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French political institutions test for French B2 (free PDF download)

How power works in the French Republic – French B2 test with Zoé, the Français PDF coach

Quick answer: France is governed under the Fifth Republic: the President, elected for five years, names the Prime Minister, while Parliament votes laws in two chambers, the Assemblée nationale and the Sénat. This French B2 test on French political institutions has 8 questions worth 20 points, to do in 45 minutes: vocabulary match, passive voice and active to passive. The scoring guide is on a separate page; free printable PDF.

This test lasts 45 minutes and counts 20 points. It checks vocabulary of institutions, the passive voice, relative pronouns, one reading task and one short writing task. No notes are allowed.

Level: French B2 (CEFR upper intermediate) · Standards: CEFR B2, Reading

Time: 45 minutes · 8 questions · Total: 20 points · No dictionary

Question 1 Vocabulary match (2 points)

Match 1–4 with a–d: 1 un député, 2 un sénateur, 3 un tour, 4 la laïcité; (a) neutrality of the State, (b) member of the Senate, (c) round of voting, (d) member of the Assembly. (0.5 point each)

Question 2 Passive voice (2 points)

Complete with the passive form of the verb.

  1. Les députés ______ (élire) pour cinq ans. (0.5 point)
  2. La loi ______ (promulguer) hier. (0.5 point)
  3. Les ministres ______ (nommer) en mai. (0.5 point)
  4. L’Assemblée ______ (dissoudre) en juin. (0.5 point)

Question 3 Active to passive (2 points)

Rewrite in the passive.

  1. Le Parlement vote les lois. (1 point)
  2. Les citoyens ont élu la députée. (1 point)

Question 4 Prepositions and pronouns (2 points)

Complete.

  1. Il est élu ______ suffrage universel. (0.5 point)
  2. Elle est nommée ______ le Président. (0.5 point)
  3. La loi ______ on parle est ancienne. (0.5 point)
  4. Le candidat ______ j’ai voté a gagné. (0.5 point)

Question 5 True or false? (2 points)

Write true or false and correct the false statement.

  1. Le Président est élu pour sept ans. (1 point)
  2. La loi de 1905 sépare les Églises et l’État. (1 point)

Question 6 Reading: a bill in progress (4 points)

Read the report and look at the diagram, then answer in English.

Black and white flow chart: National Assembly, then Senate, then joint committee, then promulgation by the PresidentAssembléeSénatcommissionmixtepromulgation(Président)
The path of a bill.

Le projet de loi sur les transports a été adopté à l’Assemblée nationale mardi, puis examiné par le Sénat, qui l’a modifié. Les deux chambres doivent maintenant se mettre d’accord. Si elles n’y parviennent pas, une commission mixte sera réunie ; en dernier recours, l’Assemblée aura le dernier mot. Le texte ne sera promulgué par le Président qu’après cette étape.

  1. Which chamber examined the bill first? (1 point)
  2. What did the Senate do? (1 point)
  3. What happens if the chambers disagree? (1 point)
  4. When can the President promulgate the text? (1 point)

Question 7 Translate into French (2 points)

Translate into French.

  1. The senators are elected for six years. (1 point)
  2. The government was appointed by the President. (1 point)

Question 8 Explain laïcité (4 points)

A friend moving to France asks what la laïcité means. Write 60–80 French words: definition, the 1905 law and one consequence for public services.

See the French Political Institutions test answer key with scoring

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