What level of Norwegian does a healthcare assistant (helsefagarbeider) need to work in Norway?

B2 is the fourth of the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which run from A1 to C2. It is the highest “independent user” level.

According to the Council of Europe, a B2 speaker understands the main ideas of complex texts, including technical discussions in their field, interacts with native speakers with a degree of fluency and spontaneity, without strain for either side, and writes clear, detailed texts. For a helsefagarbeider, that means following a nurse's instructions, reporting changes in a patient's condition, recording what you observe and talking with residents and relatives without falling back on another language.

Source: [7]

Two additional requirements, once Helsedirektoratet finds your training equivalent to the Norwegian one, and the language one comes first: without it you cannot be admitted to the course. There is no exemption from the language requirement.

You have three years to complete them and you pay the costs yourself. Unlike nurses, doctors and dentists, a helsefagarbeider does not have to take the medication handling course.

1. Language: B2 in every part of Norskprøven (the test from the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, HK-dir) or the “Test i norsk – høyere nivå” (Bergenstesten). Some studies in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish also count.
2. National subjects course (kurs i nasjonale fag): the organisation of Norwegian health and care services; health, social security and welfare law; cultural understanding and national priorities.

Source: [1], [2]

No. Since 15 January 2021, Helsedirektoratet no longer requires the fagprøve from helsefagarbeidere educated outside the EU/EEA: the language requirement and the national subjects course remain.

The change also applied to people who had applied before that date and received a letter asking them to take the fagprøve. Nurses, doctors and dentists educated outside the EU/EEA still have to pass it.

Source: [3]

Helsefagarbeider is not a harmonised profession in the EU, so Helsedirektoratet compares your specific training with the Norwegian helsefagarbeider training. The additional language and course requirements are for people educated outside the EU/EEA. That does not mean you can work without Norwegian.

The national guide on hiring health personnel says everyone hired in Norwegian healthcare should be able to document Norwegian at B2, spoken and written, and that it is the employer's responsibility to make sure staff speak and understand Norwegian well enough to give safe care. The same guide recommends holding job interviews in Norwegian, so employers may ask you to show your level.

Source: [4], [1], [5]

Norskprøven has a written part, split into listening, reading and writing, and an oral test. It is digital, and each part can be taken separately.

There are three versions depending on the level you are aiming for: A1–A2, A2–B1 and B1–B2. The B1–B2 version is the one that goes up to B2. Helsedirektoratet requires B2 in every part: an average is not enough.

Source: [6], [1]

No. The SnakkTrygt certificate shows that you passed our exam for a level and carries a verification code, but it is not an official qualification and it is not one of the language tests Helsedirektoratet accepts.

What the healthcare Norwegian course does is take you from A1 to B2 with the vocabulary and situations of a hospital or care home: talking with patients and relatives, medication, shift handovers and documentation, with instant feedback on what you write. Before anything else, check your case on Helsedirektoratet's website and start with the part of the test you find hardest.