Whether you’ve just arrived in Geneva or you’re a long-time Swiss citizen, the below set of cantonal naturalisation test questions gives you a chance to see how well you’d do.
How does the naturalisation test work? The test includes questions in French about Swiss history, Swiss cantons, the political system, rights and obligations, and habits and customs, with a focus on Geneva.
You’ll take the test on an iPad at the Cantonal Population Office and you’ll have to answer 45 multiple-choice questions from a bank of 130.
Most of the questions have three or four options while others are true/false questions.
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The following are translated versions of some of the questions which are in the test. You can have a go at the practice questions (in French) here.
Let’s go!
1. Which French pastor came to Geneva in 1536 and made the city famous?
a) Jean Calvin
b) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
c) Guillaume Tell
Answer: a) Jean Calvin. He helped established Protestantism in Geneva, earning it the name ‘protestant Rome’ in the 16th century.
2. Guillaume Tell is a legendary Swiss hero, often represented with a crossbow (arbalète).
a) True
b) False
Answer: a) True
Known as William Tell in English, we know him as an expert marksman who successfully shoots an arrow at an apple on his son’s head to avoid death. But English-language schools tend to gloss over his Swiss heritage or the fact that this is his punishment for standing up to a tyrannical army official.
3. The canton of Geneva was one of the first to give women the right to vote. It was…
a) The first canton do so
b) The third canton to do so
c) The 20th canton to do so
Answer: b) The third canton to do so.
Geneva gave women the right to vote on March 6th, 1960. Vaud was the first canton to give women the right to vote in 1959, while Appenzell Inner Rhodes was the last in 1990. National voting rights for women in Switzerland were introduced in 1971.
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4. What is celebrated during l’Escalade?
a) Genevans attempt to scale the Salève
b) An attempt to invade Geneva
c) A celebration of musical scales
Answer: b) An attempt to invade Geneva
This annual festival commemorates the failure of the Catholic Savoyards to conquer Protestant Geneva during a surprise nighttime attack in 1602. Escalade means climbing – citizens of Geneva came out in force to defend their city and stopped the invaders from climbing the city walls.
5. What are the two largest waterways which cross the canton of Geneva (give two answers)?
a) The Danube
b) The Rhine
c) The Arve
d) The Rhône
Answer: c) The Arve and d) The Rhône
The Rhine begins in Graubuenden and runs through several Swiss German and German cities while the Danube flows through central and southeastern Europe.
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6. Foreign nationals who have been living legally in the canton of Geneva for eight years have the right to vote…
a) in cantonal elections
b) in municipal elections
c) in federal elections
Answer: b) in municipal elections
Municipal elections are the lowest of Switzerland’s three administration division levels, federal is the highest.
A recent initiative called for foreigners who’ve been living in the canton for at least years to be able to vote and stand as candidates for political offices at the cantonal level, but this was rejected at the referendum in June. Voters heeded the recommendation of the Geneva parliament, which said that “the only path for foreigners to obtain full political rights is through naturalisation.”
7. According to the 2022 Geneva Constitution, the Conseil D’Etat (Council of State) of Geneva is elected every five years by…
a) Le Grand Conseil (the Grand Council)
b) The population
Answer: b) The population
The Grand Council of Geneva, the canton’s legislative body, is made up of 100 representatives.
8. At l’Escalade, we eat…
a) a gingerbread wall
b) a chocolate cauldron
c) a prune tart
Answer: b) A chocolate cauldron
This tasty chocolate pot is filled with marzipan vegetables in homage to the boiling-hot cauldron (marmite) of vegetable soup that, according to the legend, one smart woman is said to have chucked over the Savoyard attackers.
9. La Longeole is a typically Genevan sausage.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a) True
This tasty meat treat contains ground pork, ground pork rinds and fennel seeds.
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10. What event brings hundreds of yachts to Lake Geneva every year?
a) Le Bol d’Or
b) The Jules Vernes trophy
c) La Grande Regate Lemanique
Answer: a) Le Bol d’Or
The Bol d’Or is the world’s largest inland lake regatta.
11. What is the typically Genevan vegetable that is eaten ‘au gratin’?
a) Lamb’s lettuce
b) Cardoon
c) Salsify
Answer: c) Salsify
The popular root vegetable looks a bit like a long thin parsnip. It’s sometimes called the oyster plant as some people think it tastes a bit like oysters.
12. Health insurance is compulsory…
a) For all people living in Switzerland
b) Only for Swiss people
c) Only for foreign residents
Answer: a) For all people living in Switzerland
So, how did you do?
10/12 or more – well done, you’ve passed! In the real thing, you’ll need to get 40 out of 45 to pass.
9/12 or less – keep practising!
As well as resources on The Local, the official Republic and Canton of Geneva website is a great resource – as well as more questions, it has a five-module tutorial to help you improve your knowledge and increase your chances of passing the test.
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