Civic exam
French civic exam practice questions, one theme at a time
Pick a theme, answer the questions in the set and read the explanation right after each answer, or at the end if you prefer.
Independent site, not linked to the French Interior Ministry, the préfectures or the exam centres.
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| Practice set of 10 questions |
Knowledge questions: French Interior Ministry, Licence Ouverte 2.0, translated by us. Options, explanations and scenarios: Radif Partners. The real exam is in French only. Not the official exam.
French civic exam practice questions are multiple-choice items with 4 options and a single right answer, the same format as the real test. On the day, the paper has 40 questions, lasts 45 minutes and needs 32 correct answers; a wrong answer and a blank both score zero. The real exam is in French only, so these English questions are a way to understand the notions before you practise in French. The tool on this page draws ten questions from the theme you choose, out of the 434 in our bank, and shows the right answer after each one, with an explanation and the official sheet to check. The 366 knowledge questions are translated from the stems published by the French Interior Ministry; the 68 scenario questions are written by us. The "New set" button changes the questions as often as you like, and you can hold the marking back to the end to test yourself without help.
How many mistakes can I still make?
Mistakes still allowed
5
| Mistakes allowed in the exam | 8 |
| A blank answer counts | as a mistake (0 points) |
| Pass mark | 32 correct answers |
Answers, dates and costs by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Why short sets work for expats
A full paper mixes five themes and tells you little about why you went wrong. A ten-question set on a single theme does the opposite: it isolates one notion, shows the right answer at once and explains it. For someone who did not grow up in France, many notions are new rather than forgotten, so learning them in small, corrected batches is far quicker than sitting forty questions marked in one go.
A three-step routine works well. First, one set per theme in English with instant marking, to discover the notions. Second, the same themes in French, still with instant marking, to learn the vocabulary of the real exam. Third, the full civic exam mock test in French, against the clock.
What the question bank holds
| Theme | Questions in our bank | Questions on exam day |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Principles and values of the Republic | 102 | 11 |
| 2. Institutions and politics | 78 | 6 |
| 3. Rights and duties | 97 | 11 |
| 4. History, geography and culture | 96 | 8 |
| 5. Living in French society | 61 | 4 |
The themes do not weigh the same. The principles and values of the Republic and rights and duties carry 11 questions each on the day, while living in French society carries only 4. Spread your revision in the same proportions, but do not skip the small themes: every question is worth one point.
Three sample questions and the logic behind them
- "Can a child refuse to go to school for a religious reason?" Right answer: No, education is compulsory for everyone. The trap is to think a personal belief can override a legal duty.
- "Which condition is necessary to vote in elections?" Right answer: Being registered on the electoral roll. Age and nationality are not enough; registering is a step you have to take.
- "Can a woman start her own business?" Right answer: Yes, like a man, without needing permission. Equality between women and men comes up in every theme, working life included.
The right option usually follows from a principle rather than a detail. When in doubt, ask which answer respects equality, freedom and secularism; it is often the correct one. Dates and places, mostly in history and geography, need memory instead, so review them separately.
Knowledge questions and scenarios
The sets mix two kinds of question. Knowledge questions use an official stem published by the ministry in the resident card list and the multi-year permit list. Scenario questions describe an everyday situation and ask for the lawful response; the ministry does not publish them, so ours are written from the official guidance sheets. To focus on that second kind, open the scenario questions page.
When to move on to the full paper
A simple benchmark: when you get at least nine out of ten in every theme with marking held to the end, you are ready for the timed paper. If one theme stays below that, work on it alone, for instance on the rights and duties page, which sets out its notions. The real pass mark leaves room for 8 mistakes in total, and one weak theme is enough to use them all up.