The examen civique format (40 questions, 80% to pass) and a final review of the whole path.
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Checkpoint: the examen civique (40 questions, 80% to pass) and a final review of the whole path. Confirm that the requirements, the values, and the institutions are now solid before you file.
Grammar focus: The examen civique: format and practice · The 2026 language and civic requirements, card by card. Work through the explanations and tables below, study the real examples, then lock the structures in with the interactive drills, the writing task, and the speaking task.
Grammar focus
From 1 January 2026, the examen civique is required for the residence card and for naturalisation. It is a digital multiple-choice exam: 40 questions, four options each, in about 45 minutes, taken in person. You pass with at least 80% — that is 32 correct answers out of 40.
The questions cover five themes: the principles and values of the Republic, institutions, rights and duties, history and geography, and everyday life in France.
Most questions test knowledge; some are « mises en situation » — practical scenarios where you choose the right behaviour. Free official preparation is available on the State site, and the Livret du citoyen is the reference booklet.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 40 multiple-choice |
| Time | about 45 minutes |
| Pass mark | 80% (32/40) |
| Themes | values, institutions, rights/duties, history-geography, daily life |
| Validity | no expiry; not needed for renewals |
Practise with short factual items like these, then check yourself in the interactive drills below.
Underestimating the 80% pass mark.
You need 32 out of 40; revise all five themes, not just one or two.
The bar is high, so broad, even coverage beats deep knowledge of one theme.
Thinking the civic exam is needed for every card, including renewals.
It is required for a first multi-year card and for naturalisation, not for a simple renewal.
Knowing when it does and does not apply saves needless stress and cost.
Grammar focus
Since the law of 26 January 2024 (loi n° 2024-42), each residence milestone in France is tied to a French level on the CEFR scale and, from 1 January 2026, to a new civic exam (examen civique). Knowing exactly which level your next card requires is the first step of the whole journey.
The rule of thumb is simple and rising: A2 to obtain your first multi-year card, B1 for the ten-year carte de résident, and B2 — written and spoken — for French nationality.
The level you must prove goes up with the security of the card. A renewal of a card you already hold does not require a new language proof; the requirement applies to a first multi-year card, to the resident card, and to naturalisation.
| Milestone | French level (CEFR) | Civic exam? |
|---|---|---|
| Carte de séjour pluriannuelle (first multi-year permit) | A2 | Yes |
| Carte de résident (10-year card) | B1 | Yes |
| Naturalisation (decree or marriage) | B2, oral and written | Yes (decree) |
| Renewal of a permit you already hold | No new proof | No |
Three thresholds rose and one new exam appeared. The multi-year card went from no language requirement to A2; the resident card went from A2 to B1; naturalisation went from B1 to B2 with written competence now explicitly tested. On top of the language proof, a civic exam (examen civique) was added.
For the residence cards, applicants aged 65 and over are exempt from the language and civic requirements, and a documented disability or serious illness can give an exemption. A file that was complete before 1 January 2026 is judged under the older, lower rule; a file completed after that date follows the new rule.
Believing the renewal of a current card needs a new language test.
A renewal of a permit you already hold needs no new language proof; the level applies to a first multi-year card, the resident card, and naturalisation.
Many people pay for a test they do not need, or panic before a routine renewal.
Assuming naturalisation is still B1.
Since 1 January 2026 naturalisation requires B2, with writing tested too. Confirm the current rule on service-public.gouv.fr.
Using the old B1 figure can mean booking the wrong test or filing too low.
L’examen civique, c’est combien de questions ?
The civic exam, how many questions is it?
Quarante questions à choix multiple, en quarante-cinq minutes environ.
Forty multiple-choice questions, in about forty-five minutes.
Et il faut combien pour réussir ?
And how much do you need to pass?
Au moins quatre-vingts pour cent, donc trente-deux bonnes réponses sur quarante.
At least eighty percent, so thirty-two correct answers out of forty.
Sur quels thèmes ?
