These are the citizenship test questions for applicants who filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025, including interviews in 2026. The officer asks up to 20 of these questions; you need 12 correct.
Official questions and answers come from USCIS. Explanations, translations and practice formats are written by CitizenPracticeTest.com to help you study. Always check USCIS test updates for answers that change.
Questions with a star (65/20) are the special questions for applicants aged 65 or older with 20 or more years as permanent residents.
Source: 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version) (M-1778 (09/25)). Questions and answers are shown exactly as published.
The question asks what kind of government the country has. In a republic, the people elect leaders to make laws for them, and there is no king. The Constitution sets the rules, and power is shared between the national and state governments. Memory hook: the Pledge of Allegiance says "and to the Republic for which it stands."
"Supreme" means highest. The Constitution is the highest law, so no federal or state law can go against it. It was written in 1787 in Philadelphia and is still used today.
The Constitution is the plan for the national government. It creates the government, says what each part can do, and protects people's rights. Memory hook: its first three articles set up the three branches of government.
"We the People" are the first three words of the Constitution. They mean the power of the government comes from the people, not from a king. The people agree to be governed and choose their leaders by voting.
A change or addition to the Constitution is called an amendment. It is hard on purpose: usually two-thirds of both houses of Congress must propose it, and three-fourths of the states (38 of 50) must approve it.
The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. They were added in 1791. They protect basic rights like freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and many of these rights protect everyone living in the U.S., not only citizens.
The Constitution has been changed 27 times. The first 10 amendments are the Bill of Rights. The newest one, the 27th, was approved in 1992 and is about pay for members of Congress.
The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776. It told the world that the 13 colonies were free from Britain. It also says all people are created equal and have rights that no government can take away. Thomas Jefferson was its main writer.
The Declaration of Independence said the colonies were now free and independent states. It was approved in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. That is why Americans celebrate Independence Day on the Fourth of July.
Both documents share the same basic ideas. People are equal and are born with natural rights. Government gets its power from the people, and that power is limited. You must name two of these ideas.
These famous words are in the Declaration of Independence. They name rights that the writers believed all people have. Memory hook: the Constitution starts with "We the People", but "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" comes from the Declaration.
In capitalism, people and private companies own most businesses and property. Prices are mostly set by buying and selling in the market, not by the government. The government still makes some rules, for example about safety and fair business.
The rule of law means the same laws apply to everyone. The president, judges, police and the government itself must obey the law, just like any other person. Memory hook: "No one is above the law."
The people who wrote the Constitution learned from older ideas and documents. The Articles of Confederation was the first national plan, but it made the central government too weak. The Mayflower Compact (1620) was an early promise by colonists to make and follow their own rules.
The founders did not want one person or group to have all the power. So they split power into three branches, and each branch can check the others. For example, the president can veto a bill, and the courts can decide a law goes against the Constitution.
The legislative branch (Congress) makes the laws. The executive branch (the president) carries out the laws. The judicial branch (the courts) explains the laws. Memory hook: make, carry out, explain.
The president leads the executive branch. This branch carries out, or "executes", the laws that Congress passes. Memory hook: the president is sometimes called the "chief executive."
Congress is the legislative branch, and "legislate" means to make laws. Members of Congress write bills and vote on them. Congress meets in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
Congress has two parts, also called two houses or chambers. The Senate has 100 members and the House of Representatives has 435 voting members. A bill must pass both houses before it can become a law.
Congress has the powers listed in Article I of the Constitution. It makes laws, controls government money, and is the only part of government that can declare war. The president leads the military, but only Congress can declare war.
Every state has two senators, and there are 50 states. So 2 times 50 equals 100 senators. This number only changes if a new state joins the country.
A senator is elected for six years. Elections are spread out, so about one-third of the Senate is elected every two years. There is no limit on how many terms a senator can serve.
[District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. senators.]
Your answer depends on the state where you live. Each state has two U.S. senators, and you only need to name one. To find them, go to senate.gov and choose your state, or look at usa.gov. If you live in Washington, D.C. or a U.S. territory, say that D.C. (or your territory) has no U.S. senators.
The House of Representatives has 435 voting members. This number has been fixed by law for about 100 years. There are also a few nonvoting members who speak for Washington, D.C. and the U.S. territories.
A member of the House is elected for two years. All 435 seats are up for election every two years, in even-numbered years. There is no limit on how many terms a representative can serve.
Representatives face voters every two years. If they do not listen to what people want, voters can soon replace them. So the House stays close to public opinion, while senators have longer terms to focus on long-term issues.
