The living-in-society theme of the examen civique tests the practical France you will actually live in: declaring a birth at the mairie within five days, the carte Vitale and health reimbursement through the CPAM, the SMIC and the 35-hour week, compulsory schooling from 3 to 16, and the emergency numbers 15 and 17. It contributes 44 of the 258 official knowledge questions, and because the answers are procedures rather than dates, candidates who already live in France often find it the friendliest theme. The free practice questions below are in the original French.
Où faut-il déclarer la naissance d'un enfant ?
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 215 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Quelle action peut réaliser le locataire d'un logement sans l'autorisation du propriétaire ?
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 216 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Quel mariage est reconnu légalement ?
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 217 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Le stationnement sur une place réservée aux personnes handicapées :
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 218 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Si une machine à laver est cassée, il est possible de :
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 219 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Dans quel cas faut-il déclarer son enfant au service d'état civil ?
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 220 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Quand faut-il déclarer son enfant au service d'état civil ?
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 221 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Quel numéro d'urgence permet d'appeler la police ?
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 222 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Quel numéro d'urgence permet d'appeler le SAMU ?
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 223 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
Auprès de quelle institution les parents peuvent inscrire leurs enfants à l'école publique ?
Based on: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance, examen civique (naturalisation), Ministère de l'Intérieur, thème « Vivre dans la société française », n° 224 (data.gouv.fr / leqcmcivique, Licence Ouverte 2.0)
The town hall (mairie) is the hub of French civil life, and the exam returns to it constantly. A birth must be declared to the registrar of the town hall of the place of birth within five days of delivery. Only the civil marriage celebrated at the mairie has legal value: a religious ceremony may take place only after it and has no legal effect on its own. The mairie also enrols children in public nursery and elementary schools, manages the commune's electoral rolls, and issues civil-status documents, while identity cards require French nationality. Health cover follows a parallel logic. Anyone residing in France on a stable and lawful basis must be affiliated to the Assurance Maladie, whose local fund is the CPAM, and health costs are reimbursed through it. The carte Vitale transmits care records electronically to speed up reimbursement, a mutuelle is an optional supplementary cover that picks up the part the Assurance Maladie leaves, and the tiers payant spares the patient from paying covered costs upfront. Two emergency numbers recur: 15 for the SAMU in a medical emergency, 17 for the police, with 112 as the European number. Legal aid (aide juridictionnelle) covers court and lawyer costs for people with insufficient means.
The world of work supplies steady marks. The Code du travail gathers the rules between employers and employees, the SMIC is the legal minimum hourly wage below which no adult employee may be paid, and the legal working week is 35 hours, beyond which hours count as overtime. Job seekers register with France Travail, formerly Pôle emploi, and disputes arising from an employment contract go to the conseil de prud'hommes. Undeclared work is a criminal offence that strips the employee of social rights, every employee and public official may join a union regardless of nationality, dismissing a woman because of pregnancy is void and discriminatory, and paternity leave has been 25 calendar days since 1 July 2021, 28 counting the three days of birth leave. A foreign national in a regular situation may create a business if their residence permit allows a professional activity. On the school side, instruction is compulsory from age 3 to 16, followed by a training obligation until 18; after elementary school pupils enter the collège; children who do not yet speak French receive dedicated support at school; and children with disabilities are schooled inclusively, with an AESH assistant where needed. Parental authority is the set of parents' rights and duties towards their children, exercised without physical or psychological violence, and it continues jointly after a divorce unless a judge decides otherwise.
| Situation | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Declare a birth (within 5 days) | The mairie of the place of birth |
| Enrol a child in public nursery or primary school | The mairie of your commune |
| Get health costs reimbursed | The Assurance Maladie (CPAM) |
| Look for a job | France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) |
| Dispute with your employer over the work contract | The conseil de prud'hommes |
| Medical emergency | Call 15 (SAMU) |
| Police emergency | Call 17 (Police Secours) |
Within five days of the delivery, the day of birth not counted, at the town hall of the municipality where the child was born. Every birth in France must be declared to the civil registry whatever the parents' situation; after the deadline, regularisation may require a court decision.
Only the civil marriage celebrated by the registrar at the town hall has legal value in France. A religious ceremony may take place only after the civil marriage and has no legal effect on its own. Marriage is strictly monogamous: polygamy is forbidden.
15 is the SAMU, for medical emergencies: it connects you with a coordinating doctor. 17 is Police Secours, to reach the police or gendarmerie. 112 is the European emergency number. The exam asks for the number matching a given emergency, so learn the pairs rather than the list.
The carte Vitale is the health insurance card: shown to a health professional, it electronically transmits the care record to the Assurance Maladie and speeds up reimbursement. A mutuelle is optional supplementary cover that reimburses costs the Assurance Maladie does not, such as the co-payment. The tiers payant spares the patient from advancing covered costs.
Instruction is compulsory from age 3 to age 16, since the 2019 reform brought the starting age down to 3. From 16 to 18 a training obligation applies (school, apprenticeship, employment or support). Parents who fail to ensure a child's compulsory education face up to six months' imprisonment and a 7,500 euro fine.
The SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance) is the legal minimum hourly wage below which no adult employee may be paid; its amount is reviewed regularly. The legal working time is 35 hours per week, and hours beyond that are overtime, paid at an increased rate or compensated under the applicable rules.
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