Question 1: What does the date of the 14th July represent?

• The annual French National Holiday (la Fête Nationale Française)
• The taking of the Bastille on the 14th July 1789
• The Holiday of the Federation (la Fête de la Fédération) of the 14th July 1790, celebrating the Constitution of 1789
• All of the above

Question 2: Who served as the Chief of State of Vichy France from 1940 to 1944 during the World War II?

• The Marshal of France at the end of World War I
• The Lion of Verdun
• Marshal Pétain
• All of the above

Question 3: Josephine Baker (1906 - 1975) was a naturalised French citizen of American origin. For what is she best known?

• The first recognised black singer/dancer. She distinguished herself in the Resistance during the Second World War
• A French poet and writer.
• A singer known for numerous popular successes including "Bambino", "Il venait d’avoir 18 ans" and Laissez-moi danser" ("just turned 18" and "let me dance")
• An actress in numerous films including "Le prénom" and TV series such as "Avocats et associés"

Question 4: Alain Mimoun (1921- 2013) was a naturalised French citizen of Algerian origin. What is he best known for?

• The only writer to receive the Goncourt prize twice: the first time in 1956 under his real name for The Roots of Heaven, the second in 1975 under the pseudonym Emile Ajar for Life Ahead.
• Reporter and novelist, elected a member of the Académie Française in 1962.
• A painter - one of the founders of abstract art
• Athlete and veteran of World War II, won the marathon at the 1956 Olympic Games

Question 5: What are some of the responsibilities of the elected officials of French Departments (les Départements)?

• Management of nursery and primary schools, sports and cultural activities, street maintenance and the registration of births, marriages and deaths
• Management of colleges, child protection, assistance to the elderly
• Management of public transport, vocational training, the construction and maintenance of high schools (les lycées)
• Determination of national policy

Question 6: What is the name of the current French Minister of the Interior:

• Edouard Philippe
• Christophe Castaner
• François Bayrou
• Bruno Le Maire

Question 7: What was France's 2018 military world ranking?

• 6
• 5
• 10
• 7

Question 8: When did the French also become European citizens?

• In 1992 via the Maastricht Treaty (the Treaty on European Union)
• In 1957 via the Treaty of Rome
• 1 January 2002 after the introduction of the Euro currency
• 1 December 2009 when the Lisbon Treaty, signed 13 December 2007, came into force

Question 9: What did the taking of the Bastille symbolise?

• The true start of the French Revolution
• The end of "absolute" monarchy and the acceleration of the revolutionary popular process
• The reconstitution of the "Third Estate" (with its representatives drawn from the commoners), into the National Assembly
• The end of the financial problems caused by Louis XVI's intervention in the American Revolution

Question 10: Léon Zitrone (1914 - 1995) was a naturalised French citizen of Russian origin. What is he best known for?

• A singer in the 1960's. A French great
• The father of volcanology who made his discipline known to the general public
• A journalist famous and TV presenter famous for programs such as Intervilles and his commentaries on the Tour de France, Olympics and Eurovision Song Contest
• A painter - one of the founders of abstract art

Question 11: Which three principals are guaranteed by the French Republic?

• Freedom, equality and secularism (liberte, égalité et laïcité - the principle of separation of civil society and religious society.)
• Freedom, equality and fraternity (liberte, égalité et fraternité)
• Freedom, fraternity and secularism
• Freedom, secularism and equality

Question 12: Which of the following relates to the 15th Century AD?

• The Lascaux Cave paintings (prehistoric period)
• The arrival of the Romans and Latin culture (period of antiquity)
• Joanne of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) - the young peasant who liberated a part of the French territory occupied by the English during the 100 years war
• Clovis: the King who unified the kingdoms of France and adopted Christianity

Question 13: France has 43 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Which is the most visited such site in Normandy?

• Mont-Saint-Michel
• Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret
• The Allied landing beaches
• Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe

Question 14: Vassily Kandinsky (1866 - 1944) was a naturalised French citizen of Russian origin. What is he best known for?

