Civic exam
The 2026 French civic exam reform, explained for expats
Enter your application in the tool to see whether the exam and which French level apply to you, then read what the reform changed.
Independent site, not linked to the French Interior Ministry, the préfectures or the exam centres.
Civic exam
Resident card level
French level
B1
Required for a first application since 1 January 2026.
Rules from the service-public.gouv.fr pages read on 25 October 2026; the préfecture alone decides on your file.
The 2026 civic exam is the test that became compulsory in France on 1 January 2026 for three applications: a first multi-year residence permit, a first resident card, and naturalisation or reinstatement by decree. Its syllabus and organisation are set by the order of 10 October 2025. It is a 40-question test in French only, 28 knowledge questions and 12 scenarios, to be completed in 45 minutes; you need 32 correct answers to get a certificate, which never expires. Each application has its own exam level, and each level goes with a French language requirement: A2 for the multi-year permit, B1 for the resident card, B2 for naturalisation. Renewals, nationality declarations and people over 65 applying for a residence permit are outside it. For expats already settled in France, the first renewal is not affected; the next step up is. The tool above tells you, from your application and situation, whether the exam applies and at which level, and the small tool checks the age rule.
Do I have to sit the exam at my age?
Civic exam
Required
| Residence permits | exempt over 65 |
| Naturalisation | no age exemption |
Answers, dates and costs by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The reform's texts, in order
| Date | Text or step | What it sets |
|---|---|---|
| 10 October 2025 | Order on the civic exam | syllabus, paper, question mix |
| 18 December 2025 | service-public.gouv.fr news item | announcement of the new exam |
| 22 December 2025 | Order on proof of French | levels for multi-year permits and resident cards |
| 30 December 2025 | Exemption order | French and exam exemptions for nationality |
| 1 January 2026 | Rules take effect | certificate required for the applications concerned |
| 3 July 2026 | Citizen's booklet order | new booklet for naturalisation |
The core text is the order of 10 October 2025. Its Article 3 sets the paper: number of questions, time, marking, pass mark and split by theme. The other texts set the French level and the exemptions. All of them are in French; the table above gives their gist so you know which one to open if a préfecture or a centre refers to it.
Three levels for three applications
| Application | Exam level | French level |
|---|---|---|
| First multi-year residence permit | multi-year permit | A2 |
| First resident card | resident card | B1 |
| Naturalisation or reinstatement by decree | naturalisation | B2 |
The format is the same at every level: 40 questions, 45 minutes, 32 correct answers. What changes is the knowledge questions, drawn from separate lists. The which civic exam page starts from your situation to tell you which level is yours.
What the reform left alone
- Renewing a permit requires no exam.
- Nationality declarations, through marriage or as a parent, grandparent or sibling of a French citizen, require none either.
- The refugee resident card and the multi-year permit for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and stateless people stay outside it.
- Permits issued outside the republican integration contract are not concerned.
- Over 65, no exam for a residence permit; for naturalisation, no age exemption.
All exceptions, medical ones included, are on the civic exam exemptions page. If you hold a status that is exempt today, check again before any change of permit: the exemption follows the permit applied for, not the person.
How the exam works in practice
Two bodies are authorised to run it: the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce, under the name Le français des affaires, and France Éducation international. They work through approved centres in France and in some French institutes and Alliances françaises abroad, which helps expats who prepare their move from outside the country. Each centre sets its own price; there is no national fee. The price and booking page explains how to book.
The ministry states that preparation can be entirely free: question lists and theme sheets on its site, plus the civic training of the republican integration contract. The civic exam mock test on this site, also free, follows the 2026 format and its official mix.