Every state has exactly two senators. It does not matter if the state is big or small, or has many people or few. Memory hook: in the Senate, all states are equal.
When the Constitution was written in 1787, big states wanted more votes in Congress, and small states wanted equal votes. The Great Compromise gave both: the House is based on population, and in the Senate every state gets two. It is also called the Connecticut Compromise because delegates from Connecticut proposed it.
[Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) representatives in Congress.]
Your answer depends on where you live. Each state is divided into congressional districts, and each district has one representative. Go to house.gov and enter your ZIP code or address to find yours, or look at usa.gov. If you live in a U.S. territory, you may name your nonvoting Delegate or Resident Commissioner, or say the territory has no voting representative in Congress.
Current answer listed by USCIS: Mike Johnson / Johnson / James Michael Johnson (birth name)
From the USCIS test updates page (updated September 18, 2025), checked October 31, 2026. Answer with the official serving on your interview day: check USCIS.
The Speaker is the leader of the House of Representatives. House members choose the Speaker, usually from the party with the most seats. The Speaker is second in line to become president, after the Vice President. The name can change, so check the current name on the USCIS test updates page (uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates) before your interview.
A U.S. senator speaks for the whole state, not just one city or district. The senator works for everyone in the state, even people who did not vote for them.
Voters in the whole state elect their two senators. Before 1913, state lawmakers chose senators. The 17th Amendment changed this so the people vote for senators directly.
Each state is divided into congressional districts based on population. A representative speaks for the people in one district. A state with only one representative is one big district.
The voters who live in a congressional district elect that district's representative. They vote every two years. You can only vote for the representative of your own district.
Seats in the House are shared out by population. The country counts its people every 10 years in the census, and states with more people get more representatives. Memory hook: Alaska is the largest state by land, but it has only one representative because few people live there.
A president is elected for four years. Presidential elections happen every four years in November, for example in 2024 and 2028. The new term starts on January 20.
George Washington chose to stop after two terms, and later presidents followed his example. Franklin D. Roosevelt broke this tradition and was elected four times. After that, the 22nd Amendment (1951) made two elected terms the limit, so no president becomes too powerful.
Current answer listed by USCIS: Donald J. Trump / Donald Trump / Trump
From the USCIS test updates page (updated September 18, 2025), checked October 31, 2026. Answer with the official serving on your interview day: check USCIS.
This answer changes after elections, so it is not always the same name. The president is elected every four years and leads the executive branch. Check the current name on the USCIS test updates page (uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates) before your interview.
Current answer listed by USCIS: JD Vance / Vance
From the USCIS test updates page (updated September 18, 2025), checked October 31, 2026. Answer with the official serving on your interview day: check USCIS.
This answer changes after elections, so it is not always the same name. The Vice President is first in line to become president and also leads the Senate, where they can break a tie vote. Check the current name on the USCIS test updates page (uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates) before your interview.
If the president dies, resigns or cannot do the job, the Vice President becomes president. This has happened nine times in U.S. history. After the Vice President, the next in line is the Speaker of the House.
The president's powers are listed in Article II of the Constitution. The president signs or vetoes bills, makes sure laws are carried out, leads the military, and deals with other countries. The president also chooses federal judges, but the Senate must approve them.
The president is the top leader of the U.S. military. This keeps the military under the control of an elected civilian leader. But only Congress can declare war.
A bill is a plan for a new law. First, both the House and the Senate must pass it. Then the president signs it, and it becomes a law.
To veto means to say no to a bill so it does not become law. The word comes from Latin and means "I forbid." Congress can still pass the bill if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate vote for it again.
The president chooses federal judges, including Supreme Court justices. Then the Senate votes to approve them. This is one way the branches check each other.
The executive branch is much bigger than one person. It includes the president, the Cabinet, and many federal departments and agencies. For example, USCIS, the agency that handles citizenship, is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
The Cabinet is a group of top officials, such as the heads of the federal departments. Each one leads a part of the government and gives the president advice about it. The president chooses them, and most must be approved by the Senate.
The Cabinet includes the Vice President, the heads of the 15 executive departments, and some other top officials. You must name two. Memory hook: the Secretary of State works with other countries, not with the 50 states, and the Attorney General leads the Department of Justice.
When people vote for president, they are really choosing electors from their state. The electors then vote, and a candidate needs 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win. The founders chose this as a middle way between a vote by the people and a choice by Congress.
