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What must a person do when police or gendarmes give orders?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: Obey straight away. They must obey an order given under the law straight away. The 1789 Declaration says resisting is a fault. Arbitrary orders must be punished. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Présentation des principaux textes (1/3) : La Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “Présentation des principaux textes (1/3) : La Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen” (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
- ✗ Resist if they do not like the orderRésister si l'ordre ne lui plaît pasResisting is a fault.
- ✗ Argue for a long time before obeyingDiscuter longtemps avant d'obéirThe law asks to obey at once.
- ✓ Obey straight awayObéir tout de suiteCorrect answer. They must obey an order given under the law straight away. The 1789 Declaration says resisting is a fault. Arbitrary orders must be punished.
- ✗ Walk away without answeringS'éloigner sans répondreYou must obey, not leave.
What the source says
« tout citoyen appelé ou saisi en vertu de la loi doit obéir à l'instant »
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 doit faire une personne face aux ordres des policiers ou des gendarmes ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR). The Ministry's wording: “Que doit-on faire face aux ordres des policiers ou gendarmes ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
All 38 “Rights and duties” questions on the CR list
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