An immigration decree introduced a new French exam alongside the TCF IRN on August 23rd 2025 which came into force on January 1st 2026. The civic exam tests your knowledge and understanding of French values, culture and citizen rights and duties.
This exam is mandatory for anyone applying for a multi-year residence permit, 10-year residence permit or French citizenship.
The digital multiple-choice exam has 40 questions (4 options per question, 1 right answer).
The questions cover 5 key areas:
– Principles and values of the French Republic
– French institutions and politics
– Rights and duties of residents
– French history, geography and culture
– Practical aspects of living in French society
Pass mark: At least 80% (32 correct answers)
NB: The French Ministry of the Interior is solely responsible for the exam content and questions.
The civic exam is a multiple-choice questionnaire.
Maximum exam duration: 45 minutes
Results published within 48 hours.
The exam results are valid indefinitely.
TAKE THE RIGHT EXAM:
There’s a different civic exam for each application (multi-year residence permit, 10-year resident permit, citizenship).
The language level is based on the exam type and its application e.g. if you take a civic exam to apply for a residence permit but you actually want to apply for citizenship, you’ll have to take the civic exam for citizenship. Make sure you enrol on the right exam!
Important:
– The civic exam costs 60 €
– Results are published within 1-3 working days. If you fail the exam, you must wait 1 day before booking again.
– You can take your civic exam whenever you like, before or after your TCF IRN. Your civic exam results are valid indefinitely.
Exam sessions at ACCORD:
ACCORD exam centre in Paris provides civic exam sessions on Monday and Friday afternoons in addition to TCF IRN exam sessions on Tuesday afternoon at our school.
If you took the TCF IRN exam in 2025 and/or have a certificate pending but you haven’t applied yet, you must take the civic exam or else it won’t be eligible.
French level requirement:
– Multi-year residence permit: A2 (Basic)
– Residence permit: B1 (Intermediate)
– Citizenship: B2 (Upper Intermediate)
IMPORTANT:
There’s a different civic exam for each application:
– Multi-year residence permit
– Residence permit
– French citizenship
The French level is based on which exam you wish to take.
NB: If you take the civic exam for a residence permit, you can’t use it to apply for citizenship. Make sure you tick the right box when you enrol!
Examen civique — FAQs
Who needs to take the civic exam?
Any foreign national who wishes to apply for a multi-year residence permit, 10-year residence permit or French nationality.
Is the Examen civique instead of the interview at the Prefecture or TCF IRN test?
No, the civic exam is in addition to the interview at the Prefecture and French language tests.
That means there are 3 steps involved in getting a multi-year residence permit, 10-year residence permit or French nationality:
● TCF IRN or TEF IRN French language test
● Civic exam
● Interview at the Prefecture
How does the civic exam work?
It’s a digital multiple-choice exam (multiple-choice questions with 4 options for each question) for completion on the computer.
It includes 28 knowledge questions and 12 role-play exercises. You must read the documents and questions before choosing your answer.
There are 40 questions to complete within 45 minutes.
You must answer 32 questions (80%) correctly to pass the test.
Here is a sample question from the civic exam:
Question: Quelle est la devise de la République française ?
You have to select one answer:
– Justice, Ordre, Respect
– Paix, Travail, Progrès
– Unité, Force, Honneur
– Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
Additional sample questions: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance -CSP
Are there any websites to help revise for the exam?
Official list of sample questions: Liste officielle des questions de connaissance -CSP
Official website: Formation civique
French Citizenship Booklet (PDF for download): Livret du Citoyen
Where and when can you take the civic exam?
You can take the exam at an accredited exam centre such as ACCORD French Language School from January 2026.
How many tests are there in the civic exam?
There’s only one test and it’s a multiple-choice questionnaire.
There are no oral or written tests.
