Eksamen er vanskeligere enn prøven.

Norwegian often drops the article for certain “institutional” or recurring activities, especially in a general sense. Words like skole (school), jobb (work), frokost (breakfast) and eksamen (exam) are frequently used without an article when you talk about them in a more general or habitual way:

• Jeg har eksamen i morgen. – I have an exam tomorrow.
• Eksamen er vanskelig. – Exams / the exam (in general) is hard.

By contrast, prøven here clearly has the definite ending -en, meaning “the test.”

So in this sentence:

• Eksamen = “exam” in a general / known context, no article.
• prøven = “the test” (a specific test) – en prøve → prøven.

You could also say Eksamenen er vanskeligere enn prøven if you want to emphasise one specific, clearly identified exam, but Eksamen without article is very common and natural.

In standard Bokmål:

• eksamen is masculine:

  • indefinite singular: en eksamen
  • definite singular: eksamenen
  • indefinite plural: eksamener
  • definite plural: eksamenene

• prøve is usually masculine in Bokmål (though it can also be treated as feminine in some styles):

  • indefinite singular: en prøve
  • definite singular: prøven (masc) / prøva (fem, optional)
  • indefinite plural: prøver
  • definite plural: prøvene

In the sentence you have, the forms are:

• Eksamen – here used without article.
• prøven – masculine definite singular (the test).

Prøve is the indefinite form (a test). To make it definite (the test) in standard masculine Bokmål, you attach -en:

• en prøve → prøven (the test)

Pattern:

• en gutt → gutten (the boy)
• en stol → stolen (the chair)
• en prøve → prøven (the test)

You may also see prøva as a definite form; that’s the feminine ending and is common in some dialects and informal Bokmål, but prøven is the “standard” school form.

Vanskeligere is the comparative form of the adjective vanskelig (difficult).

The three degrees are:

• positiv (positive): vanskelig – difficult
• komparativ (comparative): vanskeligere – more difficult / harder
• superlativ (superlative): vanskeligst – most difficult / hardest

In Norwegian, many common adjectives form the comparative by adding -ere:

• stor → større (big → bigger)
• billig → billigere (cheap → cheaper)
• vanskelig → vanskeligere (difficult → more difficult)

So Eksamen er vanskeligere enn prøven = “The exam is more difficult than the test.”

You can say mer vanskelig, and it will be understood, but vanskeligere is:

• shorter
• more idiomatic
• what native speakers normally say

So:

• Natural: Eksamen er vanskeligere enn prøven.
• Possible but less natural: Eksamen er mer vanskelig enn prøven.

For most common adjectives of this type, prefer the -ere form in everyday Norwegian.

In the comparative degree, adjectives in Norwegian normally have one form for all genders and numbers.

So you say:

• Eksamen er vanskeligere. (The exam is harder.)
• Prøven er vanskeligere. (The test is harder.)
• Prøvene er vanskeligere. (The tests are harder.)
• Oppgavene er vanskeligere. (The tasks are harder.)

Always vanskeligere.

By contrast, in the positive degree, you do see variation:

• Prøven er vanskelig. (singular)
• Prøvene er vanskelige. (plural)

But once you go to vanskeligere, you keep that same form in all these cases.

Enn means “than” in comparisons.

You use it after a comparative adjective or adverb:

• større enn – bigger than
• bedre enn – better than
• raskere enn – faster than
• vanskeligere enn – more difficult than

So:

• Eksamen er vanskeligere enn prøven.
  = The exam is more difficult than the test.

Don’t use og here; og means “and”, not “than.”

The normal word order here is:

[Subject] + er + [comparative adjective] + enn + [thing you compare with]

So:

• Eksamen er vanskeligere enn prøven.

You cannot split it like this:

• ✗ Eksamen er enn prøven vanskeligere. (incorrect)

You can move the enn-phrase for emphasis in spoken language, but it’s less common and sounds marked:

• Eksamen er, enn prøven, mye vanskeligere. (very marked / stylistic)

For learners, stick to:

• Eksamen er [comparative] enn [noun].

Approximate Eastern Norwegian pronunciation (IPA + rough English hints):

• eksamen – /ɛkˈsɑːmən/

  • like “ek-SA-men”, stress on SA.

• vanskeligere – /ˈvɑnskəlɪɡərə/ (the g is often very soft)

  • roughly “VAHN-skeh-li-ge-re”, stress on the first syllable VANS-.

• prøven – /ˈprøːvən/

  • ø is like the vowel in French peu or German schön.
  • very roughly “PRUHH-ven”, with rounded lips on prø- and stress on PRØ.

Exact sounds differ by dialect, but these are good target pronunciations.

Yes, typically:

• eksamen

  • a formal exam, often important for your grade or qualification
  • usually at the end of a course, semester, or program
  • more “official”

• prøve

  • a test, quiz, or check
  • can be smaller, more frequent, less formal
  • used at school, in language tests, etc.

So the sentence suggests that the exam (eksamen) is a bigger, more serious assessment than the test (prøven), and it’s harder.