The 5 themes
Principles and values of the French Republic: theme 1 revision
Practise on sets from theme 1, marked after each answer, then read the notions and the traps that cost the most points.
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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.
Principles and values of the Republic is the first of the five themes of the French civic exam. It covers the motto "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité", the symbols of the Republic such as the flag, the anthem, Marianne and the national holiday, the French language, and secularism (laïcité). On the day it carries 11 of the 40 questions: 3 on the motto and symbols, 2 on secularism and 6 scenarios, half of all scenarios in the paper. Together with rights and duties, it is the heaviest theme. Knowledge questions test precise landmarks; scenarios ask you to apply equality, non-discrimination and secularism to everyday scenes, at a public service counter, at work or when renting a flat. French secularism often differs from what expats know at home, which makes this theme worth extra time. The tool above draws ten-question sets from this theme only, out of the 102 in our bank, marked after each answer, in English here and in French on the real exam; the small tool shows the official split.
How many questions on this theme?
Questions in the exam
11 / 40
| Motto and symbols | 3 |
| Secularism | 2 |
| Scenarios | 6 |
Answers, dates and costs by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The motto and the symbols
The 3 questions on this notion deal with landmarks you see every day without always naming them. Three examples from our bank show the range, from a date to the meaning of a word in the motto:
- "What does 14 July correspond to?" Answer: France's national holiday. 14 July has been France's national holiday since 1880. It recalls the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 and the Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790.
- "What is the place of the French language in the Republic?" Answer: It is the only official language, written into the Constitution. French is the language of the Republic (Article 2 of the Constitution). It is used at school, in public administration and in the courts, which gives everyone equal access to their rights.
- "What does the word "fraternité" mean in the French motto?" Answer: Solidarity between citizens.
The classic trap is mixing up commemorations: 14 July is neither the armistice of the First World War nor the end of the Second. Learn each symbol with its meaning, not just its name.
Secularism (laïcité)
French secularism rests on two ideas. First, freedom of conscience: everyone may believe, not believe or change religion freely. Second, State neutrality: the State recognises and funds no religion, and its officials do not show their beliefs while on duty. This may differ from what you know at home: the strict neutrality binds the State, not you.
- "What does the principle of laïcité guarantee?" Answer: The freedom to believe or not to believe. Laïcité guarantees freedom of conscience, equality of all before the law whatever their religion, and the neutrality of the State, which funds no religion.
- "Can a person freely change their religion?" Answer: Yes, it is a right guaranteed by secularism (laïcité). Laïcité guarantees freedom of conscience: everyone is free to have a religion, change it or give it up, without needing anyone's permission.
Wrong answers here often sound sensible: "you need your family's consent", "the State picks an official religion". Any option that makes a belief depend on someone else's permission is wrong.
Scenario questions in this theme
They apply these principles to real scenes. Two cases from our bank:
- You go to the préfecture to submit an application. You are wearing a kippah. Another member of the public tells you to take it off. Who is right? Answer: You: a member of the public may wear a religious symbol. Religious neutrality applies to public officials, not to members of the public. In a public service, users may wear a religious symbol, provided they respect how the service operates.
- During a flat viewing, the estate agent asks your religion before putting your application forward. What does the law say? Answer: They have no right to ask you. Religion is a protected ground: a landlord or agency may neither ask for nor use this information to choose a tenant. Refusing a rental on religious grounds is punishable discrimination.
The reasoning is always the same: who is the public official, who is the member of the public, and which protected ground is at stake (origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, disability). The scenario questions page sets out a reading method.
Traps that cost points
| Misconception | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Secularism bans religious signs everywhere | neutrality binds the State and its officials, not the public |
| Discrimination is fine if a customer asks for it | discrimination stays unlawful whoever asks |
| 14 July marks the end of a war | it is the national holiday, tied to the Revolution |
| French is one official language among several | it is the language of the Republic, written into the Constitution |
Going further
The civic training sheets give a whole chapter to the principles and values of the Republic. The charter of the rights and duties of the French citizen and the citizen's booklet cover the same values, useful for naturalisation applicants. This theme pairs well with rights and duties, which shares every scenario question with it.