Home › Civic exam questions › In which year does the French Revolution begin?
In which year does the French Revolution begin?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: In 1789. The French Revolution begins in 1789. The king calls the États généraux (the three orders of society) and the tiers état (the common people) declares the Assemblée nationale. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is adopted the same year.
Sources: Sheet “La fin de la monarchie absolue et le début de la Ière République (1789-1792)” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ In 1792En 1792That year the king is overthrown, on 10 August 1792.
- ✗ In 1804En 1804That year Napoleon becomes emperor.
- ✓ In 1789En 1789Correct answer. The French Revolution begins in 1789. The king calls the États généraux (the three orders of society) and the tiers état (the common people) declares the Assemblée nationale. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is adopted the same year.
- ✗ In 1848En 1848That year the Second Republic is proclaimed.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « En quelle année la Révolution française commence-t-elle ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the multi-year residence card (CSP). The Ministry's wording: “En quelle année a débuté la Révolution française ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “La fin de la monarchie absolue et le début de la Ière République (1789-1792)” (French).
All 47 “History, geography and culture” questions on the CSP list
One question corrected is a start. Now see where you stand: 40 timed questions, corrected in English, French or Arabic.
Our rule of thumb: book only after 34 out of 40 on two mock exams. The official pass mark is 32 out of 40. A fail means registering and paying again.
Take the free mock exam (40 questions)