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Citizenship civics exam PDFs: documents and study plan

Useful official documents exist, but no PDF replaces complete practice. This page explains the official list, citizen's handbook, civic education notes, study plan and practice quizzes.

Start the free civics examFind what I need to reviewSources and limits

Last updated: Checked on 12 September 2026

Official Published knowledge questions for the citizenship exam.
Handbook The citizen's handbook remains an important study source.
Incomplete Exact practical-situation questions are not published in PDFs.
40 questions The official exam combines knowledge and practical situations.

Which PDFs and documents should I use?

The main document is the Interior Ministry's published knowledge questions for the citizenship civics exam.

Service-Public also links to the citizen's handbook, exam framework and civic education resources. They describe expected themes and knowledge and should be your starting point.

A simple study plan after downloading PDFs

  • Read the official document to find themes.
  • Make a short note for each theme: definition, example and common mistake.
  • Try corrected questions on that theme.
  • Add mistakes to a review list.
  • Finish with a full mock exam before exam day.

Why a PDF is not enough

The official exam is not just reading a document. It has 40 French questions: 28 knowledge questions and 12 practical situations. You need at least 32 correct answers.

Official practical-situation questions are not public. A PDF helps with knowledge but does not provide the full exam-day test.

Useful documents in the right order

Official knowledge question list

Use it to check Ministry-published topics and organise study by theme.

Citizen's handbook

Read it for values, institutions, rights, duties and expected history knowledge.

Civic education notes

Use them by theme to review topics that remain weak after an assessment or quiz.

A simple way to study with a PDF

  • Do not read everything at once. Group the points by theme.
  • Turn each question into a rule to remember.
  • After each theme, answer a few practice questions with corrections.
  • Write down mistakes that keep coming back: institutions, secularism, rights, history or life in society.
  • Finish with a full 40-question mock exam to check your timing and score.

Watch out for fake PDFs and unrealistic promises

Be careful with files that promise every real question and guaranteed answers. Official sources publish knowledge questions. The exact scenario questions are not public.

A private study resource should say clearly what it offers: structured practice with corrections, rather than a copy of the official exam.

How Cap Nationalité adds to the official PDFs

Cap Nationalité does not replace official documents. It turns the themes into practice questions, assessments and corrections so you can see what you find difficult.

Use official sources to understand the rules, corrected questions to practise, and a mock exam to check your level before booking.

Practice questions with corrections

Practise each theme with answers and corrections. These are not copies of the official exam.

Practice examples

Practice example — not a published official question

Révision depuis un PDF

You read a question on secularism in an official list. What should you remember?

  1. Only a memorised sentence
  2. The general rule and a practical example
  3. The letter of an answer seen on a website
  4. Nothing, because secularism is not in the exam

Correct answer: B.

A PDF helps identify the topic. To succeed, understand the rule and how to apply it in a multiple-choice question or practical situation.

What to remember

  • The main official PDF lists the published knowledge questions for the citizenship version of the exam.
  • The Citizen's Handbook and civic training notes also help you understand the themes.
  • Official scenario questions are not published. No reliable PDF should promise the exact exam.
  • After reading, practise with corrected questions and a full mock exam.

Official sources and limits

This page links to useful official documents and explains their limits. Cap Nationalité is independent. It does not publish copies of official scenario questions. Cap Nationalité learning guidance

Interior Ministry: PDF of the published knowledge questionsInterior Ministry: Citizen's Handbook, July 2026 PDFService-Public: 2026 civics exam updateService-Public: citizenship civics examService-Public: taking the civics examService-Public: French citizenship by decreeService-Public: proof of your French level
How to prepareOrganise assessment, multiple-choice study and interview practice.Free citizenship civics testStart with a free test, understand your score and choose what to review.2026 civics examFormat, score, official themes and how to prepare.Citizenship mock examUnderstand the 40-question mock exam before you start.Practical situationsLearn to reason without confusing practice examples with published questions.Principles and valuesReview the motto, secularism and republican principles.Political institutionsUnderstand French institutions and democracy.Rights and dutiesReview freedoms, duties and civic responsibilities.History, geography and cultureOrganise historical, geographical and cultural knowledge.Living in French societyReview daily life, work and school.French level in 2026Understand B1, B2, proof of level and the civics exam.Free French level testCheck your French around A2, B1 or B2 without official certification.Citizenship interviewCommon questions, personal answers and mistakes to avoid.Register for the civics examApproved centres, official registration and an exam checklist.Civics exam feesUnderstand fees, extra costs and what to check before booking.Civics exam and marriageCheck whether the civics exam applies to your citizenship route.Citizen's handbookUse the handbook to study without memorising every page.

Start the free civics exam

After reading the official documents, take a free 40-question mock exam without an account. Check what you really understand.

Start the free civics examFind what I need to review

Common questions

Is there an official question PDF?

Yes. The ministry publishes an official list of knowledge questions for the citizenship version of the civics exam.

Does the PDF include scenario questions?

No. Official scenario questions are not public. They are part of the exam, but a full list is not published.

Is the Citizen's Handbook enough to pass?

It is useful, but it may not be enough. Practise answering multiple-choice questions and check your score on a full exam.

Is there a study plan for the civics exam?

Yes. Use the official PDFs to find the themes. Make short notes, answer corrected questions, then take a 40-question mock exam.

Can I learn only the answers in the PDF?

This is a poor approach. Understand the rules and values behind the questions. Otherwise, scenario questions will still be difficult.

Does Cap Nationalité offer an official PDF?

No. Cap Nationalité links to official documents and offers independent private practice with corrections.

Cap Nationalité is an independent private service. It is not a French government site and does not guarantee success or the exact exam-day questions.

The Cap Nationalité team maintains this guide using checked official sources. We review content when rules or cited sources change. To report a correction, use the contact page .