A decree was published last week about the civic exam.
It applies to many non-Europeans who wish a multi-year 2+ or 10 years carte de résidence. Also to those applying for nationality. It will not be required for WARP card holders, or for those not requited to sign the CIR (students and talent passport)
The decree published on 10 October 2025 stipulates the following:
The exam will be a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ)
It will be in French
It will include 40 questions, consisting of both knowledge-based and situational questions
The questions will be publicly available on the official website of the Ministry of the Interior
There is only one correct answer per question
A correct answer equals 1 point; a wrong answer or no answer equals 0
The passing rate is set at 80%, meaning that candidates must have at least 32 correct answers
The duration of the test is a maximum of 45 minutes, unless the candidate has a specific arrangement due to their health condition
The test will take place in an examination centre, not online. The candidate will use a digital device, most likely a computer or a tablet
Phones and other digital devices must be left outside the examination room
Candidates must respect the starting and ending times of the exam
In the event of cheating or fraud, the candidate will be barred from taking the exam for two years
The content is likely to reflect the livret du citoyen , so principles and values of the Republic. Institutional and political system, and rights and obligations of residents. Also history, geography, and culture. Plus some questions about living in France.
Just in case our Prefecture has not clearly read the terms regarding our imminent upgrade from WA 5yr to 10yr cards, I’ll do some research to be prepared…
Principles and values of the Republic: 11 questions, including:
Motto and symbols of the Republic: 3 questions;
Secularism: 2 questions;
Scenarios: 6 questions.
. .
Institutional and political system: 6 questions, including:
Democracy and the right to vote: 3 questions;
Organisation of the French Republic: 2 questions
European institutions: 1 question.
Rights and duties: 11 questions, including:
Fundamental rights: 2 questions
Obligations and duties of people living in France: 3 questions
Scenarios: 6 questions.
History, geography and culture: 8 questions, including:
Main periods and historical characters: 3 questions
Territories and geography: 3 questions
French heritage: 2 questions.
Living in French society: 4 questions including:
Settle and reside in France: 1 question
Access to care: 1 question
Working in France: 1 question
Parental authority and educational system: 1 question.
That’s nearly 10 years ago, so much has changed. However they say arrangements can be made for medical conditions, so I guess one could argue that age might be a medical condition? If clearly explained how many people under (say) 85 couldn’t tick boxes on a multiple choice exam on a screen?
Any idea of what happens to those that fail? Though I fully agree with tests for further rights to longer term residence TDS/CDS. I wonder how many French nationals will be able to pass. I remember a test on here a while ago or a link to one that my French friends didn’t do well in.
The new articles are silent on this. My guess is that it is likely to be the standard French snakes and ladders so people will be relegated to single year cards and have to try again, or with nationality applications adjourned or refused.
There is this site of practice questions for the exam. Also relevant for those of us applying for French naturalization. We just need to be able to answer them face to face.
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