How to Pass the French Civic Exam If You’re an English Speaker

You’ve been living in France. Maybe you love it, maybe it’s complicated, but either way — you need that residence permit or citizenship, and now there’s this exam standing in your way. The civic exam (examen civique) has been mandatory since January 2026, and here’s the uncomfortable truth: it’s entirely in French, and you need 80% to pass. That’s 32 out of 40 questions correct. No partial credit.

If your French is decent but not perfect, or if administrative French makes your head spin, this guide is for you.

The Real Challenge for English Speakers

The exam isn’t intellectually difficult. Most questions test common sense and basic knowledge of how France works. The real obstacles are specific to people who think in English:

Obstacle 1: Vocabulary, not concepts

You probably know what secularism means. But do you know what laicite means in the specific French republican context? Do you know the word promulguer (to enact a law)? Can you quickly read « le President de la Republique nomme le Premier ministre » and pick the right answer in under a minute?

Obstacle 2: Speed kills

45 minutes, 40 questions. That’s 67 seconds per question. If you’re mentally translating each question from French to English, processing it, then translating your answer back — you’ll run out of time. The candidates who pass are the ones who can read French questions directly, without the mental translation step.

Obstacle 3: The 12 mystery questions

28 knowledge questions are drawn from a public question bank — you can find and study them. But 12 scenario-based questions are NOT published. They describe real-life situations and ask you to apply French republican values. These require genuine understanding of how French society works, not just memorisation.

The 5-Step Strategy That Works

This method has been designed specifically for English speakers. It works whether your French is A2 or B2, and whether you have 2 weeks or 3 months.

Step 1: Learn the concepts in English FIRST (Week 1)

Don’t start by reading French government documents. That’s the fastest way to feel overwhelmed and give up. Instead, start by understanding the big picture in English:

• How is France governed? President, Government, Parliament (two chambers: Assemblee nationale + Senat), local authorities (communes, departements, regions)
• What is laicite? Not just « secularism » — it’s a specific 1905 law meaning the state is neutral, public services don’t promote religion, and everyone is free to believe or not
• Rights vs. duties: What are your fundamental rights? What are your obligations? (Paying taxes, respecting the law, schooling children ages 3-16)
• Key historical dates: 1789 (Revolution), 1905 (Church-State separation), 1944 (women’s vote), 1958 (Fifth Republic) — and WHY each matters
• Everyday life: Healthcare (Securite Sociale, Carte Vitale), employment (CDI vs CDD), education system

Resources: Parcours Civique offers 20+ podcasts in English covering every exam topic. Listen while commuting, cooking, or at the gym.

Step 2: Build your French vocabulary systematically (Week 2)

Administrative French has its own language. Here are the categories of terms you must know:

• Institutional: Assemblee nationale, Senat, Conseil constitutionnel, prefet, maire, collectivites territoriales
• Legal/administrative: recepisse, titre de sejour, naturalisation, decret, arrete, promulguer
• Values: laicite, egalite, fraternite, suffrage universel, Etat de droit, non-discrimination
• Daily life: impot, cotisation, protection sociale, autorite parentale, scolarisation obligatoire

Resources: Use Parcours Civique’s interactive glossary — 400+ terms with one-click English translations. Or build your own flashcards.

Step 3: Practice questions in French (Weeks 2-3)

Now combine your conceptual understanding with French reading practice:

• Start with the published knowledge questions from formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr
• Read the question in French and answer without mentally translating
• Time yourself: aim for under 60 seconds per question
• After each practice session, review every mistake — is it a vocabulary problem or a knowledge gap?

Step 4: Master the scenario-based questions (Weeks 3-4)

The 12 unpublished scenario questions follow predictable patterns. Learn to recognise them:

Pro tip: For every scenario, ask yourself: « What would the French Republic’s official answer be? » Not your personal opinion — but what the values of the Republic demand.

Step 5: Full mock exams (Before test day)

Do at least 3 full simulations under real conditions:

• 40 questions, 45-minute timer
• No dictionary, no phone, no pausing
• Score yourself honestly

If you consistently score 35+, you’re ready. If you’re at 28-32, double down on your weak topics before booking the exam.

Your 4-Week Preparation Timeline

Total investment: ~30 hours over 4 weeks. That’s less than binge-watching one season of a TV show. And considerably more useful for your life in France.

5 Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Mistake 1: Assuming it’s easy because you’re educated

The exam tests French civic knowledge specifically. Knowing how the US Congress or UK Parliament works doesn’t help you explain the difference between the Assemblee nationale and the Senat. Don’t be overconfident.

Mistake 2: Memorising without understanding

Works for the 28 knowledge questions. Fails completely on the 12 scenarios. You need to understand why laicite matters, not just know the word.

Mistake 3: Underestimating administrative French

« Promulguer une loi« , « le suffrage universel direct« , « la separation des pouvoirs » — if you can’t read these phrases fluently, you’ll waste precious seconds on every single question.

Mistake 4: Waiting too long to start

Most people need 2-4 weeks of serious preparation. Don’t leave it to the last 3 days. You’ll panic, cram, and likely need to retake (~€69 per attempt).

Mistake 5: Using only French-language materials

If your French isn’t B2+, studying exclusively in French is slow and frustrating. The multilingual approach — understand in English, then practice in French — is both faster and more effective.

The Multilingual Advantage

Here’s something most preparation sites won’t tell you: understanding concepts in your native language before tackling them in French is scientifically more effective than struggling through French-only materials from day one. Your brain processes new information faster in a language it already masters.

This is exactly why Parcours Civique was built. Every podcast, every revision sheet, every glossary entry is available in English (and Arabic and Spanish). You learn the concept, then you learn the French words. Two clear steps instead of trying to do both at once.

Related Guides

• French Civic Exam 2026: The Complete Guide — Everything about format, topics, registration
• Exam Vocabulary FR-EN — Complete bilingual vocabulary tables for all 5 themes
• Guide complet en francais — Le guide de reference
• 20 sample questions with answers (in French)
• Study method: 1, 3 or 6 months (in French)