Final Civics Revision

How the Civics Test Works

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The civics test is oral. This means a USCIS officer asks you questions out loud during your naturalization interview, and you answer out loud. The officer chooses the questions from the official list.

There are two versions of the test. On the 2025 test, the officer asks up to 20 questions from a list of 128, and you need 12 correct answers. On the 2008 test, the officer asks up to 10 questions from a list of 100, and you need 6 correct answers. Which version you take depends on when you filed your application, so check your papers or the USCIS website.

The officer stops asking questions as soon as you pass or as soon as you can no longer pass. For example, on the 2025 test the officer stops after your 12th correct answer, or after your 9th wrong answer. On the 2008 test, the officer stops after your 6th correct answer, or after your 5th wrong answer.

If you are 65 or older and have been a permanent resident for 20 years or more, you may study only a shorter list of questions marked with an asterisk (*). In that case the officer asks 10 of those questions, and you need 6 correct answers. You may also take the civics test in your own language with an interpreter if you meet certain age and residence rules.

A Study Plan for the Whole List

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Study a little every day instead of a lot at once. Short daily sessions of 15 to 20 minutes help you remember better than one long session each week.

Use spaced practice. This means you review a question again after one or two days, then after a week, then after two weeks. Each time you remember an answer, wait longer before the next review, and spend more time on the questions you miss.

In your last weeks, mix the topics. Practice questions about government, history, and symbols together in random order, just like at the real interview.

Connect each answer to a story. If you understand why the colonists were angry with Britain, or why Lincoln is famous, the answer is much easier to remember than a list of words.

Answer Out Loud and Answer Every Part

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Because the test is spoken, practice by speaking. Read each question out loud, then answer out loud without looking. Ask a friend or family member to ask you questions, or record yourself and listen.

Some questions ask for more than one answer, such as 'Name two' or 'Name three.' On the 2025 test, one question even asks you to name five of the 13 original states. You must give as many answers as the question asks for, so prepare a fixed set of answers that you know well for each of these questions.

Short answers are fine, and you do not need to say a full sentence. Choose the answer from the list that is easiest for you to say and remember, and practice saying it clearly.

Answers That Can Change

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Some answers depend on who holds an office now, such as the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice. Others depend on where you live, such as your state's governor and capital and your U.S. senators and representative.

These answers can change after an election, an appointment, or a resignation. A few days before your interview, check the civics test updates page on the USCIS website for the current answers, and look up the names for your own state and district.

Write the current names on a small card. Practice them together with the other questions, so they feel as easy as the rest.

Interview Day Tips

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Bring your appointment notice, your Permanent Resident Card (green card), a photo ID, and any other documents listed in your notice. Arrive early so you have time to pass security and relax.

Listen carefully. If you do not understand a question, you may politely ask the officer to repeat it. During the interview, the officer also tests your English reading, writing, and speaking, unless you qualify for an exception.

If you do not pass the civics test or the English test the first time, you usually get a second chance. You will be tested again only on the part you did not pass, usually 60 to 90 days later.

Sleep well the night before. In the morning, do a short and calm review instead of trying to learn new things.

Important words

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Naturalization interview

The meeting with a USCIS officer where your application is reviewed and you take the English and civics tests.

Oral test

A test where the questions are asked and answered by speaking, not in writing.

Spaced practice

Reviewing information again after longer and longer breaks so you remember it for a long time.

Multi-answer question

A question that asks for more than one answer, such as 'Name two.'

Test updates

The USCIS web page that lists current answers for questions that can change.

Asterisk (*)

A small star symbol that marks the shorter list of questions for applicants who are 65 or older with 20 or more years as permanent residents.

Retest

A second chance to take the part of the test you did not pass.

Recap

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• On the 2025 test you are asked up to 20 questions and need 12 correct. On the 2008 test you are asked up to 10 and need 6 correct.
• Study a little every day, use spaced practice, and mix the topics in your last weeks.
• Practice out loud, and give as many answers as a question asks for.
• Check the USCIS test updates page for answers that can change, and bring your documents on interview day.