Civic exam: format, duration and pass mark

40 questions, 45 minutes, 80% correct answers: everything about the civic exam format and how to give yourself the best chance.

Knowing the format of the civic exam helps you approach it methodically. Here are the essentials.

The format in brief

40 multiple-choice questions (MCQ);
45 minutes to answer;
test in French, at an approved centre;
pass mark: 80%, i.e. 32 correct answers out of 40.

How the 40 questions break down

Under the arrêté of 10 October 2025, the 40 questions are split by topic in a fixed way:

Principles and values of the Republic — 11 questions;
Rights and duties — 11 questions;
History, geography and culture — 8 questions;
Institutions and the political system — 6 questions;
Living in French society — 4 questions.

Of these 40, 28 are knowledge questions and 12 are situational questions (6 in "Principles and values" and 6 in "Rights and duties"). A correct answer scores 1 point; a wrong or blank answer scores 0 (no negative marking). Our mock exam reproduces this exact split.

What do the questions cover?

The questions cover the five topics of the exam: principles and values of the Republic, institutions, rights and duties, history-geography-culture, and life in French society.

How to give yourself the best chance?

Two useful habits: practise the MCQ format to manage your time, and revise by topic so you leave nothing out. Start with our free quiz, and for full guidance, discover our courses (guidance to an approved centre included).