What score do you need to pass?
You must obtain at least half the points in the speaking test. A lower speaking score can still pass, provided the arithmetic average of the speaking and listening results is at least 50%. The speaking test is assessed at CEFR level A2 and the listening test at level B1.
Last verified against official sources on 18 August 2026. Exam fees, dates and regulations change — always confirm on inll.lu before you register.
The pass rule, exactly as it is written
The INL states that candidates must obtain at least half the points in the speaking test, and that a lower speaking score can be offset if the average of the listening and speaking tests is at least 50%. guichet.lu states the same rule from the government side: at least 50% on the speaking component, or an arithmetic average across the two equal to or higher than 50%.
What do examiners actually score you on?
The INL lists the criteria for the speaking test as: repertoire, fluency, clarity, use of grammatical structures, coherence, ability to be understood, and interactivity.
Two of those are worth dwelling on, because they are the ones candidates do not prepare for. "Ability to be understood" is not the same as accuracy — an answer with mistakes that lands is worth more than a perfect sentence nobody can follow. And "interactivity" is a conversation skill: answering, asking back, handling a question you did not expect. Neither is improved by memorising answers.
Why is listening assessed at a higher level than speaking?
Speaking is assessed at CEFR level A2 and listening at level B1 — one level higher. In plain terms, you are expected to understand more than you produce.
That asymmetry reflects how the language is actually used in Luxembourg: you will hear Luxembourgish spoken at full speed long before you are expected to speak it fluently. It also means the two parts need different preparation, and that time spent only on speaking leaves the higher-level half of the exam untouched.
When do you get your result?
The INL does not publish a turnaround time, so this page will not invent one. What is published is that if you need to sit the test again, you can only register once the result of the previous attempt has been received — so the result timing sets the pace of any retake. Check MyINL for your own result and for the next available dates.
What do A2 and B1 actually mean?
Both are levels on the Common European Framework of Reference, the six-level scale used across Europe. The framework describes them as what a learner can do, which is more useful than a grade:
- A2 speaking — what the speaking test asks of you
- At A2 you can communicate in simple, routine tasks needing a direct exchange of information on familiar topics, and use a series of phrases and sentences to describe your family, other people, living conditions and your job in simple terms.
- B1 listening — what the listening test asks of you
- At B1 you can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly met in work, school or leisure. Note "main points" — you are not expected to catch every word, and the exam is not built as though you would.
Reading those two side by side is the clearest picture of the exam anyone can give you. You are asked to speak in simple sentences about your own life, and to follow ordinary speech well enough to get the gist.
Can you retake just the part you failed?
The INL does not publish an answer to this, so this page will not supply one. What is published is that there is no limit on attempts and that you can only register again once your previous result has arrived. If a partial resit matters to your plans, ask the INL directly rather than relying on any third-party page — including this one.
What do you get if you pass?
A pass certificate for the Luxembourgish language test. That certificate is what the naturalisation procedure asks for as evidence of the language requirement — guichet.lu lists it as one of the documents establishing knowledge of Luxembourgish, alongside a certificate of attendance at Luxembourgish courses for those who qualify by long residence.
Passing the Sproochentest is one condition among several for naturalisation. It is not, on its own, an application.
Where these facts come from
Everything on this page about the exam is traceable to an official source. Where something is not published, this page says so instead of guessing.
- Introduction to the SproochentestInstitut National des Langues — the body that runs the exam
- Prerequisites for voluntary acquisition of nationalityguichet.lu — the Luxembourg government’s citizen portal
- The Common European Framework of Reference for language skillsEuropass — the European Union’s official skills framework