French civic exam (examen civique) 2026: who needs it, format, cost and free practice

The French civic exam (examen civique) is a 40-question multiple-choice test in French that has been compulsory since 1 January 2026 for anyone applying for a first multi-year residence card, a first resident card or French citizenship by naturalisation. You need 32 correct answers out of 40 (80%) within 45 minutes, on a tablet or computer at an approved test centre. It costs €60 to €80 depending on the centre.

This is an independent study site. We explain the rules with links to the official French sources, and we offer a free practice test in English and a 40-question mock exam in French.

Who must take the civic exam?

The exam has three versions (mentions). You choose the one that matches your application.

Your application	Exam version	French level also required
First multi-year residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle, permits linked to the integration contract, CIR)	CSP	A2
First 10-year resident card (carte de résident): spouse or parent of a French national, family reunification, EU long-term resident, permanent resident	CR	B1
Naturalisation or reinstatement by decree, applications filed from 1 January 2026	Naturalisation	B2

Not concerned: renewals of a card you already hold, and nationality declarations (for example by marriage, which however now require B2 French). Exempt for residence cards: people over 65; according to the ministry, beneficiaries of international protection and nationals covered by certain bilateral agreements. For every application, a disability or health condition can lead to adapted conditions or an exemption, with a medical certificate. For naturalisation, that is the only exemption: there is no age exemption.

Exam format

Item	Rule
Questions	40 in French, 4 options, 1 correct answer
Question types	28 knowledge questions + 12 real-life scenarios (mises en situation)
Pass mark	32/40 (80%)
Time	45 minutes maximum (more only with a medical adjustment)
Where	Approved test centre, on a tablet or computer

The questions cover five themes set by a ministerial order of 10 October 2025: principles and values of the Republic (11 questions, including 6 scenarios), political institutions (6), rights and duties (11, including 6 scenarios), history, geography and culture (8), and living in French society (4).

The format is the same for all three versions, but the questions get harder from the multi-year card to naturalisation. The ministry publishes the knowledge questions for each version (191 for CSP, 209 for CR, about 258 for naturalisation) but no answers, and the scenarios are not published. Our French question pages give the answers with explanations.

Cost, booking and results

• Cost: €60 to €80 per attempt, set by each centre (Ministry of the Interior). Each retake is paid again.
• Organisers: the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Paris Île-de-France) and France Éducation international (FEI), approved in November 2025. On 26 May 2026, 444 centres covered every French département.
• Booking: register with an approved centre, not at the préfecture. Choose the right version (CSP, CR or naturalisation) and have your foreign national number (numéro étranger, AGDREF) ready.
• Results: at CCI Paris Île-de-France centres, results arrive within 24 to 48 working hours by email, with a download link for the certificate. The certificate has no expiry date.
• Retakes: allowed as often as needed. Fraud leads to a two-year ban.

By 26 May 2026, 71,125 people had taken the exam, with an average pass rate of 81%.

French language level

Since 1 January 2026 you must also prove your level of French: A2 for a first multi-year card, B1 for a first resident card and B2 for naturalisation. Only two tests are recognised, the TCF (France Éducation international) and the TEF (CCI Paris Île-de-France), taken in person with all four skills on the same day; the certificate is valid for two years. Some French diplomas are accepted instead, but foreign diplomas are not. Details in French on our TCF IRN page.

What else changed in 2026

Date	Change
1 January 2026	Civic exam compulsory; French levels raised to A2 / B1 / B2
1 May 2026	Fees up: €350 for a first residence permit, €250 for a renewal, €255 for naturalisation
3 July 2026	New livret du citoyen (citizen’s handbook) for naturalisation

Every residence-permit application, including renewals, must also include a signed contrat d’engagement à respecter les principes de la République (in French: contract of commitment to the principles of the Republic).

How to prepare for free

1. Take the 20-question practice test in English to learn the content.
2. Then practise in French with the 40-question mock exam, built on the official list.
3. Read the page for your version (in French): multi-year card, resident card or naturalisation.
4. Check who must take the exam and the full cost (in French).

The French Ministry of the Interior states that preparation can be completely free, and it publishes 222 free study sheets on its civic training website.