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ÖIF is an acronym for the Austrian Integration Fund. It’s part of Municipal Department 35 of the Austrian government, which helps migrants integrate into Austria. The ÖIF supports migrants in learning German and offers several ÖIF German integration exams. These exams verify your German skills and the validity of your residency permit. When you take an ÖIF exam, you receive a language certificate from the ÖIF, so from the Austrian Integration Fund. This certificate serves as official verification of German skills.
To apply for a visa, you must pass the ÖIF exam with integration knowledge (A1, A2 or B1). Read more in the FAQ section on financial aid, visa and authorities.

On Monday, August 1, 2022, the COVID-19-VBV regulation (COVID-19 Verkehrsbeschränkungsverordnung) comes into effect, which no longer requires quarantine. Examinees are urged only to take the exam when they feel healthy. Examinees who test positive for COVID-19 but don’t feel sick can now take the exam if they wear an FFP2 mask during it.

There are currently ÖIF (Austrian Integration Fund) integration exams for language levels A1, A2, and B1. For the level B2, the ÖIF offers German exams without integration knowledge.

You won’t receive a passing grade if you fail to pass one of the two parts of the ÖIF exam (written - reading, listening, writing, values and integration knowledge - or oral). Our language institute doesn’t influence the exam results in any way. If you feel that your exam result was unfair, please talk to the ÖIF. You can ask to see how your exam was marked at the ÖIF. What the LcL Institute does offer are German courses supported by the ÖIF and exam training that help you improve your results at the ÖIF exam.

During the exam you should work alone and focus only on your exam. If you copy the person next to you, ÖIF examiners can expel you from the exam. You will have to leave the room and your exam won’t be corrected. If you bring a fake identifying document, you can’t continue the exam and you may even be reported to the police. Cheating isn’t worth it!

No. After the exam is completed, ÖIF examiners bring the exam and answer sheets to the ÖIF, where they will be corrected by ÖIF specialists. LcL can help you prepare for the ÖF exam but doesn’t have any influence over exam results or how exams are marked. The LcL isn’t liable for exams carried out by the ÖIF.

Please wait a little longer. The ÖIF do their best to mark your ÖIF exam as quickly as possible. Sometimes, if there are more exams to be marked, you may have to wait longer to receive your results. If you haven’t received your results after four to seven weeks, please contact the ÖIF directly:
Address: Landstraße Hauptstraße 26
Phone number: +43 (0) 1 7151051-250.

Two ÖIF examiners carry out the exam. In B2 exams two examiners, and occasionally an additional supervisor, are present. The ÖIF is solely responsible for marking exams and sending you the results to the Austrian address where you are registered or that you specified to them. Only the ÖIF has the right to mark exams and inform you about your results. LcL has no influence on the exam or whether you pass or fail an ÖIF exam. LcL doesn’t have the authority to alter or change the ÖIF exam materials or results.

ÖIF exam certificates are valid unless they’re revoked. As long as current integration law is valid, the exam certificates are valid as well.

The magistrate can send a written request to the ÖIF (by email to <a href="mailto:pruefungen@integrationsfonds.at">pruefungen@integrationsfonds.at</a>) in this case. The request must include the following information: name of the exam participant, date of the exam, and the institution where the exam took place. The ÖIF can confirm the exam results directly to the magistrate without having to wait for the exam certificate to be issued.

The ÖIF mails out exam results to your postal address three to six weeks after the exam. They are directly and solely responsible for sending the results to participants.

To pass the ÖIF exam, you must pass both parts: the written part (reading, listening, writing, values and integration knowledge) and the oral part. If you fail one of these parts, you must repeat the exam. You take the written and oral parts of the exam on the same day. Each level has its own exam rubric for both parts. You must receive a mark of around 55-60% in each part to pass. Exam training has been proven to help you pass the ÖIF exam.

You can repeat the exam as often as you like. If you fail an exam, you can immediately sign up for the next one.

The written and oral parts of the ÖIF exam are completed on the same day. If you don’t pass one part of the exam (written - reading, listening, writing, values and integration knowledge for levels A1 to B1 – or oral), you fail the whole exam and you must repeat both parts of the exam.

