Bulgarian Citizenship Test study guide
Bulgarian Citizenship Test · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Bulgarian citizenship test is the language-and-civics assessment that accompanies an application for Bulgarian citizenship, most often through naturalisation. It is designed for foreign residents who have lived in Bulgaria long enough to apply, for people of Bulgarian descent who are reclaiming citizenship, and for spouses of Bulgarian citizens. The Bulgarian Citizenship Test study guide has 9 sections and about 3,297 words.
01Bulgarian Language Proficiency: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
The language component tests practical command of Bulgarian at roughly B1 level: understanding a short text, producing a coherent written answer, following spoken instructions, and holding a simple conversation. You should be comfortable with the Cyrillic alphabet (30 letters), the definite article suffixes (-ът/-ят, -та, -то, -те), verbal aspect (imperfective/perfective pairs such as пиша/напиша), and the renarrative (преизказно) forms that mark reported speech.
395 words, about 2 min02Bulgarian History: Medieval States and the National Revival
The Bulgarian state is conventionally dated to 681, when Khan Asparuh's Bulgars and the Slavic tribes concluded a treaty with Byzantium after the battle at Ongal. Key markers: Khan Krum's expansion and law-giving in the early 9th century; Khan Omurtag's construction programme; and Boris I's acceptance of Christianity from Constantinople in 864, which made Christianity the state religion.
406 words, about 2 min03Modern Bulgarian History: Liberation and the 20th Century
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 ended Ottoman rule; the Treaty of San Stefano (March 1878) created a large Bulgaria, but the Congress of Berlin (June–July 1878) split the territory into the Principality of Bulgaria, the autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia, and Macedonia and Thrace left under Ottoman rule. The Tarnovo Constitution (1879) established a parliamentary monarchy.
398 words, about 2 min04Geography of Bulgaria: Relief, Climate, Waters, Regions
Bulgaria covers about 111,000 square kilometres in the eastern Balkans. Relief is varied: the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) run east–west across the middle of the country; the Rila–Rodopi massif lies in the south, with Rila's Musala (2,925 m) the highest peak in the Balkans; the Danubian Plain occupies the north; and the Upper Thracian Plain lies in the south.
380 words, about 2 min05State Structure and Constitutional Order
The current Constitution was adopted in 1991 and amended several times. Article 1 defines Bulgaria as a democratic, legal, and social state with a parliamentary form of government.
372 words, about 2 min06Local Self-Government and Administrative-Territorial Division
Bulgaria's administrative-territorial structure has two levels: the municipality (община) and the region (област). Municipalities are the basic unit of local self-government; regions are a deconcentrated state administration level.
303 words, about 2 min07Rights, Freedoms, and Obligations of Citizens
The Constitution's second chapter guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms. Key features: rights are guaranteed to all persons, not only citizens, unless the text says otherwise; restrictions are possible only by law and only for constitutionally listed reasons (national security, public order, health, rights of others); and the essence of a right cannot be abolished.
336 words, about 2 min08National Symbols, Holidays, and Cultural Heritage
The national flag is a horizontal tricolour of white, green, and red. The coat of arms shows a golden lion rampant on a dark red shield, crowned, with two lions supporting it and a crown above, and the motto 'Съединението прави силата' (Unity makes strength).
363 words, about 2 min09Bulgaria's European and International Integration
Bulgaria joined NATO on 29 March 2004 and the European Union on 1 January 2007. It is a parliamentary democracy that participates in the EU's institutions: it elects Members of the European Parliament and takes part in the Council of the EU and the European Council.
344 words, about 2 min