CCSE questions on Elections and participation
Practice questions on Elections and participation for the CCSE. This topic belongs to task 1 (Government, law and civic participation).
What can citizens do to present a bill to the Congreso?
- APedírselo al reyAsk the king
- BReunir 500 000 firmasGather 500,000 signatures
- CFundar una asociaciónFound an association
Show answer and explanation
✓ Reunir 500 000 firmas
With 500,000 checked signatures the citizens can present to the Congreso (the lower chamber of the Spanish parliament) an iniciativa legislativa popular (a popular legislative initiative), that is, propose a law. It is a form of direct participation, besides voting. Neither the king nor an association can replace that requirement. Not all matters can be proposed: for example, leyes orgánicas (organic laws) and tax matters are left out. Remember the number: half a million, 500,000.
In the municipal elections, whom do the citizens vote for?
- AA los ministros del GobiernoThe ministers of the Government
- BA los diputados del CongresoThe deputies of the Congreso
- CA los concejales, de cuyas listas sale el alcaldeThe councillors, from whose lists the mayor comes
Show answer and explanation
✓ A los concejales, de cuyas listas sale el alcalde
In the municipal elections the citizens vote for the lists of councillors (concejales) of their municipality, and the mayor comes from among them. That is why the manual gives "mayors and councillors" as the answer. Deputies and senators are elected in the general elections, and the MEPs in the European elections. Ministers are not voted for: they are appointed by the Prime Minister. Trick: municipal equals mayor and councillors; general equals deputies and senators.
Which of these acronyms is the name of a Spanish political party?
- APPPP
- BPIBPIB
- CINEINE
Show answer and explanation
✓ PP
PP means Partido Popular, one of the main Spanish political parties, along with PSOE, Vox or Sumar. PIB means gross domestic product, a measure of the economy, and INE is the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (the national statistics institute), a public body. In Spain there is a multi-party system: citizens can freely found parties, as long as they respect the Constitution and work democratically. Do not confuse a party with the Government, even if it governs.
10 practice questions on this topic
- What can citizens do to present a bill to the Congreso?
- In the municipal elections, whom do the citizens vote for?
- Which of these acronyms is the name of a Spanish political party?
- What is the minimum number of signatures an iniciativa legislativa popular needs?
- In elections, voting in Spain is…
- How many political parties can there be in Spain?
- Whom do the citizens elect in the European elections?
- From what age can Spaniards vote?
- In which elections can some foreigners living in Spain vote?
- Whom do the citizens elect in the general elections?
Other topics in task 1
Free official material
The Instituto Cervantes publishes a manual and an app with the official questions. We write new questions on the same facts, with explanations: use them together.
Frequently asked questions
How many CCSE questions are about Elections and participation?
Elections and participation is part of task 1 (Government, law and civic participation), which has 10 of the 25 questions in the exam. Here are 10 original practice questions on this topic.
Are these the official CCSE questions?
No. They are original questions that test the same facts as the Instituto Cervantes' official 2026 manual, with our own explanations. The official manual can be downloaded free from the Instituto Cervantes website.
How do I practise this topic?
Read each question, pick an option and check the explanation. When you feel confident, take a timed 25-question mock test and see which task you miss most.