On which themes?
Les valeurs, les institutions, les droits et devoirs, l’histoire-géographie et la vie quotidienne.
Values, institutions, rights and duties, history and geography, and everyday life.
Le checkpoint ne mesure pas la perfection; il mesure ce que tu peux faire sans aide.
Je vois mieux mes priorités quand je termine toute la tâche avant de vérifier.
Pour vie en france et civic exam, il faut distinguer l'idée centrale, la nuance et l'implicite, pas seulement les faits visibles.
Je vais d'abord poser le cadre, puis reformuler la thèse avec une perspective plus précise.
Très bien. Les termes l’examen civique et une question à choix multiple peuvent t aider a marquer la tension ou le glissement d'interpretation.
Ensuite, je peux justifier ma lecture avec un exemple textuel et une reformulation plus nuancee.
N'oublie pas de contrôler le registre, car la precision lexicale ne suffit pas a elle seule.
Je vais donc ajuster le ton, condenser les idées secondaires et garder une conclusion vraiment interpretable.
Très bien. Si un paragraphe devient trop large, recentre-le autour de l'enjeu principal au lieu d'accumuler des precisions secondaires.
Je vais donc choisir une ligne plus nette, garder seulement les preuves utiles, puis vérifier que la synthèse reste proportionnee.
Depuis 2026, l’examen civique est demandé pour la carte de séjour et pour la naturalisation. C’est un examen numérique à choix multiple : quarante questions, quatre options chacune, en quarante-cinq minutes environ, passé sur place. On réussit avec au moins quatre-vingts pour cent, c’est-à-dire trente-deux bonnes réponses sur quarante.
Les questions couvrent cinq thèmes : les principes et valeurs de la République, les institutions, les droits et les devoirs, l’histoire et la géographie, et la vie quotidienne en France. Une préparation officielle gratuite existe en ligne, et le Livret du citoyen sert de référence. L’examen civique n’est pas demandé pour un simple renouvellement de titre.
Un checkpoint utile montre la distance entre ce qui est compris passivement et ce qui peut être produit activement. Il aide à choisir la prochaine priorité: plus de prononciation, plus de vocabulaire, ou une meilleure stabilité dans les questions et les réponses.
Ce passage demande une lecture plus analytique autour de vie en france et civic exam. Les expressions l’examen civique, une question à choix multiple, la note de passage, une mise en situation servent ici a construire une analyse, une synthèse ou une reformulation plus nuancee plutôt qu'une simple reaction immediate. Le lecteur doit donc suivre la progression rhétorique du texte et comprendre pourquoi certains exemples occupent une place strategique dans l'argumentation.
Turn this lesson into active recall: drill the vocabulary with spaced repetition, then test yourself on meaning and comprehension.
Write a short study plan (5–6 sentences) covering all five themes before your civic exam. Build the response around a clear line of interpretation or synthesis, then revise it once for register, proportion, precision, and evidence balance before you compare it with the support notes.
Answer five quick civic questions aloud (one per theme), then check yourself against the lesson. Build the oral response around a clear line of interpretation or synthesis, then revise the order of your points so the listener can follow the stance, support, and closing without guesswork.
Underestimating the 80% pass mark.
You need 32 out of 40; revise all five themes, not just one or two.
The bar is high, so broad, even coverage beats deep knowledge of one theme.
Thinking the civic exam is needed for every card, including renewals.
It is required for a first multi-year card and for naturalisation, not for a simple renewal.
Knowing when it does and does not apply saves needless stress and cost.
Believing the renewal of a current card needs a new language test.
A renewal of a permit you already hold needs no new language proof; the level applies to a first multi-year card, the resident card, and naturalisation.
Many people pay for a test they do not need, or panic before a routine renewal.
Assuming naturalisation is still B1.
Since 1 January 2026 naturalisation requires B2, with writing tested too. Confirm the current rule on service-public.gouv.fr.
Using the old B1 figure can mean booking the wrong test or filing too low.
