How the civics test works

The civics test is an oral test. A USCIS officer asks the questions aloud during your naturalization interview and you answer aloud. There is no paper and there are no multiple-choice options.

The 2025 version

• The study list has 128 questions.
• The officer asks up to 20 of them.
• You pass when you have answered 12 correctly.
• You fail if you answer 9 incorrectly.
• The officer stops as soon as either number is reached.

So the test can be over after 12 questions, if all 12 are right. It can never go beyond 20.

The 2008 version

• The study list has 100 questions.
• The officer asks up to 10 of them.
• You pass when you have answered 6 correctly.
• You fail if you answer 5 incorrectly.
• The officer stops when you have 6 right or 5 wrong.

Which version you take depends on your filing date. See which test will I take?

What counts as a correct answer

The official lists give one or more accepted answers for each question. The lists say that USCIS knows other correct answers may exist, but that applicants are encouraged to answer with the answers provided. In practice this means: learn an answer from the list, word for word where you can.

Most questions need one answer even when the list shows several. A few ask for more: "Name two...", "What are three...", "Name five...". For those you must give the number asked. They are collected on the page questions that ask for more than one answer.

Answers that depend on today

Some questions ask who holds an office now: the president, the vice president, the Speaker of the House, the Chief Justice, your state's governor and senators, your representative. The lists say you must answer with the name of the official serving at the time of your interview. USCIS keeps the current answers for the national offices on its test updates page. We show what that page said when we last read it on our page answers that change.

Where the civics test sits in the interview

The naturalization test has two parts: English and civics. USCIS's policy manual describes the English part as the ability to read, write, speak and understand English, and the civics part as knowledge of U.S. history and government. Your speaking is judged from the way you answer the officer's questions about your application. Reading and writing are short tests of one sentence each. The English test page explains them.

How to practise for a spoken test

Reading the list silently is not enough, because on the day you must hear a question and say an answer. Ask someone to read questions to you in a random order, or use our practice test, which shows questions one at a time, lets you say your answer, then shows the accepted answers and keeps the same count the officer keeps. Say your answers aloud every time.

Next

The 2008 and 2025 question lists compared All guides

Independent study site. Citizenship Test is not a government website and is not connected with USCIS or any agency. Questions and accepted answers are quoted from the official USCIS lists; the notes are ours. Rules were read on uscis.gov on 12 November 2026. Always confirm with uscis.gov/citizenship before your interview.