During exams for levels A1, A2, and B1 you’re not allowed to use a dictionary. You can use a monolingual dictionary for the the B2 level exam, though. LcL doesn’t provide dictionaries. You must bring your own dictionary.

If you arrive late for the exam, you might not be allowed to participate. The ÖIF decides whether you can participate in the exam. The LcL Institute does not make this decision. If you arrive after the exam has begun and examinees are already writing, you won’t be allowed to participate anymore. If you’re late to an exam, you must still pay the exam fee and it won’t be refunded.

If you have a valid ID that you forgot to bring to the ÖIF exam, you can ask someone to bring it to you before the end of the exam. You must show the ID to the examiners before the exam is over.

All ÖIF exams have a written and oral part. The ÖIF exams for levels A1, A2, and B1 assess German skills, as well as your understanding of the values and integration knowledge necessary for integrating into Austria. The ÖIF exam for B2 (the exam for C1 is currently being developed) only assesses German skills.

Before an ÖIF exam begins, an examiner will verify your identity. You can only take an ÖIF exam if you can prove your identity with an accepted and not yet expired card or document. If the examiners have any doubts about your ID, you have to agree to an identity check to be able to take the exam. If it turns out that you’re not the person you say you are, you’ll be handed over to the local police.

If you want to take the ÖIF exam, you must be able to produce correct identification. If you cannot verify your identity, you cannot take the ÖIF exam. You must bring your Meldezettel and proof of identification, such as your:
<ul>
<li>passport (not expired for more than a year)</li>
<li>Austrian driver’s license</li>
<li>Legitimation card</li>
<li>Austrian residence permit or photo ID for EAA citizens</li>
<li>Valid identity card (issued by a member state of the European Union, European Economic Area or Switzerland)</li>
<li>ID for displaced persons according to § 62 AsylG</li>
<li>Identity card for persons entitled to asylum according to § 51a AsylG (blue card),</li>
<li>Card for subsidiary persons entitled to protection according to § 52 AsylG (grey card)</li>
<li>Card for eligible residents according to § 51 AsylG (white card)</li>
<li>Procedure card according to. § 50 AsylG (green card)</li>
<li>Alien pass § 88 FPG (not expired for more than a year)</li>
<li>Convention passport according to § 94 FPG (not expired for more than a year)</li>
<li>Identity card for foreigners according to § 94a FPG</li>
<li>Residence permit for reasons worthy of consideration according to § 54 AsylG</li>
<li>Tolerance card according to § 46a section 4 FPG.</li>
</ul>
Additionally, you should bring a non-erasable blue pen, something to drink, and an FFP2 mask.

This exam consists of a written and oral part. In the written part you complete: (1) a gap fill to demonstrate understanding of language building blocks (10 mins), (2) listening tasks (15 mins), (3) reading and writing tasks (45 mins), and (4) tasks about values and integration knowledge (40 mins). You answer true/false questions and single choice questions, as well as doing gap fill tasks.
In the oral part four participants speak for 15 minutes. There are always two examiners present to test your A1 speaking skills, such as your ability to ask questions or give an order.

The ÖIF German exam begins at eight or nine in the morning and takes about five to eight hours. The duration of the exam depends on your language level, the number of examinees, and when it’s your turn to take the oral exam. This means that you must take the entire day off work if you want to participate in an ÖIF exam.

This exam consists of a written and oral part. In the written part you complete: (1) listening tasks (25 mins), (2) reading tasks (45 mins), (3) writing tasks (30 mins), and (4) values and integration knowledge tasks (40 mins). You answer single choice questions, do matching tasks, and write a text.  
In the oral part you speak for about ten minutes. Two examiners will test your speaking skills using pictures and/or photographs.

The ÖIF is working on a German exam for the C1 level, but you can’t take it yet. If you need to verify that you’ve reached the C1 level in German to apply to an Austrian university, we recommend the ÖSD exam C1 or the EPD exam at the University of Vienna. Read more about studies and visa in the FAQ section on financial aid, visa and authorities.

