24 practice questions with answers and explanations on the authorities, history, geography and culture of Vaud. The app has all 546 questions on Vaud and Switzerland.
Vaud 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: D – White and green
The Vaud flag is white and green: the upper half is white, the lower half green. It was adopted in 1803, when the canton was born. Green was the colour of the Vaud Revolution and the Lemanic Republic of 1798.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – Liberté et Patrie
The motto 'Liberté et Patrie' (Freedom and Fatherland) is written in gold letters on the white part of the Vaud flag. 'One for all, all for one' is the traditional motto of Switzerland. 'Post Tenebras Lux' is the motto of Geneva.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – The Grand Conseil
The Grand Conseil is the parliament of the canton of Vaud: it passes laws and the budget. The Conseil d'État exercises executive power and the Cantonal Court judicial power. The Municipalité is the executive of a municipality.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – 150
The Vaud Grand Conseil has 150 members. They are elected by the people by proportional representation for a five-year term. The seats are distributed among electoral constituencies.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – The land of forests
The name Vaud is said to come from the Latin 'pagus waldensis', linked to the Germanic word 'wald', meaning forest. It therefore means 'land of forests'. The Pays de Vaud is mentioned as early as the early Middle Ages.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – Savoy
From the 13th century until 1536, most of the Pays de Vaud was ruled by the House of Savoy. The Savoyards notably enlarged Chillon Castle. In 1536 Bern conquered the Pays de Vaud.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: D – Bern
In 1536 Bernese troops conquered the Pays de Vaud, which had previously been under Savoy. Bern ruled the land through bailiffs for more than 260 years. Bernese rule ended with the Vaud Revolution of 1798.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – 1536
The Protestant Reformation was imposed in the Pays de Vaud in 1536, after the Bernese conquest. The Disputation of Lausanne, held that same year, marked this change. The reformer Pierre Viret played an important role.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Lausanne
Lausanne is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The cantonal parliament (Grand Conseil) and government (Conseil d'État) sit there. Lausanne is also the largest town in the canton.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – 10
Since the territorial reform of 1 January 2008, the canton of Vaud has 10 districts. Before that it had 19. They include, for example, Lausanne, Nyon, Aigle and Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut.
Source: vd.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – about 300
The canton of Vaud has about 300 municipalities (300 on 1 January 2026). Their number is steadily falling because of mergers: it is expected to drop to 294 on 1 January 2027. The municipalities are grouped into 10 districts.
Source: vd.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – about 860,000
The canton of Vaud has about 860,000 inhabitants (864,200 at the end of 2025 according to Statistique Vaud). It is the third most populous canton in Switzerland, after Zurich and Bern. Its population grows every year (+1% in 2025).
Source: vd.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – French
French is the only official language of the canton of Vaud. Vaud is part of French-speaking Switzerland (Romandy). The French-German bilingual cantons are Bern, Fribourg and Valais.
Source: fr.wikipedia.org · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: D – The applicant's municipality of residence
The Vaud basic knowledge test is organised by the applicant's municipality of residence. It consists of 48 multiple-choice questions drawn from a public catalogue, to be answered in one hour. It covers Switzerland, the canton and the region of residence.
Source: vd.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: D – Lausanne
Lausanne has a metro, with lines m1 and m2. Line m2, opened in 2008, links Ouchy to the north of the city and climbs a steep gradient. The metro is part of the Lausanne public transport network (tl).
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – Mobilis
Mobilis is the Vaud fare network: a single ticket lets you use trains, buses and metros within the chosen zones. Onde Verte is the fare network of Neuchâtel, Libero that of Bern-Solothurn and Unireso that of Geneva.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Fast Monday (Lundi du Jeûne)
Fast Monday (Lundi du Jeûne), which follows the Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer (third Sunday in September), is a public holiday in the canton of Vaud. The Jeûne genevois is a holiday specific to Geneva. 23 June is the Jura independence holiday.
Source: fr.wikipedia.org · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: D – The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has had its headquarters in Lausanne since 1915. Lausanne calls itself the 'Olympic Capital' and is also home to the Olympic Museum in Ouchy. The WHO, the UN (European office) and the ICRC are based in Geneva.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – EPFL
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) is located in Écublens, near Lausanne. Together with ETH Zurich, it is one of Switzerland's two federal institutes of technology. It is next to the University of Lausanne (UNIL).
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: B – Vevey
Vevey is home to the global headquarters of the Nestlé group, one of the world's largest food companies. The Alimentarium, a museum devoted to food, is also in Vevey. Henri Nestlé founded his company in Vevey in the 19th century.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – Papet vaudois
Papet vaudois is a dish of leeks and potatoes, served with a cabbage sausage or a liver sausage. It is the emblematic dish of the canton.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Vevey
The Fête des Vignerons takes place in Vevey about four to five times a century; the latest edition was held in 2019. It honours the work of the region's winegrowers. It has been on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2016.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: C – Nyon
The Paléo Festival takes place every summer in Nyon, on the Plaine de l'Asse. It was founded in 1976. It welcomes hundreds of thousands of festival-goers over six days.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
Correct answer: A – Montreux
The Montreux Jazz Festival was founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs. It takes place every July on the shores of Lake Geneva. Today it hosts artists of all musical styles.
Source: bex.ch · Checked October 2026
The test also includes questions about Switzerland as a whole. Practise them by topic: