Since 2026, naturalisation and reinstatement of French nationality by decree include a civic exam. Service-public.gouv.fr says it clearly: the exam applies only to procedures by decree, not to declarations. The format is the same as for residence cards (40 questions, 45 minutes, 32 correct answers), but the list of knowledge questions is specific to naturalisation.
Source: service-public.gouv.fr, fiche F39426 (in French, checked on 16 Jul 2026).
Who must take it
The civic exam applies to two procedures: naturalisation by decree and reinstatement of French nationality by decree. Procedures by declaration are not concerned. This is the case for declaration through marriage, declaration as the ascendant of a French national and declaration as the brother or sister of a French national.
Source: service-public.gouv.fr, fiche F39426 (in French).
The rule applies to naturalisation or reinstatement applications submitted from 1 January 2026. What counts is the date you submit your application.
Source: décret n° 2025-648 du 15 juillet 2025, article 11, on Légifrance (in French).
Are you applying for a residence permit (titre de séjour) instead? The rules are not the same. Read who must take the civic exam to see all the cases.
What naturalisation by decree requires
The civic exam is only one part of the application. For naturalisation by decree, three elements cover language, knowledge and assimilation.
- French at level B2. For naturalisation, the level required is B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, compared with A2 for the multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) and B1 for the resident card (carte de résident). You prove this level separately, with a test or a diploma. Sources: fiche F11926 and fiche F34501.
- The civic exam and an interview at the préfecture. Your assimilation into the French community is checked by passing the civic exam and by an interview at the préfecture (the State office in your département). Source: fiche F2213.
- A tax stamp (timbre fiscal) of €255. The naturalisation procedure costs €255 (€127.50 in Guyane). The price of the civic exam is separate: each centre sets it and it can vary from one centre to another. Sources: fiche F2213 and CCI Paris Île-de-France, registration page.
These service-public.gouv.fr fiches (in French) were checked by the administration on 16 Jul 2026 (F2213), 1 Jan 2026 (F11926) and 10 Feb 2026 (F34501).
The exam format, naturalisation level
The civic exam has three levels: multi-year residence permit, resident card and naturalisation. You take the naturalisation level.
Source: arrêté du 10 octobre 2025, article 1, on Légifrance (in French).
| Item | Naturalisation level |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | 40 multiple-choice questions, in French |
| Types of questions | 28 knowledge questions and 12 scenario questions (mises en situation) |
| Answers | Only one correct answer out of 4 |
| Pass mark | 32 correct answers out of 40 (80%) |
| Time | 45 minutes at most, more only with an adjustment |
The format is the same for all three levels. What changes is the level: the level of difficulty depends on the permit or status you apply for, and each level has its own list of knowledge questions. So the naturalisation list is not the same as the list for residence cards.
Sources: arrêté du 10 octobre 2025 (articles 2, 3 and 4), formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr (ministère de l'Intérieur) and CCI Paris Île-de-France, presentation page. All in French.
For details of the day (identity document, photo, results), see how the exam works. To find a centre, read how to register.
Independent app, not affiliated with the French administration.
Civic exam and interview at the préfecture: the difference
People often mix them up. Yet they are two separate steps, and you must do both. Service-public.gouv.fr states that your assimilation into the French community is checked by passing the civic exam and by an interview at the préfecture.
| Civic exam | Interview | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | In an exam centre, on a tablet or computer | At the préfecture |
| Form | 40 multiple-choice questions, 45 minutes at most | An interview |
| To prepare | The livret du citoyen, the exam's reference framework (référentiel) and the list of knowledge questions | The livret du citoyen (citizen's booklet) |
| At the end | A certificate of success (attestation de réussite) | Signing the charter of the rights and duties of the French citizen |
So passing the civic exam does not replace the interview. And the interview is not a multiple-choice test.
Sources: service-public.gouv.fr, fiche F2213 (checked on 16 Jul 2026), fiche F39426 and formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr, in French.
Exemptions
For naturalisation, you can be exempted (dispense) from providing the certificate of success if your disability or your state of health makes it impossible to assess your knowledge, with a medical certificate. An adjustment of the test is also possible.