• The only writer to receive the Goncourt prize twice: the first time in 1956 under his real name for The Roots of Heaven, the second in 1975 under the pseudonym Emile Ajar for Life Ahead.
• Reporter and novelist, elected a member of the Académie Française in 1962.
• A painter - one of the founders of abstract art
• Athlete and veteran of World War II, won the marathon at the 1956 Olympic Games

Question 15: Which of these are from the same 17th Century epoch?

• Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, a.k.a. Molière, the Sun King (Louis XIV)
• Clovis, Henri IV
• Clovis, Jeanne d'Arc
• Clovis, the occupation by the Romans

Question 16: Which of the following statements is correct?

• The President of the French Republic is elected by universal suffrage for five years. He/she appoints the Government, headed by the Prime Minister, from the party winning the majority in the legislative elections
• The Parliament, composed of the National Assembly and the Senate, votes on laws and controls the Government. Members of the National Assembly are elected every five years in legislative elections.
• Justice is exercised by the magistrates, settling disputes between individuals or companies, and between citizens and the administration. Offences against the law are punished by imprisonment or via other penalties set out in statute.
• All of the above

Question 17: For what event did Gustave Eiffel construct the Eiffel Tower?

• The 1889 World's fair (l'Exposition Universelle)
• The 1867 World's fair
• The end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871
• The conception of the French Third Republic in 1870

Question 18: Which of the following relates to the 19th Century AD?

• Constitution of a vast colonial empire through wars of conquest in the West Indies, Africa and Asia
• Abolition of slavery
• Victor Hugo - one of the greatest French writers. His works argued against social inequalities and the death penalty. He wrote Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris
• All of the above

Question 19: When was the death penalty banned in France?

• 1981
• 1991
• 2001
• 1971

Question 20: Who votes on French laws?

• The President
• The Prime Minister
• The Parliament
• The Prefectures

Question 21: Who has the legal right to vote in French presidential and parliamentary elections?

• No taxation, no representation - only those paying annual income tax can vote
• Everyone can vote who is fiscally domiciled in France
• Only the designated head of the household can vote. They cast votes on behalf of their family
• Universal suffrage - all French citizens older than the legal limit of 18 years old

Question 22: When was the French age of majority fixed at 18 years?

• 1984
• 1964
• 1994
• 1974

Question 23: What is the name of the French national anthem, written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle?

• La Marianne
• La Marseillaise
• La Tricolore
• La Marseille

Question 24: What was France's 2018 world economic ranking?

• 6
• 5
• 10
• 7

Question 25: How many French cities have more than 500,000 inhabitants?

• 12
• 6
• 17
• 10

Question 26: What is meant by the principal of "Fraternity" in France?

• Employers should always employ a native-born French person first (if available), before anyone of different ethnicity
• This principal applies specifically to discrimination on the basis of origin, religion or sex - which is forbidden
• The principal that French companies are solely responsible for funding the social security system.
• General solidarity amongst citizens - illustrated by the social security system, founded in 1945 and financed by companies and those in employment

Question 27: Which fundamental freedoms are guaranteed by the principal of "Liberty" in the French Republic?

• Freedom of thought, belief, expression and assembly (liberté de pensée, de croyance, de s’exprimer, de se réunir)
• The freedom of expression - even to spread insults, defamation, hate-speak or deny crimes against humanity (such as the Second World War Holocaust)
• The freedom of the press and the right to a free education (guaranteed by laws in the 1880's)
• The right to a free eduction separated from religious beliefs (l'école laïque)

Question 28: What does the date of the 1st of May represent?

• The start of the First World War in 1914
• The end of the Second World War in Europe in 1945
• The opening of the Estates General in 1789 marking the start of the French Revolution
• The annual Labour Day celebration (la Fête du Travail)

Question 29: Who initiated the civil unrest and French general strikes of May 1968 which affected French society for decades afterwards?

• The National Student Union
• Workers at the South Aviation plant near the city of Nantes
• Students at the Nanterre campus of the University of Paris
• Workers at the Renault manufacturing complexes in the Seine Valley

Question 30: What do the colours of the French flag symbolise?

• The three principles of the French Republic - freedom, equality and fraternity
• The three estates of France prior to the revolution comprising the clergy (the First Estate), nobles (the Second Estate), and peasants and bourgeoisie (the Third Estate)
• The uniform colours of the Bourgeois Militia of Paris (later to become Revolutionary France's National Guard)
• The red and blue cockade of Paris and the white cockade of the king

Question 31: Georges Moustaki (1934 - 2013) was a naturalised French citizen of Italian/Greek origin. What is he best known for?

• A singer in the 1960's. A French great
• The father of volcanology who made his discipline known to the general public
• A journalist famous and TV presenter famous for programs such as Intervilles and his commentaries on the Tour de France, Olympics and Eurovision Song Contest
• A painter - one of the founders of abstract art

Question 32: Which of the following is NOT a right/responsibility of a French citizen according to the Civil Code?

• All citizens must contribute, as much as is possible, to public finances via income tax and social contributions (cotisations) taken at source from salaries
• All citizens have equal access to positions of public employment according to their competencies
• All citizens are required to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections. To not do so is a civil offence.
• If called upon, in the event of war, all citizens must participate in the defence of France

Question 33: Correctly identify 5 overseas French collectivities (empowered to make their own laws, except in certain areas reserved to the French national government)?

• Martinique (972), Guyane (973), La Réunion (974), Mayotte (975) and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon (976)
• Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon (976), Saint-Barthélemy (977), Saint-Martin (978), Wallis-et-Futuna (986) and Polynésie française (987)
• Guadeloupe (971), Martinique (972), Guyane (973), La Réunion (974) and Mayotte (975)
• La Réunion (974), Mayotte (975), Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon (976), Saint-Barthélemy (977) and Saint-Martin (978)

Question 34: How many people speak the French language in the world, in how many countries, and what percentage of the world's population is this?

• 200 million, 70, 1%
• 150 million, 65, 0.75%
• 250 million, 75, 2%
• 150 million, 75, 2%

Question 35: What were the principal events of the French decolonisation period of 1950 - 1962?

• The Indochina War (1945 - 1954) and Algerian War (1954 - 1962)
• The Malagasy Uprising (1947 - 1948)
• The Bamileke War (1955 - 1960)
• The Biafran War (1967 - 1970)

Question 36: Romain Gary (1914 - 1980) was a naturalised French citizen of Russian origin. What is he best known for?

• The only writer to receive the Goncourt prize twice: the first time in 1956 under his real name for The Roots of Heaven, the second in 1975 under the pseudonym Emile Ajar for Life Ahead.
• Reporter and novelist, elected a member of the Académie Française in 1962.
• A painter - one of the founders of abstract art
• Athlete and veteran of World War II, won the marathon at the 1956 Olympic Games

Question 37: Who was Maximilien de Robespierre?

• A high-ranking French civil servant and resistance fighter who died in 1943
• A French politician, guillotined in 1794, and one of the main figures of the French Revolution
• A military general, resistance fighter, first president of the 5th Republic and French writer, died 1970
• President of the Republic 1981 - 1995 (voted to abolish the death penalty), died 1996

Question 38: Name a famous French poet:

• Paul Verlaine
• Albert Camus
• Marcel Proust
• Jean-Paul Sartre

Question 39: When was the French law authorising abortion, prepared by Simone Veil, passed?

• 1985
• 1965
• 1995
• 1975

Question 40: Who led the French resistance against the German army in World War II?

• Charles de Gaulle (1890 - 1970)
• Marshal Pétain (1856 – 1951)
• Henri Giraud (1879 - 1949)
• Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque (1902 – 1947)