Last updated: October 25, 2026 · Original scenarios written from the official exam program
Twelve of the 40 questions on the French civic exam aren’t about facts at all. They drop you into a scene from daily life and ask what you’d do, or what the law says. These are the “mises en situation”.
Good news: they follow a logic. Once you see it, they get a lot easier.
Where the situational questions come from
All 12 come from two themes. Six sit in “principles and values of the Republic” and six in “rights and duties”. That’s useful to know, because it tells you exactly which ideas they test:
- laïcité and who has to stay neutral
- equality between women and men
- freedom of expression and its limits
- discrimination
- children’s rights and compulsory education
- the duty to help someone in danger, and when to call the police
Questions on institutions, history or daily life are knowledge questions. You’ll find those in our practice test and in the guide to the big dates.
The three rules that solve most scenarios
Rule 1: the law beats tradition, family and religion. If an answer says “it’s his choice as a father”, “the family decides” or “it’s allowed if the ceremony is religious”, it’s almost always wrong.
Rule 2: neutrality applies to the State, not to you. People working for a public service (town hall, public school, hospital staff) can’t display their religion on duty. Members of the public can, within the limits of public order. Pupils in public schools are the exception: since a 2004 law, conspicuous religious symbols are banned for them.
Rule 3: when someone is in danger, you act. Not helping a person in danger is an offense in France. Acting can be as simple as calling 15, 17, 18 or 112.
Keep those three in mind and read the scenarios below.
Ten scenarios with answers
1. The teacher’s cross
Une enseignante d’école publique veut porter une grande croix visible en classe. Est-ce possible ?
A public school teacher wants to wear a large visible cross in class. Is that allowed?
Answer: no. She works for a public service, so she must stay neutral while teaching. The same applies to any religion.
2. The visitor at city hall
Un homme portant une kippa vient chercher un document à la mairie. L’agent peut-il refuser de le servir ?
A man wearing a kippah comes to city hall for a document. Can the clerk refuse to serve him?
Answer: no. Users of a public service are free to show their religion. Refusing to serve him would be discrimination.
3. The daughter’s studies
Des parents veulent retirer leur fille de 14 ans de l’école pour qu’elle aide à la maison.
Parents want to take their 14-year-old daughter out of school so she can help at home.
Answer: not allowed. Education is compulsory from 3 to 16, for girls and boys alike.
4. The job interview
Lors d’un entretien d’embauche, on demande à une candidate si elle veut des enfants.
In a job interview, a woman is asked whether she plans to have children.
Answer: the question is discriminatory. She doesn’t have to answer, and she can report it.
5. The cartoon
Un journal publie un dessin qui se moque d’une religion. Est-ce légal ?
A newspaper publishes a cartoon mocking a religion. Is that legal?
Answer: yes. Criticizing or mocking a religion is part of freedom of expression in France. What’s illegal is insulting or inciting hatred against people because of their religion.
6. The hospital doctor
Aux urgences, un homme refuse que sa femme soit examinée par un médecin homme.
In the ER, a man refuses to let his wife be examined by a male doctor.
Answer: he can’t impose that. A patient can’t refuse a doctor because of his gender when that would delay or disrupt care, as in an emergency. And the husband can’t decide for his wife.
7. The neighbor’s shouting
Vous entendez une femme crier à l’aide dans l’appartement voisin.
You hear a woman screaming for help in the next apartment.
Answer: call 17. Domestic violence is a criminal offense, and the police step in.
8. The vote
Votre ami, citoyen espagnol vivant en France, veut voter à l’élection présidentielle.
Your friend, a Spanish citizen living in France, wants to vote in the presidential election.
Answer: he can’t. EU citizens can vote in municipal and European elections in France, not in national elections.
9. The smack
Un père donne une fessée à son fils pour le punir.
A father spanks his son as punishment.
Answer: against the law. Since 2019, the Civil Code says parental authority is exercised without physical or psychological violence.
10. The unequal pay
Vous découvrez que votre collègue masculin gagne plus que vous pour le même poste.
You find out a male coworker earns more than you for the same job.
Answer: that’s illegal. You can go to the labor inspectorate or the employment tribunal (conseil de prud’hommes).
How to read a situational question in French
These questions are longer than the knowledge ones. For English speakers, that’s where the clock bites.
Read the last line first. It tells you what’s being asked: “Est-ce autorisé ?”, “Que devez-vous faire ?”, “Que dit la loi ?”. Then read the scene with that question in mind.
Watch the little words. “Toujours” (always), “jamais” (never), “seulement” (only) and “sauf” (except) often turn a reasonable answer into a wrong one.
Learn a dozen verbs you’ll see constantly: porter (to wear), refuser (to refuse), signaler (to report), porter plainte (to file a complaint), interdire (to ban), autoriser (to allow). Knowing them on sight saves seconds on every question.
Then practice for real. Our free 40-question practice test has 12 situational questions in French with English underneath. For the full picture of the exam, go back to the civic exam guide.
More practice, offline. The free Starter Kit includes 10 practice questions explained, plus the B2 French rule and the document checklist. Send me the free PDF
Frequently asked questions
How many situational questions are on the civic exam?
12 out of 40. Six come from the theme on principles and values of the Republic and six from the theme on rights and duties.
Are the situational questions published in advance?
The official site publishes lists of knowledge questions for each version of the exam. We haven’t found an official list of situational scenarios, which is why practicing the underlying rules matters more than memorizing answers.
What’s the most common mistake on these questions?
Applying religious neutrality to everyone. Neutrality binds people working for public services, while members of the public remain free to show their religion within the law.