How the 2026 civic exam works

Since 1 January 2026, the civic exam is mandatory for anyone applying for a multi-year residence permit (CSP), a resident card (CR), or French citizenship by naturalisation. Its format is set by décret n° 2025-647 and the arrêté of 10 October 2025.

In practice, the exam has 40 multiple-choice questions, to be completed in 45 minutes, with a pass threshold of 80% correct answers.

These 40 questions split into two distinct blocks. The first, 28 questions, covers factual knowledge across five official themes: Republic values, institutions, rights and duties, history and geography, social life. These are questions you can revise in advance, and that's exactly what our theme-by-theme practice covers.

The second block, 12 questions, assesses your reaction to concrete everyday situations in France — scenarios that are never published in advance, and so can't be memorised. This is the hardest part to prepare for, and it's precisely why we generate this kind of situational question rather than limiting ourselves to the knowledge questions that are already public.

The French level expected depends on the procedure you're taking (arrêté of 10 October 2025); that's why our explanations exist in A2, B1, and B2 — so understanding doesn't already depend on an excellent level of French.

Always check the version of the regulatory text currently in force before registering, as the rules can change.