Situational Questions in the French Civic Exam: How to Answer Them

Of the 40 civic exam questions, 12 are situational questions (mises en situation). They are often what worries candidates most. Yet with the right method, they quickly become easy points.

What is a situational question?

Instead of asking for a fact (a date, an institution), the question describes a concrete everyday situation: at work, at school, in public, with the administration, in family life. You must choose the reaction or behaviour that respects the values and laws of the Republic.

Unlike the knowledge questions, the ministry does not publish an official list of situational questions. So memorizing answers won't work: you need to understand the principles.

The 4-step method

1. Identify the principle at stake. Gender equality? Secularism (laïcité)? Non-discrimination? Freedom of expression? Respect for the law? Almost every situation links back to one of the Republic's principles and values.
2. Work out who is involved. A private individual, a public servant, an employer? The rules differ: for example, religious neutrality applies to public servants on duty, not to members of the public in the street.
3. Rule out extreme answers. Answers that involve taking the law into your own hands, discriminating or ignoring the law are almost always wrong.
4. Pick the answer that respects both the law and everyone's rights. The right answer usually balances individual freedom with shared rules.

Principles to master

• Liberté, égalité, fraternité and how they apply in practice;
• Laïcité: freedom of conscience, state neutrality, rules in state schools;
• Equality between women and men;
• Non-discrimination;
• Rights and duties of citizens and residents.

Managing your time

You have 45 minutes maximum for 40 questions, about one minute per question. Situational questions take longer to read: don't get stuck; answer what you know and come back to the hard ones if the interface allows it.

Practice

The best preparation is practising on questions in the right format, with explanations that show you the principle behind each answer. Try our free test or unlock every mock exam.