Civic exam
The naturalisation civic exam for French citizenship
Sit a mock paper at the naturalisation level, then see how the certificate fits into a French citizenship application.
Independent site, not linked to the French Interior Ministry, the préfectures or the exam centres.
Your score · Naturalisation
0 / 40
0 / 40 answered
Pick an answer to start
| Pass mark: 32 of 40 |
| Time left: 45:00 |
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.
The naturalisation civic exam is the test, at the naturalisation level, that every foreign national applying for French citizenship by decree, or for reinstatement, has had to pass since 1 January 2026. The format is the same as the other levels: 40 multiple-choice questions in French only, 45 minutes, 32 correct answers needed. It replaces nothing. It comes on top of French at level B2, an assimilation interview at the préfecture and the signing of the charter of the rights and duties of the French citizen. There is no age exemption at this level, unlike for residence permits; only a disability or health condition certified by a doctor can lead to adjustments or an exemption. Citizenship through marriage, obtained by declaration, does not require the exam. The tool above draws a full naturalisation-level paper, timed and marked at the real pass mark, and the small tool checks which French level and exam level apply to your application and age.
Which French level for my permit?
Level required
B2
| Civic exam | naturalisation level |
| Exam pass mark | 32 / 40 |
Answers, dates and costs by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Where the exam fits in a citizenship application
Naturalisation by decree is not an entitlement: the authorities weigh the whole file. Integration into the French community, called assimilation, is now checked through several documents and steps, and the civic exam is only one of them.
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Age | 18, with filing possible from 17 |
| Habitual residence in France | 5 years as a rule, 2 in some cases |
| French | level B2 |
| Civic exam | naturalisation level, 32 correct out of 40 |
| Interview | assimilation interview at the préfecture |
| Charter | signing the charter of the rights and duties of the French citizen |
| Tax stamp | €255 |
Each condition, from shortened periods to income, is detailed on the naturalisation requirements page. The point here is that the civic exam certificate has no expiry date, so nothing stops you from sitting it well before you put the rest of the file together.
What the paper checks in a future citizen
The syllabus is the same as for the other levels, across five themes. The ministry has published knowledge question lists for the multi-year permit and the resident card; our naturalisation-level draw uses the latter and favours 102 stems that the ministry also asks at this level. The 12 scenario questions complete the paper.
For someone about to become French, some notions carry extra weight: voting and elections, which you will take part in; the motto and symbols; secularism and equality between women and men, which often come up again at the interview. The citizen's booklet, approved by the order of 3 July 2026, is one of the reference points of the assimilation process; its page explains what it contains and how it is used.
Exam and interview: two kinds of preparation
- The exam is taken in an approved centre, on a computer, with closed answers, in French.
- The assimilation interview takes place at the préfecture, spoken, and starts from your personal situation.
- What you learn for one serves the other: history, institutions, values.
- The charter of the rights and duties of the French citizen, published on Légifrance, is signed at the end: reading it early avoids surprises.
What it costs
The naturalisation tax stamp is €255 per applicant, €127.50 in French Guiana. The civic exam is paid separately to the test centre, which sets its own price, and so is the French test if you have no qualifying French diploma. The naturalisation cost page adds these up.
Naturalisation tax stamp
Stamps to buy
€510
| Per applicant | €255 |
| Rate in French Guiana | €127.50 |
| Civic exam | paid separately to the centre |
After you pass
The certificate never expires, so you can sit the exam before the rest of your file is ready. The decision on naturalisation is due within 18 months of the receipt for a complete file, or 12 months if you have lived in France for at least 10 years. Medical exemptions are covered on the civic exam exemptions page.