The ÖIF exam for B2 tests whether your German skills are at the level B2. You need to demonstrate B2-level German skills to receive Austrian citizenship after a six-year stay in Austria. Currently, the B2 German exam for integration is undergoing a trial run as part of the German language starter pack. You are not yet legally required to take it. This means that you only need to take a German exam without integration knowledge to receive the B2 visa. Read more in the FAQ section on financial aid, visa and authorities.

This exam consists of a written and oral part. In the written part you complete: (1) reading tasks (45 mins), (2) listening tasks (25 mins), (3) writing tasks (30 mins), and (4) values and integration knowledge (40 mins). You do matching tasks, answer true/false questions as well as multiple choice questions, and write a letter in the answer sheet.
In the oral part you and another examinee speak for sixteen minutes about photographs and your experiences with the pictured topic. Two examiners will assess your speaking.

The ÖIF German exam begins at around eight or nine in the morning and is approximately five to eight hours long. The exact duration of the exam depends on your language level, the number of participants, and when you are scheduled for the oral exam.

You will have forty minutes to answer eighteen questions. Nine of these questions are yes/no questions and the other nine are a/b/c questions. This part, which is also known as the WOW (values and integration knowledge) test is a mandatory part of the ÖIF A1, A2, and B1 integration exam. You must answer at least 55% of these questions correctly to pass the ÖIF exam and receive an Austrian visa. Read more in the FAQ section on financial aid, visa and authorities.

The B2 exam is made up of a written part and an oral part. The written part of the exam takes about three hours to complete. It consists of: (1) reading tasks and language building block tasks (90 mins), (2) listening tasks (30 mins), and (3) writing tasks (30 mins). You do matching tasks, answer multiple choice questions, and answer true/false questions.
The oral part of the exam is about 15 to 25 minutes long. You work together with one or two participants to talk about a more complex topic. You will have time to prepare using a monolingual dictionary and an article as a jumping-off point. After your preparation time, you introduce yourself, give a presentation on the topic, discuss this topic, and solve a problem relating to the topic.

Values and integration knowledge is an additional part of the ÖIF exams for levels A1, A2, and B1. This part of the integration exam tests your understanding of the rules for living respectfully with others in Austria. You are asked 18 questions on the rules for daily life in Austria, including questions about language and education, work and the economy, living and neighbors, health, and legal and cultural integration. To receive a visa for Austria, you must pass an ÖIF exam with WOW. Read more in the FAQ section on financial aid, visa and authorities.

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What is the ÖIF and how can the ÖIF exam help me?

I was tested positive for the Coronavirus. Can I participate in the ÖIF exam?

For which language levels does the ÖIF offer an (integration) exam?

I didn’t pass the ÖIF exam. Why? What can I do?

What happens if I cheat during the ÖIF exam?

Can a teacher or the examiner help me answer questions during the exam?

I haven’t received my ÖIF results yet. What can I do?

Who oversees and marks the ÖIF exams?

How long is the ÖIF exam certificate valid?

I need my exam results as soon as possible.

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How do I pass the ÖIF exam?

Can I repeat the ÖIF exam?

What happens if I don’t pass one part of the ÖIF exam?

Can I use a dictionary during the ÖIF exam?

I’m late for my exam. Can I still take it?

What should I do if I forget to bring my ID to the ÖIF exam?

I want to take the ÖIF exam A1, A2, B1 or B2. What should I expect to be tested on?

What happens if I falsely identify myself at an ÖIF exam?

What do I need to bring to the ÖIF exam?

What does the ÖIF exam for A1 look like?

How long is the ÖIF exam?

What does the ÖIF exam for A2 look like?

Is there an ÖIF exam for C1?

Is there a B2 German integration exam and do I need to take it?

What does the ÖIF exam for B1 look like?

How long does it take to complete the ÖIF exam?

What will I be tested on in the values (“WOW”) part of the ÖIF exam?

What does the ÖIF exam for B2 look like?

What is values and integration knowledge (“WOW”)?

What is the ÖIF and how can the ÖIF exam help me?