24 practice questions with answers and explanations on the authorities, history, geography and culture of Geneva. The app has all 415 questions on Geneva and Switzerland.
Geneva publishes an official question bank. Our questions are written by us and complement it. You can find the official question bank on the canton page under “Official documents”.
Tap an answer to see if it is right. Under “Show answer” you find the solution with an explanation and the source.
Correct answer: A – After darkness, light
'Post Tenebras Lux' is a Latin phrase meaning 'After darkness, light'. It became Geneva's motto at the time of the Reformation. It appears on the Geneva coat of arms and on the Reformation Wall.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – A half-eagle and a key
The Geneva flag is divided vertically: on the left a crowned black half-eagle on a yellow (gold) field; on the right a golden key on a red field. The eagle recalls the Holy Roman Empire and the key the bishopric of Geneva (St Peter). The bear is on the flag of Bern.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – 100
According to the Geneva constitution, the Grand Conseil has 100 members. They are elected every 5 years by proportional representation, alternating with municipal elections. The Grand Conseil passes the canton's laws and budget.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – 7
The Geneva Conseil d'État, the cantonal government, has 7 members. It is elected by the people by majority vote, with the first round held on the same day as the Grand Conseil election. It takes its decisions collegially.
Source: silgeneve.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Every 5 years
Since the 2012 constitution, the Geneva Grand Conseil and Conseil d'État have been elected for 5 years. Before that, the term lasted 4 years. At federal level, elections are held every 4 years.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – In a text by Julius Caesar
Geneva is first mentioned in Julius Caesar's 'Gallic War', in the 1st century BC. Caesar reports that he had the Geneva bridge cut to stop the Helvetii from crossing in 58 BC. Geneva was then a town of the Allobroges.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: D – John Calvin
John Calvin arrived in Geneva in 1536 and organised the Reformed Church there. Thanks to him Geneva became a major centre of Protestantism, nicknamed the 'Protestant Rome'. He also founded the Academy, forerunner of the University of Geneva, in 1559.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – The Protestant Rome
Under Calvin's influence, Geneva became a centre from which Protestantism spread across Europe in the 16th century. It was therefore nicknamed the 'Protestant Rome'. Many Protestant refugees found asylum there.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – The troops of the Duke of Savoy
During the night of 11-12 December 1602 the Duke of Savoy's soldiers tried to climb Geneva's ramparts. The Genevans repelled the attack: this is the Escalade. The victory is celebrated every year in December.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – 1602
The Escalade took place in December 1602, when Geneva repelled a night attack by Savoyard troops. It is commemorated every year around 12 December with historical processions, chocolate cauldrons and a popular run. It is Geneva's most popular festival.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Geneva
The capital of the canton is the city of Geneva, which is also the canton's largest municipality. The Conseil d'État and the Grand Conseil sit in the Hôtel de Ville in the Old Town. Carouge, Lancy and Vernier are other Geneva municipalities.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – 45
The canton of Geneva has 45 municipalities. The largest is the City of Geneva; others include Carouge, Lancy, Vernier and Meyrin. Unlike other cantons, Geneva has no districts.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – about half a million
The canton of Geneva has about half a million inhabitants (537,191 at the end of 2025 according to the cantonal statistics office, OCSTAT). It is one of the most densely populated cantons in Switzerland because its territory is small. The urban area also extends into neighbouring France and the canton of Vaud.
Source: tdg.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – about 40%
About 40% of the inhabitants of the canton of Geneva are foreign nationals (41.7% at the end of 2025), much more than the Swiss average (about a quarter). The canton is home to about 180 different nationalities. This diversity is linked in particular to international Geneva.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: D – about 180
According to Geneva's official tutorial, about 180 different nationalities are represented in the canton. This diversity is explained by the many international organisations and multinational companies. It makes Geneva a cosmopolitan city.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Before submitting the naturalisation application
In Geneva, the certificate of passing the general knowledge test is a prerequisite for submitting an ordinary naturalisation application. The test is written and covers geography, history, institutions, customs, and rights and duties. The canton offers the online tutorial 'Connaître la Suisse et Genève' to prepare.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – 18
The 2012 Geneva constitution provides that education is compulsory until the age of majority, i.e. 18. After compulsory school it can take place at school or in a company (apprenticeship). The aim is for every young person to obtain a qualification.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: D – French
French is the official language of the canton of Geneva: it is the language of the administration, schools and courts. For naturalisation, you must prove level B1 in spoken and A2 in written French. Geneva is part of French-speaking Switzerland.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: D – Because it hosts many international organisations
Geneva hosts the United Nations Office, the ICRC, the WHO, the WTO and many other organisations and NGOs. People speak of 'international Geneva'. Switzerland's federal city is Bern, and Switzerland is not part of the European Union.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – CERN
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, was founded in 1954 and is located in Meyrin on the French-Swiss border. It houses the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The World Wide Web was invented there in 1989.
Source: fr.wikipedia.org · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – The Jeûne genevois (Geneva Fast)
The Jeûne genevois is a public holiday specific to the canton of Geneva, held on the Thursday after the first Sunday in September. Tradition associates it with plum tart. Fast Monday, by contrast, is a holiday in the canton of Vaud.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Plum tart
On the day of the Jeûne genevois it is traditional to eat plum tart. Originally the Fast was a day of prayer and penance, with a simple meal. Papet is a dish from Vaud.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Longeole
Longeole is a Geneva pork sausage flavoured with fennel seeds. It is usually eaten in winter with potatoes or lentils. Saucisson vaudois and St. Gallen sausage are specialities of other cantons.
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – Cardoon
The Geneva cardoon is a vegetable related to the artichoke, whose stalks are eaten. It is traditionally served as a gratin during the end-of-year holidays. It has a protected designation of origin (AOP).
Source: ge.ch · Checked October 2026
The test also includes questions about Switzerland as a whole. Practise them by topic: