The Civic Test for 2026

France’s new civic exam (examen civique) is a part of the immigration reforms that came into force on 1st January 2026. It now sits alongside language tests as a core requirement for settling long‑term in France, whether as part of a nationality application process or at an earlier stage getting your residency card.

⭐️PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR BREXIT WARP CARD HOLDERS!!!⭐️

So, from 1st January 2026, passing the civic exam is mandatory if you want to:

• apply for French nationality (even for EU nationals)

• apply for your first multi‑year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) or your first 10‑year resident card (carte de résident) if you aren’t an EU national.

The exam is a 45‑minute computer‑based multiple‑choice test with 40 questions, including both general knowledge and short “real‑life” scenarios. To pass, you need at least 32 correct answers (80 %) to obtain the “attestation de réussite” that you must include in your residence or naturalisation file. The questions cover republican values, institutions, history and geography, culture, and everyday civic duties such as schooling, taxes, and respect for public order.

If you are applying for your Nationality in 2026, then this is another loop to jump through BUT I believe it will help when you come to the interview stage. There are plenty of online sites helping to teach you and test you on what is in the exam.