Frequently asked questions

The civic exam is a compulsory test, in force since 1 January 2026, that checks your knowledge of the principles, values and workings of the French Republic. It is taken on a computer and consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, entirely in French, to be answered in 45 minutes. Each question offers 4 answers, only one of which is correct. You must score at least 32 correct out of 40, i.e. 80 %, to pass.

The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions to answer in 45 minutes. To pass you need at least 32 correct answers out of 40, that is 80 %. Each question has 4 options and a single correct answer; you earn 1 point per correct answer and 0 for a wrong or blank answer. There is therefore no penalty: it is always better to answer.

The exam covers five themes: the principles and values of the Republic; the institutional and political system; rights and duties; history, geography and culture; and living in French society. Questions are spread across these five themes, with more questions on principles and values and on rights and duties.

A mise en situation (situational question) describes a concrete everyday situation and asks you to choose the right reaction in the light of the Republic's principles and rules. Of the 40 exam questions, 12 are situational and 28 are knowledge questions. Like the others they are multiple choice, with 4 options and a single correct answer.

The civic exam concerns people applying for the FIRST time for a multi-year residence permit (CSP) or a resident card (CR), as well as those applying for naturalisation (NAT). The scheme has been in force since 1 January 2026. RENEWING a residence permit you already hold is NOT concerned: in that case you owe neither the civic exam nor a language proof.

No. The civic exam and the language proof only apply to FIRST multi-year residence permits, first resident cards and naturalisation. Renewing a permit you already hold is not subject to these obligations: you have nothing extra to provide for that renewal.

Several situations give a right to an exemption, but they do not all cover the same obligation. In particular: a diploma or certification at the required level (LANGUAGE exemption only); age 65 or over (CIVIC EXAM exemption only); disability or a chronic deficient state of health, on medical certificate (exemption from language and/or exam, or accommodations); certain refugee, subsidiary protection or stateless situations; people who can only communicate in sign language (language) or only read in braille (both); and residence permits not subject to the republican integration contract (CIR).

These are two distinct obligations with distinct exemptions — do not confuse them. The language proof attests your level of French (A2 for the CSP, B1 for the CR, B2 for naturalisation). The civic exam tests your knowledge of the Republic. Being exempt from one NEVER automatically exempts you from the other. For example, a diploma at the required level exempts you from language but not the exam; age 65 or over exempts you from the exam but not language.

Three applications are concerned, each with its required level of French under the Common European Framework (CEFR): the multi-year residence permit (CSP) requires level A2; the resident card (CR) requires B1; naturalisation (NAT) requires B2, the highest. The civic exam itself is the same scheme for all three: what changes between applications is the expected level of French, not the nature of the exam.

For naturalisation, the required level of French is B2 on the Common European Framework (CEFR) — the highest of the three applications (A2 for the multi-year residence permit, B1 for the resident card). This level is proven by a diploma or certification (for example a DELF B2, or a DALF C1 or C2, or a TCF/TEF attestation less than two years old at the required level), unless you are exempt from the language proof.

The language proof is usually a diploma or certification attesting the level required by your application (A2, B1 or B2). Accepted proofs include a DELF/DALF at the required level, a TCF or TEF attestation less than two years old, or a French diploma (brevet, CAP/BEP, baccalauréat, higher-education diploma obtained in French). This proof is independent of the civic exam, which is still due unless a specific exemption applies.

The entretien d'assimilation is an individual interview, specific to the naturalisation procedure, conducted by an administration officer. It aims to check your assimilation into the French community: your knowledge of the rights and duties of a citizen, of French history, culture and society, as well as your command of spoken French. It is a test distinct from the civic exam (the multiple-choice QCM): the interview is oral and specific to naturalisation.

Passing the civic exam requires reaching the 80 % threshold (at least 32 correct out of 40). If you do not reach it, the exam is not validated. The precise rules for a fresh attempt (whether you may retake it, any waiting period, the number of attempts, any cost) are not established in our sources: they must be verified on the official sources before you rely on them. Treat only the pass threshold (80 %) as settled.

The cost of the civic exam (whether it is free or the amount of any fee) is not established in our sources and cannot be stated here reliably. We give no figure so as not to mislead you: check the exact amount, and who bears it where relevant, with the official sources (the Ministry of the Interior's website, the préfecture, or the authority handling your application).

The exam is taken on a computer: you answer the 40 questions on screen, in French, within a limited time of 45 minutes. The precise practical arrangements — how to register, where to go (a centre, the préfecture or an approved body), how to book an appointment — are not reliably detailed in our sources. Check these steps with the official sources (the Ministry of the Interior's website, the préfecture, or the authority handling your application).

Prepare the exam's five themes (principles and values, institutions, rights and duties, history-geography-culture, living in French society) and practise multiple-choice questions under the same conditions: 4 options, a single correct answer, no negative marking. Since 12 of the 40 questions are situational and concentrated on values and rights and duties, also practise applying principles to concrete cases, not only memorising facts.

The civic exam rests mainly on Decree n° 2025-648 of 15 July 2025 and on the Order (arrêté) of 10 October 2025, which sets its format and framework (the 40 questions, the 45 minutes, the 80 % threshold, the five themes). Exemptions (notably for disability or health) also fall under the Order of 30 December 2025, in two texts: one for nationality, one for residence.

The civic exam has been compulsory since 1 January 2026. From that date it applies to first applications for a multi-year residence permit and a resident card, as well as to naturalisation applications. Renewals of permits already held remain outside the scheme.

No. This application is an independent preparation tool, NOT affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior or any public authority. Its content is educational: it helps you practise, but it replaces neither an official text, nor legal advice, nor the decision of the administration handling your file. For any procedure, refer to the official sources.

The content is written carefully from official sources, but it remains an independent practice tool, not a source of law. The answers and explanations are provided to prepare you; when in doubt on a precise point, check it against the official texts. A few questions explicitly flag a point to be confirmed (cost, retakes, logistics) rather than putting forward unverified information.

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