France's New Mandatory Civic Exam for Residency and Citizenship

To kick off the new year, France added a mandatory civic exam for non-EU nationals applying for long-term residence cards and French citizenship.

The exam lasts 45 minutes, includes 40 multiple-choice questions, has a minimum passing score of 80 percent, and tests your knowledge of:

• French values and principles
• Institutions and the political system
• Rights and responsibilities
• History, culture, and geography
• Daily life in French society

This is separate from the French language requirement.

I started tracking civic exams last year as countries seek to make it harder to arrive and harder to stay. This change is part of a broader trend toward stricter integration requirements for long-term residency and citizenship. The exam is designed to show that applicants understand how French society works.

Official study materials are available on the French government’s immigration and public service websites.

Quelle est la devise de la République française?

^First question, probably.