The judicial branch is made up of the courts. The Supreme Court is at the top, and lower federal courts hear cases across the country. Memory hook: judicial sounds like "judge."
Courts hear cases and decide what laws mean. They settle disagreements about the law. They can also decide that a law goes against the Constitution, and then the law cannot be used. This power is called judicial review.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. It meets in Washington, D.C. Its decisions are final, and all other courts must follow them.
The Supreme Court has nine seats: one Chief Justice and eight other justices. Congress sets this number by law, not the Constitution. It has been nine since 1869.
A case is decided by a majority, which means more than half. More than half of nine justices is five. That is why you hear about "5 to 4" decisions.
Supreme Court justices have no set term and no age limit. They can serve until they retire or die. Congress can remove a justice only through impeachment, which is very rare.
Justices never have to run for election or worry about losing their job. So they can decide cases based on the law, not on what is popular. The Constitution also says their pay cannot be cut while they serve.
Current answer listed by USCIS: John Roberts / John G. Roberts, Jr. / Roberts
From the USCIS test updates page (updated September 18, 2025), checked October 31, 2026. Answer with the official serving on your interview day: check USCIS.
The Chief Justice leads the Supreme Court. This answer changes when a new Chief Justice is appointed. Check the current name on the USCIS test updates page (uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates) before your interview.
Power in the U.S. is shared between the national (federal) government and the states. Some powers belong only to the federal government, such as money, war and dealing with other countries. A state cannot print its own money or make its own treaty with another country.
States handle many things in daily life, such as schools, police, fire departments and land use. Memory hook: your driver's license comes from your state, not from the federal government.
The 10th Amendment is the last part of the Bill of Rights. It says the federal government has only the powers the Constitution gives it. All other powers stay with the states or with the people.
[District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a governor.]
Your answer depends on the state where you live. The governor is the leader of a state's government. To find your governor, look at usa.gov or your state's official website. If you live in Washington, D.C., say that D.C. does not have a governor (it has a mayor).
[District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]
Your answer depends on the state where you live. The capital is the city where the state government meets, and it is often not the biggest city (for example, Albany is the capital of New York). You can check usa.gov or your state's website. If you live in D.C., say D.C. is not a state and has no capital; if you live in a U.S. territory, name the territory's capital.
Four amendments made voting open to more people. The 15th (1870) says race cannot stop a man from voting. The 19th (1920) gave women the vote, the 24th (1964) ended poll taxes in federal elections, and the 26th (1971) lowered the voting age to 18.
Some rights belong only to U.S. citizens. Only citizens can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a federal jury. Permanent residents (green card holders) cannot vote in federal elections, and doing so is against the law.
Some rights belong to every person in the country, not only to citizens. Most of these come from the First Amendment (speech, religion, assembly, petition) and the Second Amendment (bear arms). Voting in federal elections is different: only citizens can do that.
When people say the Pledge of Allegiance, they promise to be loyal to the flag and to the country it stands for. The Pledge begins: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. People usually stand, face the flag and put the right hand over the heart.
New citizens say the Oath of Allegiance at the naturalization ceremony. With this oath they make serious promises to the United States. A simple way to remember: give up old loyalties, then defend, obey, serve and be loyal.
There are three main ways to be a U.S. citizen. Most people are citizens because they were born in the United States, as the 14th Amendment says. Others naturalize, like people taking this test, and some children get citizenship from their parents (this is called deriving citizenship).
Civic participation means taking part in public life and in how the country is run. Voting is the best known example, but sharing your opinion with leaders or helping a community group also counts. In a democracy, the government works better when people take part.
You do not need to be a soldier to serve your country. Everyday actions like voting, paying taxes and obeying the law help the nation work. Some people also serve by working for the government or by running for office.
Federal taxes pay for things the whole country uses, such as the military, national parks and federal courts. Paying them is the law. The 16th Amendment, added in 1913, lets Congress collect an income tax.
The Selective Service is a list of young men who could be called to the military if the country ever needs a draft. Men must sign up soon after they turn 18. If everyone registers, a draft would be fair because it would not fall on only a few people.
People came from Europe to the American colonies in the 1600s and 1700s for many reasons. Some wanted to practice their religion freely, and others wanted land, work or a better life. The Pilgrims, for example, sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 seeking religious freedom.
Long before Europeans came, many different peoples already lived across North America. They are called American Indians or Native Americans. They had many nations, languages and ways of life.
