SFI national test: what is in it and how to prepare

What the SFI national test is

At the end of SFI courses B, C and D, every student takes a nationellt prov (national test). The test is compulsory, it is the same across the country, and it is produced for Skolverket by a test group at Stockholm University. There is no national test for course A.

The test does not decide your grade on its own. Your teacher must give the result particular weight when grading, but the grade is based on everything you have shown during the course: classwork, written texts, conversations and other assessments. That matters for preparation. A good test cannot fully rescue a course you have not engaged with, and one weak part on test day does not automatically sink you.

This guide explains what is in each part, how to prepare for it, the mistakes that cost people points, and a four-week plan. If you are new to SFI itself, start with SFI explained. For practice tasks in Swedish, written in the style of the test, see our free SFI practice pages.

The four parts

Every national test in SFI has four parts (delprov): two receptive parts where you show you understand Swedish, and two productive parts where you show you can use it. Vocabulary and grammar are not tested separately; they are part of every task.

How the parts are scheduled:

• Course B: the listening and reading parts are done in one sitting, in a fixed order, with a break. Writing and speaking can be done on other days, as close in time as possible.
• Courses C and D: the parts are independent. Your teacher can run them on one day or spread them over several.

Your teacher tells you the dates, times and practical rules, including how long each part lasts. Ask early if you need adjustments, for example because of a disability or difficulty reading.

What the grades mean

SFI courses are graded on the Swedish A–F scale. E is the lowest pass, C and A describe increasingly secure and varied Swedish, and D and B sit in between. F means you have not yet reached the pass level.

The test is designed as a whole, and the four parts are meant to be taken close together. In practice, students who do not pass can often take the test again after further study; ask your provider how they handle it. A pass in course D is the grade most people care about, because it opens the way to Komvux and is one of the ways to show Swedish for citizenship.

How to prepare for reading (läsa)

The reading part tests whether you can find information, understand the main point and pick up details in everyday texts.

• Read the questions first. Then read the text looking for the answers. You do not need to understand every word.
• Practise skimming and scanning. Timetables, adverts and notices reward scanning for a specific detail. Articles and opinion pieces reward reading for the main idea.
• Learn the "admin" vocabulary. Words like avgift (fee), anmälan (registration), senast (at the latest), gäller (applies), öppettider (opening hours) and legitimation (ID) appear again and again. Our guide to official letters is good practice.
• Read a little every day. 8 Sidor (easy-read news) is ideal for courses B and C; at course D, move on to short articles in ordinary newspapers.
• Answer every question. A guess on a multiple-choice question costs nothing.

How to prepare for listening (höra)

• Listen daily, even for ten minutes. Klartext and Radio Sweden på lätt svenska from Sveriges Radio are made for exactly this level. At course D, try ordinary news on SVT and Sveriges Radio.
• Listen for the key information. Who, where, when, what has changed. Announcements at stations and on the phone are typical test material, so practise with real ones.
• Get used to spoken Swedish. People say dom for both "de" and "dem", mej for "mig", and swallow endings. Our guide to spoken vs written Swedish explains the most common differences.
• Do not freeze on one word. If you miss something, let it go and listen for the next answer.

How to prepare for writing (skriva)

• Know the text types. Course B asks for a narrative text, course C a more informal text such as a message or a description, and course D two texts, one more formal, such as a letter to an organisation or a reasoned opinion.
• Answer the task. Read the instructions twice and cover every point they ask for. A well-written text that ignores one of the points scores lower.
• Structure your text. Greeting, a clear opening, one idea per paragraph, an ending. For formal texts, learn a few safe phrases: Jag skriver till er för att... ("I am writing to you because..."), Jag skulle vilja... ("I would like to..."), Med vänliga hälsningar ("Kind regards").
• Show some range. Use linking words (därför att, men, dessutom, till exempel, å ena sidan... å andra sidan) and subordinate clauses, not only short main clauses.
• Check the classics. Word order after an adverb at the start (Igår gick jag, not "Igår jag gick"), en/ett, adjective endings and verb tenses. Our Swedish grammar overview covers word order.
• Write regularly and get feedback. One short text a week, corrected by your teacher, is the most efficient writing practice there is.

How to prepare for speaking (tala)

• Prepare the predictable topics. Yourself, your family, your home, your work or studies, your plans, your country, health, shopping, housing, leisure. Make sure you can talk for a minute or two about each.
• Practise interaction, not monologues. In courses C and D you have a conversation with your teacher and with another student. Asking questions, agreeing and disagreeing, and keeping the conversation going all count. Useful phrases: Vad tycker du? ("What do you think?"), Jag håller med ("I agree"), Det beror på ("It depends"), Kan du förklara vad du menar? ("Can you explain what you mean?").
• Give reasons and examples. "I like Sweden" is a sentence; "I like Sweden because..., for example..." is an answer.
• Have a repair strategy. If you do not know a word, explain around it: Det är en sak som man använder när... ("It's a thing you use when..."). This is a skill, not a failure.
• Work on pronunciation that affects understanding. Long and short vowels, and the sounds that do not exist in your language, matter more than a perfect accent. Our pronunciation guide shows where to start.

Common mistakes

1. Spending too long on one reading question. Move on and come back.
2. Writing too little, or not covering the task. Check every point in the instructions before you hand in.
3. Memorising a whole text for the writing test. Teachers recognise prepared texts that do not fit the task. Memorise phrases and structures, not essays.
4. Only answering in the speaking test. In the pair conversation, ask your partner questions too.
5. Using English words when stuck. Paraphrase in Swedish instead.
6. Skipping a part. Take all four parts; the test is designed to be taken as a whole.
7. Preparing only in the last week. The test checks skills that build up over the whole course.

A four-week preparation plan

This assumes 30–45 minutes a day on top of your classes. Ask your teacher for the test dates and work backwards.

FAQ

What is in the SFI national test?

Four parts: reading, listening, writing and speaking. The reading and listening parts use questions of different types, the writing part asks for one or two texts depending on the course, and the speaking part is a narrative task in course B and conversations with the teacher and another student in courses C and D.

Is the SFI national test compulsory?

Yes. The national test is compulsory at the end of courses B, C and D. There is no national test for course A.

Does the national test decide my SFI grade?

Not on its own. Your teacher must give the test result particular weight, but the grade is based on everything you have shown during the course.

Can I retake the SFI test if I fail?

The test is meant to be taken once at the end of each course, but in practice students who do not pass can often take it again after more study. Ask your SFI provider how they handle retakes.

Where can I find practice tests for SFI?

Skolverket has published some old tests and example tasks for courses B, C and D, which your teacher can point you to. We also have free practice tasks in Swedish, written in the style of the test, on our SFI practice pages.

How hard is SFI D?

SFI D is roughly B1 level: you need to understand everyday and work-related texts and speech, take part in conversations and write texts for different purposes, one of them more formal. It is very achievable with steady practice over the course.

Build the skills behind the test

The test rewards Swedish you can use, and that comes from daily practice. Lingolib's Complete Swedish teaches Swedish in English through video lessons from A1 to around B1; all 49 lessons of Season 1 are free with synced transcripts. Start with lesson 1, and use our SFI practice pages for the test formats.