Resources: understanding the procedures, preparing for the exams
In-depth articles on the TEF IRN, the civic exam and residence and nationality procedures. Each rule quoted refers to the official text that sets it: we are a training organisation, not a government body, and you must be able to check.
How the exams run
What really happens on the day, from reception to the last question.
TEF IRN exam day: what happens, from reception to the last paper
Reception, the identity check, signing on a tablet, the three papers on computer and then the face-to-face oral. What is forbidden, what to bring, and the official tutorial to see the interface before the day.
How the civic exam works: 40 questions, 45 minutes, 32 correct answers
The official format, the 28 knowledge questions and the 12 scenario questions, the 80% pass mark, supervision, the three non-interchangeable categories, and where to revise using the ministry’s lists.
The 12 scenario questions of the civic exam: the only questions that are not published
Why 12 questions out of 40 remain secret, what they really test, the reasoning that lets you handle them without having seen them, and the three reflexes that lose points.
Exam method
The official format of the TEF IRN papers, and how to work on them.
TEF IRN reading comprehension: 20 questions, 30 minutes, a test that adapts to you
Two parts of 15 minutes, 20 questions with four choices, only one correct answer. How the adaptive format works, a sample question with commentary, and managing the 90 seconds per question.
TEF IRN listening comprehension: 20 questions, 20 minutes, the audio played only once
Two parts of 10 minutes, 20 questions, each recording played only once and no going back. The technique of reading ahead, an example with commentary and the rule of “decide and move on”.
Preparation & waiting periods
How many hours, at what point, and how soon you can sit again.
When to sit the TEF IRN and the civic exam in your application
What expires and what does not, the right time for each exam depending on the application, how long it takes to receive the certificate, and the two waiting periods to plan for before booking.
How long does it take to prepare for the TEF IRN?
What the score gap says about the amount needed, the four durations we offer and what is really done in them, the long CPF-funded programme, and why the level test comes before the quote.
Failing the TEF IRN or the civic exam: when and how to sit it again
The two waiting periods, what to read on the certificate before booking another date, the difference between a level missed by 10 points and a level missed by 100, and how to choose the amount of preparation.
Nationality
What the texts require since 1 January 2026, and what they do not require.
Proving your level of French for naturalisation: which tests and which diplomas are accepted
B2, only two recognised tests, four papers on the same day, certificate valid for two years: the exact conditions set by the ministerial orders of 22 December 2025.
Exemption from the French test and the civic exam: the only cases provided for by the texts
For nationality, the ministerial order of 30 December 2025 provides for only one case of exemption. For the resident card, it is age. The two systems are often confused.
Residence permit
Resident card, multi-year residence permit, integration pathway: the real conditions.
The 10-year resident card: conditions, B1 level and civic exam
What the card gives you, the republican integration conditions, B1 and the civic exam CR category, the exemption at 65, the cost and what comes next (permanent resident card).
The republican integration contract (CIR): what it commits you to do
Who signs it, what the civic training contains, why language training is offered and not imposed, and where the OFII’s role ends.
Our shorter guides
For questions that can be settled in five minutes of reading.
You have read it. The next step is a date
TEF IRN and civic exam sessions take place in Rosny-sous-Bois, Monday to Saturday. The calendar shows the places actually available and the price that applies on each date. If you do not yet know where you stand, take the free level test.