A2–B1 or B1–B2? How to choose your writing test level

When you register for Norskprøven, you choose a level for the writing test. The choice matters: you can't get a higher result than the level you register for.

Winter 2026 test

• Registration: Monday 26 October, 09:00, to Friday 30 October, 23:59
• Test period: 30 November to 4 December 2026
• Results: 7 January 2027
• Appeal deadline: 4 February 2027

You register with the test centre, usually in the municipality where you live. Registration is binding: if you register and can’t take the test, you still have to pay. With a doctor’s note, you can take the test later without paying again.

Source: HK-dir, registering for Norskprøven (in Norwegian).

The rules that decide it

• You never get more than the test’s top level. The A2–B1 test gives B1 at most. The B1–B2 test gives B2 at most.
• You can get a lower level. On the B1–B2 test you can get B1 or lower if your text isn’t at B2.
• The oral test works differently. On the oral test you can get a better result than the level you registered for. On the writing test you can’t.
• B1–B2 is demanding. HK-dir specifically warns against choosing B1–B2 if it’s too hard for you, because it can then be difficult to answer the tasks in an understandable way.

What each test involves

Source: HK-dir, about the writing test (in Norwegian).

How to choose

• If you need B2, for example for university or a job that requires it, you have to register for B1–B2. A2–B1 can never give B2.
• If you need B1 and aren’t sure about B2, both tests can give B1. The A2–B1 tasks are shorter and about familiar everyday things. On B1–B2 you have to write a long argumentative text, and if you can’t get your views across and justify them, you can end up below B1.
• The level you need for residence, citizenship, study or work depends on the rules that apply to you. Check the requirement with whoever sets it, such as UDI, the university or the employer.
• If you’re taking a Norwegian course, ask your teacher. HK-dir also has a self-assessment form (on its writing test page) and a level finder (both in Norwegian).

Test yourself before registration closes

The surest way to find out is to write a task of the same type as on the test, at B1–B2 and against the clock, and see how it’s assessed. Look especially at your weakest criterion: to be placed at a level, you have to be at that level on every criterion.

Norskpenn grades your text against HK-dir’s criteria and shows the level for each one. The grading is done by AI, not by an examiner, so it gives a good picture of where you stand but can’t promise a result. Use it to learn, not to memorise texts: memorised text counts as cheating on the test.