The examen civique is the civics test France introduced for naturalisation on 1 January 2026. It checks knowledge of the Republic’s values, institutions, history and civic life across five defined themes. The official question list is public, the pass mark is fixed, and the scope is clear: structured preparation pays off reliably.
What score do you need to pass?
32 of 40 questions correct, which is 80%. There is no separate passing threshold for any individual theme, so your goal is to maximise the total across the paper. The exam is 40 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, each with four options and one correct answer.
The 40 questions on the real exam include knowledge questions drawn from the official published list (questions de connaissance) and situational questions (mises en situation). The knowledge questions are the factual core you can study directly from the official list. The situational questions are scenario-based and assessed differently; use the official preparation materials from France Éducation International for those.
Which themes are on the examen civique?
The exam draws from five themes. Study them in this order, starting with the heaviest:
| Theme | French name | Questions drawn |
|---|---|---|
| History, geography and culture | Histoire, géographie et culture | 13 |
| Institutional and political system | Système institutionnel et politique | 8 |
| Living in French society | Vivre dans la société française | 7 |
| Principles and values of the Republic | Principes et valeurs de la République | 6 |
| Rights and duties | Droits et devoirs | 6 |
Covering them in this order means the heaviest themes are done before your preparation time runs short.
What does Histoire, géographie et culture cover?
French history, geography and culture is the heaviest theme, carrying 13 of the 40 questions. The scope runs from the Revolution and the successive Republics through Napoleon, the conflicts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the two World Wars, and the construction of Europe. It also covers French geography (mainland France, the overseas territories, major rivers and mountain ranges) and notable works and figures in French culture.
Focus on key dates and their significance: the dates of the Revolution and the First Republic, the two World Wars, the Armistice of 1918, and the founding of the European Union. The knowledge questions anchor facts in specific years and events; reading the explanations, not just the correct answers, makes the context stick.
What does Système institutionnel et politique cover?
How France is governed: the institutions, the separation of powers, elections and France’s international role. Eight questions come from this theme. The main topics are the roles of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the government, the Assemblée nationale and the Sénat, how legislation is passed, and France’s membership in the European Union and the United Nations.
The Constitution of 1958 is the foundation of this section. One example of the kind of specific rule the questions test: if the presidency falls vacant, the President of the Sénat acts as interim head of state until a new election is held.
What does Vivre dans la société française cover?
Practical civic life: health, work, school, housing and administrative steps. Seven questions draw from this theme. The Sécurité sociale system, how employment contracts work, the school system (compulsory from the age of 3 to 16), patient confidentiality in healthcare, and housing rights are all covered in the official knowledge list.
This section rewards reading the livret du citoyen carefully rather than memorising isolated facts. The questions turn on specific rules: a job interview can only cover competences and professional experience, not religion, family plans or ethnic origin.
What does Principes et valeurs de la République cover?
The Republican motto, the symbols of the Republic and the principle of laïcité. Six questions come from this theme. The motto is Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. The official symbols include the blue, white and red tricolour flag; the Marseillaise (opening “Allons enfants de la patrie, le jour de gloire est arrivé”); and Marianne, the allegorical figure whose bust stands in town halls across France.
Laïcité, the separation of the state from religious institutions, was established by the law of 9 December 1905. France marks a national day of laïcité on 9 December each year. That date and that law appear on the official question list.
What does Droits et devoirs cover?
The rights and duties of people living in France. Six questions address this theme. Topics include civil liberties, anti-discrimination rules (employers cannot ask about religion, family plans or ethnic origin), the obligation to declare income to the tax authorities, and the duty to respect the law and the highway code. Freedom of expression online is protected but not absolute: the law forbids incitement to hatred, defamation and insult.
How long does preparation take?
Three to six weeks of daily study covers the material for most candidates. The official knowledge question list is public and finite; you can track your progress directly. Once you can answer every theme reliably and timed mocks consistently clear 32 of 40, you are ready to book.
The most effective routine: work through the five themes in the order listed above, spending more days on the heavier categories before moving on. In the final week, run several timed 40-question mocks. After each mock, identify which theme produced the most errors and drill it before your next full run.
The official knowledge questions are published by the Ministère de l’Intérieur on formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr and released as open data on data.gouv.fr under the Licence Ouverte 2.0. This is an independent study resource, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ministère de l’Intérieur.