France’s Civics Test for Residency Cards & Citizenship: Everything You Need to Know

The new Civics Test, or Examen Civique, is part of a series of changes that were announced in 2025, designed to toughen up requirements for French residency and citizenship. It came into practice on January 1^st, 2026, along with the new French language requirements.

The test is a written, multiple-choice exam with 40 questions covering various aspects of French life, culture, history, geography, and politics. It’s taken in French and is adapted to the language level required by the applicants – for example, an A2 level for a carte de séjour pluriannuelle applicant or B2 for a French citizenship applicant.

Read more about the New Language Requirements for Residency & Citizenship.

The exam is now mandatory for all applicants (aside from a few exemptions – see below), and a pass certificate must be presented as part of your dossier (application). To pass the test, you must receive a score of 80%, which means you’ll need to answer at least 32 out of 40 questions correctly.

Read the official government text on the French civics test here.

Who needs to take the French Civics Test?

The Civics Test is a requirement for several types of carte de séjour pluriannuelle (multi-year residency cards), the carte de résident (the renewable 10-year residency card), and French citizenship via naturalisation (both by declaration and decree). It is only required for first-time applications and therefore shouldn’t need to be retaken when it comes to renewing your card.

Who doesn’t need to take the French Civics Test?

There are a few exemptions, including:

• Applicants over 65 (for residency cards only)
• People with a disability or medical condition that prevents them from taking the test (a doctor’s statement will be required as proof)
• EU/EEA and Swiss citizens
• Certain types of cards (such as temporary worker cards)
• British residents protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, which includes anyone renewing a post-Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Residency Card

Anyone who already holds a card that is up for renewal won’t need to sit the test. However, if you apply for a different type of card – for example, you have a carte de séjour pluriannuelle and want to apply for a carte de résident – then you will need to pass the test.

For citizenship applications, there are no exemptions for age or status, although you may be exempt if you have a disability or medical condition that prevents you from taking the test. French citizenship applications made prior to December 31st, 2025, also won’t be required to sit the Civics Test.

If you’re applying for a French visa or a 1-year carte de séjour (either for the first time or for a 1-year renewal), then this doesn’t apply to you. However, you will be required to sit the exam if you apply for a carte de séjour pluriannuelle in the future.

The Civics Test must be taken at an official test centre, located all around the country. Test centres are approved by either La Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris (CCIP) (find your closest test centre here) or France Éducation International (FEI) (find your closest test centre here or sign up for the exam here).

You will need to register online, pay the exam fee, and book an appointment to take the test in person at your chosen test centre. The tests often book up quickly, so it’s wise to schedule your exam at least 4 to 6 weeks before your application deadline.

You will take the multiple-choice test on a provided computer or tablet, during which time you won’t be allowed access to your phone, written materials, or other electronic devices.You’ll have 45 minutes to answer all 40 questions. Make sure to account for additional time on the day, as most test centres will require you to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the time of your exam.

You’ll find out straight away whether you passed or failed, and if you’re successful, your attestation (certificate) will usually be available within 12–48 hours.

How much does the Civics Test cost?

Fees may vary depending on the test centre, but taking the test typically costs €69. If you need to retake the test, this fee applies each time. The fees are usually paid to the test centre in advance.

While everyone’s experience of taking the Civics Test will be different, recent applicants mostly report passing on the first time, provided that they’ve taken the time to study (see the section below on preparing for the Civics Test). Preparation is key: the majority of the test focuses on factual knowledge that you are unlikely to know without thoroughly reading, memorizing, and practicing the study materials. In addition to that, the exam is conducted in written French and uses specific vocabulary that you may not have come across before if you haven’t previously studied French history, politics, or law.

The test itself comprises 40 questions: 28 of these test your factual knowledge on subjects including history, geography, and politics, and the remaining 12 questions are real-life scenarios in which you need to choose the “correct” action or reaction in accordance with French values. All questions are multiple choice, with 3 or 4 answers to choose from.