Millions of people were taken from Africa by force and carried across the Atlantic Ocean. In America they and their children were held in slavery. Slavery in the United States ended in 1865 with the 13th Amendment.
The American colonies fought Great Britain to become a free country. This war lasted from 1775 to 1783. It has several names, but they all mean the same war.
The colonists were angry because Britain made laws and taxes for them, but they had no vote in the British Parliament. Their famous slogan was "no taxation without representation." Events like the Boston Tea Party in 1773 showed this anger.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, when he was 33 years old. A small group in Congress helped him make changes. Jefferson later became the third president.
The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. That is why Americans celebrate Independence Day every year on the Fourth of July. Memory hook: 1776 is the country's birth year.
The American Revolution had many key moments, from early battles to the final victory. At Valley Forge, Washington's army lived through a very hard winter. The British surrender at Yorktown in 1781 was the last major battle of the war.
The 13 original states were the 13 British colonies that declared independence in 1776. All of them are on or near the Atlantic coast in the east. Tip: learn them from north to south, starting with New Hampshire and ending with Georgia.
In 1787, leaders met in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention and wrote the U.S. Constitution. They signed it on September 17, 1787. It is still the supreme law of the land today.
The Federalist Papers were 85 essays written to get people to support the new Constitution. Three men wrote them: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. They all signed with one shared pen name, Publius.
After the Constitution was written, the states had to approve it. The Federalist Papers appeared in New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788. They explained how the new government would work and argued that people should accept it.
Benjamin Franklin was one of the most famous Americans of his time. He was a printer, writer, scientist and inventor, known for his experiments with electricity. He also served the new nation as a diplomat in France.
George Washington led the army that won the American Revolution. Later he led the meeting that wrote the Constitution and became the first president in 1789. His face is on the one dollar bill and the quarter.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and was the third president. As president he bought the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. His face is on the five cent coin, the nickel.
James Madison is called the Father of the Constitution because he did so much to plan and write it. He also wrote the first drafts of the Bill of Rights. Later he was the fourth president, and he led the country in the War of 1812.
Alexander Hamilton was a close helper of George Washington during the Revolution. As the first Secretary of the Treasury, he set up the young nation's money system. His face is on the ten dollar bill.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought a huge piece of land from France. This was the Louisiana Purchase, and it about doubled the size of the country. Memory hook: France, 1803, Louisiana.
The 1800s means the years 1800 to 1899. During that time the United States fought several wars, including the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. The Spanish-American War in 1898 was the last one of that century.
The Civil War was fought between the Northern states (the Union) and Southern states that tried to leave the country (the Confederacy). It lasted from 1861 to 1865. The North won, and the country stayed together.
The Civil War began with the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861. Gettysburg in 1863 was one of its largest and most important battles. The war ended soon after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox in April 1865.
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president and led the country during the Civil War. He worked to keep the Union together and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. He was killed in April 1865, just after the war ended.
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. It declared that enslaved people in the Confederate states were free. Slavery ended in the whole country in 1865 with the 13th Amendment.
The Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, ended slavery in the United States. After the North won, the 13th Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1865. It made slavery illegal everywhere in the country.
The 14th Amendment was added in 1868, after the Civil War. It says that people born or naturalized in the United States are citizens. It also promises all persons equal protection of the laws.
The 15th Amendment, added in 1870 after the Civil War, says a man cannot be stopped from voting because of his race or color. This time is called Reconstruction. Sadly, unfair rules kept many Black men from voting for many years after that.
In the 1800s, women in the United States could not vote, and they had fewer rights than men. Brave leaders spoke out for women's rights, and many also fought against slavery. In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott helped organize a famous women's rights meeting in Seneca Falls, New York.
The 1900s means the years 1900 to 1999. In that century the United States fought in both World Wars, in Korea and in Vietnam. The Persian Gulf War in 1991 was near the end of the century.
World War I started in Europe in 1914, and at first the United States stayed out of it. German submarines attacked ships and killed Americans at sea. In 1917 the United States joined the war on the side of the Allies.
Women across the whole country won the right to vote in 1920 with the 19th Amendment. This came soon after World War I. Memory hook: the 19th Amendment came in 1920, so think of 19 and 20 side by side.
The Great Depression was a very long and very bad time for the economy, starting in 1929. Many banks and businesses closed, and millions of people lost their jobs. At its worst, about one in four workers had no job.
The Great Depression started when prices on the stock market fell very fast in October 1929. Many people lost their savings almost overnight. This event is called the Great Crash.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was president from 1933 to 1945. He led the country through the Great Depression and most of World War II. He is the only president elected four times.
