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What does article 1 of the French Constitution say?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic. Article 1 says France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic. So laïcité is written in the 1958 Constitution. It is not an opinion. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “La définition de la laïcité (1/2)” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “La définition de la laïcité (1/2)” (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
- ✗ France is an indivisible, secular and social monarchyLa France est une monarchie indivisible, laïque et socialeFrance is a Republic, not a monarchy.
- ✗ France is a Catholic, democratic and social RepublicLa France est une République catholique, démocratique et socialeThe State recognises no religion: the Republic is secular.
- ✓ France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social RepublicLa France est une République indivisible, laïque, démocratique et socialeCorrect answer. Article 1 says France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic. So laïcité is written in the 1958 Constitution. It is not an opinion.
- ✗ France is a federal, secular and military RepublicLa France est une République fédérale, laïque et militaireThe Republic is indivisible, not federal, and it is not military.
What the source says
« La France est une République indivisible, laïque, démocratique et sociale »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Que dit l'article 1er de la Constitution française ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR) and on the naturalisation list (PDF read on 14 October 2026). The Ministry's wording: “Que dit l'article 1er de la Constitution française ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “La définition de la laïcité (1/2)” (French).
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