We recommend beginning to prepare for the exam 4 to 6 weeks in advance to give yourself plenty of time to study. Even if you’re a fast learner, we recommend going over the study materials a minimum of two weeks prior to the exam to ensure you have enough time to read everything and practice. In other words: don’t leave it until the last minute!

What happens if I fail the French Civics Test?

Hopefully you are successful on your first attempt, but there’s no need to worry if you fail the exam on the first go. Failed attempts aren’t recorded on your file and there’s no limit to the amount of times you can take the test. There’s also no waiting period before retaking it, so you can rebook immediately and give it another shot as soon as there’s a space. The only downside is that you will have to pay the exam fee again.

One exception to this rule in the rare instance that someone is caught cheating or impersonating someone else – attempted fraud results in a 2-year ban on retaking the exam, which could have serious implications if your residency card is up for renewal.

Preparing for any exam can feel daunting, but the good news is that the French government has free study materials available to help you prepare. (You’ll also find plenty of paid sites online to help you study if you need more help, but note that you do not need to pay to access the official study materials!)

• Here’s the official site for preparing for the Civics Test

Most useful are the official lists of questions provided – these are the actual questions you will be asked during the “factual knowledge” portion of the exam, with questions selected at random from the list. Naturally, the answers aren’t provided, but if you are confident in answering all of these questions, you’ll be in good shape for the exam.

• Here are the official questions for the Civic Test – carte de séjour pluriannuelle (CSP)
• Here are the official questions for the Civic Test – carte de resident (CR)
• Here are the official questions for the Civic Test – Nationalité française

Other useful study materials include:

• The Livre du Citoyen – this Citizen’s Book is the official text provided for French Citizenship candidates and details the values of the French Republic, the basics of French politics and French institutions, key historic events and geographical facts, French cultural icons, and more. In other words, all the topics that your French Civics Test is likely to cover.
• The Charte des droits et devoirs du citoyen français (the charter of rules and responsibilities of French citizens) is another key text, especially for citizenship applicants.
• A free online quiz to help you prepare for the Civics Test.

Which French Civics test do I need to take/what is the CSP and CR?

There are three different versions of the Civic Test available, which correspond to the type of status that you are applying for and, most importantly, the required French language level. You will either take the Civic Test for the carte de séjour pluriannuelle (CSP), which is at A2 level French, the carte de résident (CR), which is at B1 level French, or nationalité française (French Citizenship), which is at B2 level French. Make sure that you choose your study materials and practice papers accordingly.

How long is the Civics Test valid for?

Unlike French language tests, the civics test has no expiration date, so you can take it as far in advance of your application as you like. If you’re applying for French citizenship, this also means you can reuse it for subsequent applications if your initial application is adjourned.

However, you will need to pass a separate test when moving from one status to another to correspond with the higher required language level. For example, an A2-level civics test will not be valid for a French Citizenship application, so you’ll need to sit the B2-level test.

Does the Civics Test replace the naturalisation interview?

No, unfortunately, the civics test is in addition to the naturalisation interview. Candidates for French citizenship must first pass the civics test as part of the initial application process; later, if their dossier is approved, they will be invited for a separate entretien d’assimilation – an interview at the prefecture. During this interview, you’ll be asked about your personal situation, integration into France, and motivations for becoming French, as well as additional questions on French history, politics, geography, and culture. The good news is that these questions are based on the same material you will have studied for the Civics Test, so you should have a head start!

Have a question that we haven’t answered? Leave a comment below!

The Civics Test is just one part of the application process for a carte de séjour pluriannuelle,  a carte de résident, or French citizenship. You’ll also need to pass a language test, submit the required personal documents (often with certified translations), and pay the required fees (which have increased as of May, 2026).

Read our series of articles on applying for French Citizenship.

Find out how much the residency card and citizenship application fees are in 2026.