On December 7, 1941, Japan made a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The next day, the United States declared war on Japan. Soon it was fighting the Axis Powers together with the Allies.
Dwight Eisenhower was a top general in World War II and led the D-Day landings in France in 1944. Later he was the 34th president, from 1953 to 1961. He signed the law that built the Interstate highway system.
The Cold War was a long struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, from the late 1940s until 1991. The two countries did not fight each other directly in a big war. The Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, and Russia was its largest part.
During the Cold War, the United States worried that communism would spread to more countries. Both the United States and the Soviet Union built many nuclear weapons. People feared a nuclear war that could destroy whole cities.
In 1950, communist North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States and other countries sent troops to help the South and stop communism from spreading. The fighting lasted from 1950 to 1953.
Vietnam was divided into a communist North and a non-communist South. The United States helped the South to stop communism from spreading in Asia. American combat troops fought there in the 1960s and early 1970s.
The civil rights movement worked to end unfair treatment of people because of their race, especially Black Americans. Its biggest years were the 1950s and 1960s. It led to new laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pastor and a leader of the civil rights movement. He used peaceful protest to fight for equal rights. In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, he hoped people would be judged by their character, not their skin color.
In August 1990, Iraq invaded its small neighbor, Kuwait. The United States led a group of many countries to push the Iraqi army out. The main fighting took place in early 1991 and was short.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists took control of four passenger planes and attacked the United States. Two planes hit the World Trade Center in New York City, and one hit the Pentagon. The fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, and nearly 3,000 people died that day.
After the September 11 attacks, the United States began a long fight against terrorist groups around the world. U.S. forces went into Afghanistan in 2001 and into Iraq in 2003. The last U.S. troops left Afghanistan in 2021.
[For a complete list of tribes, please visit bia.gov.]
Many American Indian tribes still live in the United States today. The federal government recognizes more than 570 tribes. Choose one name you can say easily, such as Cherokee, Navajo or Sioux.
An innovation is a new idea or invention that changes how people live. The Wright brothers flew the first powered airplane in 1903. In 1969, American astronauts were the first people to walk on the moon.
Washington, D.C. is the capital, where the president, Congress and the Supreme Court work. D.C. means District of Columbia, and it is not part of any state. It was named after George Washington.
[Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]
The Statue of Liberty stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, close to New Jersey. It was a gift from the people of France and was dedicated in 1886. For many immigrants arriving by ship, it was one of the first things they saw.
The 13 stripes stand for the 13 original colonies that became the first states. There are 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes. The number of stripes stays 13, even when new states join.
The flag has one star for each of the 50 states. A new star is added when a new state joins. The last two states, Alaska and Hawaii, joined in 1959, and the 50-star flag has been used since 1960.
Francis Scott Key wrote the words in 1814, during the War of 1812, after he saw the U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry after a battle. The song became the official national anthem in 1931. Its title describes a flag covered in stars.
E Pluribus Unum is Latin. It means that many states, and many people, come together to make one nation. You can see these words on U.S. coins and on the Great Seal of the United States.
Independence Day is on July 4 each year. It celebrates the day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Many people celebrate with parades, picnics and fireworks.
National holidays are days set by the federal government, when federal offices close. There are 11 of them. The newest is Juneteenth, added in 2021, which remembers the end of slavery.
Memorial Day is on the last Monday in May. It honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Tip: Memorial Day remembers those who died, and Veterans Day thanks all who served.
Veterans Day is on November 11 every year. It honors all people who have served in the U.S. military. The date comes from the end of the fighting in World War I in 1918.
Yes. All 128 questions and answers are copied word for word from the USCIS list for the 2025 civics test (revision 09/25). They are the questions used at interviews in 2026 for anyone who filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025.
Yes, unless you qualify for 65/20. The questions are chosen at random from the full list, so any of the 128 can come up. The officer asks up to 20 and stops as soon as you have 12 correct or 9 incorrect.
A star marks the 20 questions for applicants who are 65 or older and have been permanent residents for 20 years or more when they file. They are asked 10 of those 20 and need 6 correct, and they may take the test in their own language.
Questions about the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice, your senators, your representative and your governor depend on who holds the office. Answer with the person serving on the day of your interview, and check the USCIS test updates page before you go.
Yes, for most applicants. The Spanish on this site is a study aid; on test day you hear and answer the official English questions unless you qualify for an English exemption and bring an interpreter.