Source: service-public.gouv.fr, fiche F39426 (in French).
You will often read that there is no exam after 65. Service-public.gouv.fr gives this rule for the multi-year residence permit and the resident card: “You do not have to take the civic exam if you are over 65.” It appears on the fiche about these two cards, not on the naturalisation fiche.
Source: service-public.gouv.fr, fiche F39530 (in French, checked on 10 Feb 2026).
All the cases are brought together on the page civic exam exemptions.
If you live abroad
Are you applying for naturalisation and living outside France? Service-public.gouv.fr states that you must contact an institut français, an alliance française or the consular authorities of your country of residence to find out the steps.
Source: service-public.gouv.fr, fiche F39426 (in French).
The livret du citoyen
The livret du citoyen (citizen's booklet) helps you prepare for the interview at the préfecture, and service-public.gouv.fr also cites it for preparing the civic exam. A new version was adopted by the arrêté du 3 juillet 2026, published in the Journal officiel of 16 Jul 2026. It replaces the 2022 booklet. If you downloaded the old booklet, get the new version.
Sources: arrêté du 3 juillet 2026, on Légifrance, and service-public.gouv.fr, fiches F2213 and F39426, in French.
What the booklet contains and how to use it: see our page on the livret du citoyen (in French).
Sample questions
Three practice questions on history and institutions, two themes of the exam. Answer, then open the answer: you will find the explanation and its source.
The exam is in French, so the questions stay in French. The explanations are in English.
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Le 18 juin 1940, le général de Gaulle lance un appel à la radio depuis Londres. Que demande-t-il aux Français ?
- De négocier la paix avec l'Allemagne nazie
- De soutenir le gouvernement du maréchal Pétain
- De participer aux élections de l'Assemblée nationale
- De continuer la lutte contre l'Allemagne nazie
Show the answer
Answer: De continuer la lutte contre l'Allemagne nazie. After the defeat of June 1940, General de Gaulle calls from London for people to refuse surrender and to continue the fight. This appeal of 18 June is a symbol of the Résistance.
Formation civique (ministère de l'Intérieur), fiche « Focus sur la Seconde Guerre mondiale : la Résistance et la Libération » · checked on 30 Sep 2026
-
Qui choisit et nomme le Premier ministre, chef du Gouvernement ?
- Le président de l'Assemblée nationale
- La majorité des députés
- Le président de la République
- Le Conseil constitutionnel
Show the answer
Answer: Le président de la République. The Premier ministre (Prime Minister) is appointed by the président de la République. The Prime Minister leads the Gouvernement. The Hôtel de Matignon is the Prime Minister's residence; the Élysée Palace is the President's.
Formation civique (ministère de l'Intérieur), fiche « État de droit et séparation des pouvoirs : présentation des 3 pouvoirs (1/2) » · checked on 30 Sep 2026
-
Pour quel art Auguste Rodin est-il célèbre ?
- La peinture
- La littérature
- La sculpture
- La musique
Show the answer
Answer: La sculpture. Rodin is a French sculptor. He created “Le Penseur” (The Thinker) and “Le Baiser” (The Kiss). The Musée Rodin, in Paris, shows his works.
Formation civique (ministère de l'Intérieur), fiche « Patrimoine français : des artistes emblématiques parmi les sculpteurs » · checked on 30 Sep 2026
Practice questions written by Cal Civique from the published syllabus.
The ministère de l'Intérieur publishes a list of knowledge questions for the naturalisation level, without the answers. It is available on immigration.interieur.gouv.fr (in French). The ministry also states that you can prepare for free (formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr).
More examples, sorted by theme, are on the page sample questions with answers (in French).
5 questions, 2 minutes, every answer explained with its source. No sign-up.
Independent app, not affiliated with the French administration.
Where to start
Start with the free practice test: 40 questions in 45 minutes, in the same format as the exam, with your score by theme. It is at resident card level, but the themes and the format are the same for the naturalisation level. Find your weak themes, then work on them before you book your date. Cal Civique is coming soon to Android and iPhone so you can revise every day.
5 questions, 2 minutes, every answer explained with its source. No sign-up.
Independent app, not affiliated with the French administration.