How to Prepare for the Cyprus Culture Knowledge Test

New Cyprus naturalization rules make it easier for IT professionals to get a Cypriot passport. Our co-founder seized this opportunity and passed the required Cyprus Culture Knowledge Test.

In this article, he shares how he prepared, what actually helped, and what you should focus on to pass the culture exam without losing your mind.

After finishing with the written and speaking parts of the Greek language exam, I moved on to the final boss: the Cyprus culture test, which is necessary to pass for Cyprus naturalization.

How it felt in 3 words: Pure Memory Challenge. Good thing I found a Telegram bot that made it way easier (more below).

What the Culture Test Is and How It Works

The culture test includes 25 multiple-choice questions on geography, history, politics, and traditions. You need at least 60% correct answers to pass for Cyprus naturalization.

Registration is done by paying a €20 fee through the JCC Smart system. The link usually appears on official websites, in Telegram groups, or shared by language schools, so keep an eye out.

The results of your Cyprus culture knowledge show up online, but the actual certificate arrives by post. Weeks later.

Guessing Most Likely Doesn’t Work

The culture test used to have just two options per question, so some people guessed their way through. Now there are three or four, so guessing rarely works.

Sure, I know a few who passed without Greek or real prep, just spotting familiar words. But I wouldn’t rely on that. Scoring 60% is hard if you don’t understand the questions or know the facts about Cyprus culture.

I like to break things down and follow a plan.

How I Prepared

To pass, you need two ingredients: words and facts.

The culture test gets harder every year, especially in terms of language. We ran recent texts through a teacher-level tool, and they came out as C1-C2 Greek. If you don’t know the words, you won’t understand the questions. And once you do, you still need to know the facts about Cyprus culture.

Step 1: Learn the words

I took all the past questions I could find, pulled out every unfamiliar word, and crammed them. I used the same flashcard app I mentioned in the article about the written exam.

Step 2: Learn the facts

I used two main sources to prepare: visitcyprus.com and a Telegram bot. There was also a history book I skimmed through (but honestly, those two were more than enough).

Visitcyprus is the official site with reliable information about the country. It doesn’t cover everything, but it’s solid on the essentials — geography, politics, culture, economy. Most of what you’ll need for the test is there.

As for Telegram bots, I know of two:

– @mnemospeakbot

– @hallouminati_bot (this one’s free)

I bought a one-month subscription to @mnemospeakbot for €15. It had around 300 questions on Cyprus culture and more, and they keep updating the content.

Honestly, it’s one of the most effective ways to prepare. Just go through the questions again and again until you get them all right.

Culture test test topics I remember

The questions cover pretty much everything about Cyprus: culture, history, geography, politics, and the economy.

Here’s what I focused on while getting ready for the test:

Geography

Main rivers and their lengths
Reservoirs and mountain peaks
Which village belongs to which district (yes, seriously — there are a lot of villages)
UNESCO heritage sites, monasteries, mosques, and where they’re located
Native animals and nature zones

History & National Symbols

Independence dates
Creation and name of the national anthem
Key historical figures in the fight for independence
Major historical events and memorial days

Politics

Full list of Presidents, their years in office, and how long they ruled
Names of ministers and city mayors (there aren’t many cities — makes it doable)
Government structure and political parties

Economy

Main industries and sources of income for Cyprus
What the country exports, produces, and lives on

There will be tricky questions

Most of the questions are predictable. Stuff like:

When did Cyprus gain independence?
What’s the main religion?
What’s the longest river?
How long is a presidential term?
How many seats are there in the Parliament?

But then there are gotcha questions. Like: “In which district is Prodromos located?”

(Spoiler: it’s Limassol. But Google Maps shows Nicosia. Yep.)

No Closing Words. Just Useful Links

If you're somewhere on this path, feel free to steal the plan. And if you've already passed the Cyprus culture test, feel free to call out anything I got wrong 😁

How to Prepare for the Cyprus Culture Knowledge Test — Insights from Our Co-Founder