How to prepare for the SFI D national test: step by step

Course D is the last and most advanced course in SFI (Swedish for immigrants), and its national test checks whether you have reached the course goals. The test has four parts, and in writing you produce two texts, one of them more formal. Here is what it contains as of September 2026, how it differs from the C test, and how to plan your last two weeks.

What is on the SFI D test?

The four parts, Läsa (reading), Höra (listening), Skriva (writing) and Tala (speaking), stand alone and can be given on one day or spread over several. Stockholm University develops the tests for Skolverket, the Swedish National Agency for Education. The test is on paper, so expect to write by hand: typing is an adjustment given to individual students.

It is not a standalone exam: your teacher grades the course, Godkänt (pass) or Icke godkänt (not passed), on everything you have shown, but the test result must be given particular weight. See how the SFI test is graded and our overview of the SFI national test. Aiming for citizenship? See the 2026 citizenship requirements.

Läsa (reading): Läsa A and Läsa B

Texts range from ads, tables and charts to letters to the editor (insändare), interviews and emails, and there is always a longer article. They are longer than in course C, with more general topics and rarer words, and sometimes you must read between the lines. You answer multiple-choice and open questions, match paragraphs with headings or questions with answers, and fill gaps.

How to practise: Read a letter to the editor or an official text daily and give each paragraph a brief heading. Keep open answers short: a teacher in Stockholm University’s follow-up of D7 noted that many students got a task wrong by writing too much.

Höra (listening): one part

You hear stories, conversations, announcements and news, in informal and more formal situations. Questions ask when, where and why, but also what someone thinks, what people agree on and why someone is calling. Wrong options may also be mentioned in the recording.

How to practise: Listen to news and interviews at normal speed, for example from Sveriges Radio, and sum up each item in one sentence. Extra replays are a rare adjustment, so learn to keep up without pausing.

Skriva (writing): two texts, one more formal

One task is informal and starts from your own situation. The other is more formal: it also starts from you but includes a more general part. Skolverket’s example task for course D is a reply to a letter to the editor.

The teacher first judges whether the text does its job, is developed enough and suits the reader, then looks at structure, linking words, vocabulary, grammar and spelling. It need not be error-free: under the D-level assessment matrix, mistakes should generally not hinder understanding, and they are weighed against how ambitious your language is.

How to practise: Write formal texts such as letters to the editor, complaints and emails to a landlord or employer. Say why you are writing, give each point in the task its own paragraph and sign off with Med vänliga hälsningar. Use linking words (sambandsord) such as eftersom (because), för att (in order to) and också (also), mix past, present and future, and sometimes start with something other than the subject: Förra året började jag på en ny kurs (Last year I started a new course).

Tala (speaking): with the teacher and in pairs

In one task you talk with the teacher and should give longer, connected answers, for example advice to a friend. In the other you discuss with another student using question cards or a mind map, and how you move the conversation forward together is also assessed. Topics such as leisure, work and society are only revealed at the test.

How to practise: Practise phrases such as Jag håller med (I agree), Vad tycker du? (What do you think?) and Varför det? (Why?), and give reasons with eftersom. In the pair task, talk to your partner, not the teacher. Ask your teacher about Skolverket’s example conversations, Samtal på gång.

How the D test differs from the C test

Still on course C? Read our guide to the C test. According to the syllabus and assessment matrices:

• Writing: two texts instead of one, one of them more formal.
• Situations: informal and more formal ones, not only common situations.
• Text types: expository and argumentative texts too, not only narrative and descriptive ones.
• Speaking: expressing and answering opinions with simple arguments.
• Language: more variety in linking words, word choice and sentence structure.

Step by step: the last two weeks

1. Take a full timed practice test (days 1–2). Do all parts under time pressure and note where time runs out and what went worst. Skolverket’s Gamla nationella prov (old national tests) page has free example tasks, including three D-level listening tasks with audio. Real tests stay confidential: see how to practise with old national tests.
2. Turn the assessment matrix into your checklist (day 3). Using the public D-level writing matrix from Stockholm University, list what it looks at: every point in the task, tone, paragraphs, linking words and tenses.
3. Write two texts every other day (days 4–11). One informal and one formal, by hand and timed. Check them against your list or get feedback.
4. Practise reading, listening and speaking daily (days 4–12). An article, a news item and a few minutes’ talk on a random topic.
5. Take a final full test (day 13). Compare it with the first and go over what is still weak.

Three mistakes to avoid

1. Missing a point in the writing task. Teachers in the follow-up say students easily miss required points, and one describes a strong writer getting no points for forgetting to explain why. Tick off every point.
2. Not planning your time. Some teachers say the writing time feels short, so split it between the two texts in advance and save time to proofread.
3. Memorising a speech. Tala is a conversation, and a rehearsed speech is met with a new question.

Summary

The SFI D test assesses the same four skills as the C test, with more formal situations, longer texts and two writing tasks. Writing trips up the most students, so give it the most time and write against a checklist. Practise the rest daily and confirm dates with your SFI school.

SFI Prov, our free app, has a separate SFI D course: practice tests in reading, listening and writing, including formal writing, with AI feedback on your texts. It also has vocabulary with recorded Swedish audio at normal and slow speed, short grammar films, and AI conversation practice in D-level situations such as a job interview or contacting an agency (free account needed, daily time limit). The interface is in Swedish, English, Arabic, Persian and Somali.

Download SFI Prov on the App Store → · Google Play →

Sources

All sources are in Swedish.

• Skolverket: Test parts and content
• Skolverket: Test dates
• Skolverket: Old national tests (SFI example tasks)
• Skolverket: SFI syllabus
• Skolverket: The new SFI syllabuses (PDF)
• Skolverket: The grading scale
• Stockholm University: About the SFI tests
• Stockholm University: Frequently asked questions
• Stockholm University: Follow-up of tests D6 and D7 (PDF)
• Stockholm University: Writing assessment matrix, course D (PDF)
• Stockholm University: Speaking assessment matrix, course D (PDF)
• Stockholm University: Guidance for conversation leaders, course D (PDF)
• Stockholm University: Adjustments, course D (PDF)
• Stockholm University: Changes coming to SFI (2026)

SFI Prov is independent practice material from SverigeFokus and is not affiliated with Skolverket, Stockholm University or any other authority. Always confirm current test rules with your SFI school.