Failed the civic exam: how to retake it

Did you take the civic exam and not get the 32 correct answers you needed? This is not the end of your process. You can retake it, and analysing your failure is often the best way to prepare for the next time.

Retaking the exam: what the rules say

The French Ministry of the Interior (ministère de l’Intérieur) says it clearly: you can take the civic exam at any time and as many times as you need. There is no maximum number of attempts.

Two practical conditions:

• A new registration with an approved centre (centre agréé), with new registration rights;
• A minimum waiting period between attempts: one day for CCI Paris Île-de-France, 24 hours for France Éducation international.

Don’t register again for the next day without revising. The minimum waiting period is short, but retaking the exam without fixing your mistakes means paying again for the same result.

Analyse what went wrong

Before you register again, take an honest look:

1. Which topics were difficult for you? Institutions, history, real-life scenarios (mises en situation)?
2. Was it a knowledge problem or a reading problem? Many mistakes come from reading questions too quickly.
3. Did you run out of time? 45 minutes for 40 questions means just over one minute per question.

A plan to succeed next time

• Take another test to see exactly which topics are weak for you.
• Revise these topics first, reading the explanation for each mistake.
• Practise real-life scenarios (mises en situation): 12 out of 40 questions are about these, and you can improve with the right method.
• Do several timed mock exams (examens blancs) before registering again. Aim for at least 36/40 regularly.

Be careful about fraud

Trying to cheat is a very bad idea: if you commit fraud, you are not allowed to retake the exam for two years, which blocks your process for that long.