Integration Exam: Only 48% pass A2, 49% B1 in Austria

Another problem is dropped German language courses. According to the parliamentary response, German courses were dropped without excuse nearly 10,000 times in 2025. Since the Integration Act governs A2 and B1 exams, the response only contains figures for these two levels.

Politicians respond with criticism

Green Party deputy parliamentary group leader Sigrid Maurer, whose faction submitted the parliamentary question, sharply criticized the responsible Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF). It has been responsible for integration for 15 years – "und die Bilanz ist inakzeptabel", Maurer continued.

Another member of parliament struck a similar tone: "Ministerin Bauer investiert ihre Arbeitszeit in lauten Instagram-Populismus statt sich um funktionierende Integrationspolitik zu kümmern und die offensichtlichen Qualitätsdefizite und Missstände beim ÖIF (Österreichischer Integrationsfonds, Anm.) endlich zu beheben."

The Austrian Integration Fund rejected the criticism on Thursday, pointing to its own quality assurance system. The ÖIF's German courses had "als einzige in Österreich über eine gesetzlich verankerte Qualitätssicherung", according to a statement.

ÖIF announces reforms

At the same time, the fund announced reforms. The ÖIF German courses had been specifically further developed as of April 2026 – including greater binding force. The opposition, however, sees this as insufficient evidence of a turnaround in exam results.

The debate is set against the planned integration requirement. Supporters argue that binding language standards facilitate integration. Critics point to the high failure rate and the rising number of repeat attempts, which place additional strain on the system.

Background: Integration requirement and countries of origin

The parliamentary response also contains information on countries of origin. These include Afghanistan and other third countries, from which a large share of the candidates sitting the exam originate. Detailed breakdowns by nationality were requested by the members of parliament who submitted the question.

Overall, the figures reveal a structural problem: despite multiple attempts, the success rate is declining. The opposition is therefore calling for a fundamental reform of the course and exam structure, while the responsible minister, Claudia Bauer, has so far not presented any comprehensive measures.

How the ÖIF intends to concretely respond to the falling success rates remained unclear on Thursday. What is clear, however, is that the 2026 exam statistics could deteriorate further if the announced reforms do not take effect quickly.