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Since January 1st, 2026, passing a civic exam is required for several French residence procedures. If you have just discovered this requirement and prefer to read about it in English first, this guide covers everything — before you switch to practising in French, which is the language of the actual exam.

The exam is required for three procedures:

• First application for a multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle)
• First application for a resident card (carte de résident, 10 years)
• French naturalisation (becoming a French citizen)

Renewing an existing permit does not require the exam — only first applications do. Some people are exempt for residence permits (for example, people aged 65 or over, refugees, and holders of permit types not subject to the integration contract). These exemptions do not apply to naturalisation. To check your exact situation, use our interactive eligibility test (in French) or the official portal.

The format is the same for everyone:

• 40 multiple-choice questions, 4 options each, one correct answer
• 45 minutes maximum, on a computer or tablet provided by the test centre
• 32 correct answers (80%) required to pass
• Questions cover 5 official themes: principles and values of the Republic, institutions, rights and duties, history and geography, and everyday life in French society
• The exam is entirely in French — there is no English version

You bring a valid ID (passport or residence permit); no documents, dictionaries or phones are allowed in the room.

You register directly with an approved test centre — not at the préfecture, and not on the official information website. The official list of approved centres is published on formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Each centre sets its own price (generally around €65–80 per attempt in early 2026) and manages its own calendar. Fees are not refunded if you fail, and each new attempt requires a new paid registration.

Results appear in your online candidate account, usually within 12 hours to 2 days. If you pass, you download a certificate of success (attestation de réussite) as a PDF — this is the document the préfecture will ask for. Since 2026, the certificate has no expiry date. If you fail, you can retake the exam as many times as needed; there is no waiting period, but every attempt is paid.

Yes — and this is the most important point of this guide. The exam tests civic knowledge, not advanced French. The questions are written in accessible French, and multiple-choice format means you recognise answers rather than write them. Candidates at A2–B1 level pass every day. What makes the difference is familiarity: if you have already seen hundreds of practice questions in French, the wording of the real exam will feel familiar, not foreign.

Our advice for non-native speakers:

1. Learn the themes in French from day one. Reading about laïcité in English then translating in your head during the exam costs precious time. Our free revision sheets are written in simple French precisely for this.
2. Practise with MCQs in exam conditions. Every practice question teaches you both the content and the French vocabulary of the exam at the same time.
3. Take timed mock exams. 40 questions in 45 minutes is comfortable — but only if it is not your first time managing the clock in French.

Ready to start practising in French? Create your free account — the first training questions are free, and the progress tracker shows you exactly which themes need work.

Details for each procedure (in French): carte de séjour, carte de résident, naturalisation.

Official source: Official civic training portal — formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr