple questions out loud each day.
Weeks 4 to 6: past and future tense. Tell the story of your move to Norway and your plans, out loud, until it flows.
Weeks 7 to 9: opinions and reasons. Answer every question with statement, reason, example.
Weeks 10 to 12: full mock conversations with a partner or AI tutor, timed, no notes. Book the test early, because centres fill up.

Going further: how long to B2 Citizenship language requirement 40 oral practice questions Got A2 on the oral? Retake plan

Try a free practice question

Which sentence uses a B1 skill: talking about the past and connecting it to now?

Jeg bor i Norge.
Da jeg kom til Norge, kunne jeg ikke norsk, men nå snakker jeg med kollegene mine hver dag.
Norge er et fint land.

Show the answer

Da jeg kom til Norge, kunne jeg ikke norsk, men nå snakker jeg med kollegene mine hver dag.

It compares then (da jeg kom, kunne) with now (nå snakker), linked with 'men'. Moving between past and present like this is typical B1. The other two are A2 descriptions.

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