100 Citizenship Interview Questions and Answers

At your citizenship interview, a USCIS officer asks you civics questions drawn from an official study list, tests your English, and reviews your Form N-400 with you under oath. The civics questions and answers you need to learn come from one of two published lists: the 100-question list if you filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025, or the 128-question list if you filed on or after that date.¹ Both lists are free PDFs on the USCIS website, and studying the right one is the single most important thing you can do before your appointment.

Which Question List You Study

Your filing date decides everything. File before October 20, 2025, and you take the 2008 test, built from 100 questions. File on or after that date, and you take the 2025 test, built from 128.² Most people preparing for an interview now will be on the 2025 version.

Scoring differs between the two:

On the 2008 test, the officer asks up to 10 questions from the list of 100. You need 6 correct to pass, and the officer stops as soon as you reach 6.³
On the 2025 test, the officer asks up to 20 questions from the list of 128. You need 12 correct to pass, and the officer stops once you reach 12 correct or miss 9.¹

The passing threshold is 60 percent either way. The 2025 version simply gives you more questions and more room to recover from a wrong answer.

How the Officer Asks the Questions

The civics test is entirely oral. Nothing is multiple choice, nothing is on paper. The officer reads a question aloud and you answer aloud.⁴ The officer chooses which questions to ask, so you cannot narrow your studying to a favorite handful. Learn the whole list.

Some answers change with elections and appointments. You are expected to know the current President, Vice President, Chief Justice, your state’s two U.S. Senators, your U.S. Representative, and your Governor at the time of your interview. Outdated answers are not accepted. USCIS keeps an updates page with the current names, so confirm them a few days before your appointment.⁵

What the Civics Questions Cover

Both lists are organized into the same broad areas: American Government, American History, and a third section on symbols, holidays, and geography (called Integrated Civics on the 2008 list). The 2025 version widens some topics but keeps the structure.⁵

American Government

This is the largest section. Expect questions on the principles behind the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the three branches of the federal government and what each one does, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Sample phrasings include “What does the judicial branch do?” and “What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?” You should also know the structure of Congress, how many Senators and Representatives there are, and how the Constitution is amended.

American History

History questions run from the colonial period to the present. Early items cover why the colonists came, the significance of the Declaration of Independence, and the outcome of the Revolutionary War. The 1800s section covers the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and westward expansion. More recent questions cover the World Wars, the Civil Rights movement, and the September 11 attacks. Know figures like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Symbols, Holidays, and Geography

This section asks about the American flag, the Statue of Liberty, the national anthem, and holidays such as Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Memorial Day. Geography questions also live here. You may be asked to name one of the two longest rivers in the United States, a state that borders Canada or Mexico, or the capital of your own state.⁶

The English Portion of the Interview

Federal law requires most naturalization applicants to read, write, and speak English at a basic level.⁷ English is evaluated at the same appointment as the civics test, in three parts.

Speaking is judged during the interview itself. As the officer walks through your N-400 and asks about your background, they are also listening for whether you can understand and respond in English.⁸ There is no separate speaking test.

Reading is one sentence. The officer shows you up to three sentences, and you pass by reading at least one correctly. The vocabulary is simple and comes from a standardized USCIS word list.

Writing works the same way. The officer dictates up to three sentences, and you pass by writing at least one so the officer can understand it. Spelling and grammar mistakes generally do not count against you as long as the meaning is clear.⁴ The reading and writing vocabulary lists are published on the USCIS site, so you can see the exact words that might appear.⁹

Who Can Skip or Shorten the Tests

Age and time as a permanent resident open three separate accommodations. They are not the same, and it is worth checking which one, if any, fits your situation before you file.

50/20 rule. If you are 50 or older when you file the N-400 and have been a permanent resident for at least 20 years, you are exempt from the English requirement. You still take the full civics test, but you can take it in your native language with an interpreter you bring yourself.

55/15 rule. Same treatment as the 50/20 rule, but for applicants who are 55 or older with at least 15 years as a permanent resident.¹⁰

65/20 special consideration. If you are 65 or older when you file and have been a permanent resident for at least 20 years, you study a shorter list and can test in your native language.11 On the 2025 test, the shorter list is the 20 questions marked with an asterisk on the 128-question sheet; the officer asks up to 10 of them and you need 6 correct.⁵ Under the 2008 test, the same 10-asked, 6-correct format applies to a designated set of 20 simplified questions.¹²

Medical disability waiver. If a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment prevents you from learning or demonstrating knowledge of English or civics, a licensed U.S. medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or clinical psychologist can complete Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions.¹³ The condition must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months.¹⁴ If USCIS approves the N-648, you skip both the English and civics tests. Bring the signed original and any supporting medical records to your interview; the officer reviews the documentation on the day and may ask follow-up questions.

What to Bring on the Day

USCIS mails an appointment notice with the date, time, and location. On the day of the interview, bring:

Your interview appointment notice
Your Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551)
A state-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license
All passports and travel documents, valid and expired, that show your trips outside the United States since becoming a permanent resident¹⁵

Depending on your circumstances you may also need tax returns, marriage or divorce records, or court disposition records. USCIS publishes a document checklist, Form M-477, tailored to different situations. Review it well before the appointment. Showing up without a required document can delay your case by months.

If You Don’t Pass the First Time

You get two chances. Fail any portion at the first interview and USCIS schedules a re-examination within 60 to 90 days.¹⁶ At the second appointment you retake only the portion you failed. If you passed civics but missed the reading test, only reading is on the table.¹¹

If you fail the second attempt, USCIS denies the N-400 and sends a written decision. You then have two options. Within 30 days of receiving the denial (33 days if it was mailed), you can file Form N-336 to request a hearing.¹⁷ Or you can file a new N-400 and start over, paying the fee again. Applicants who were close to passing often refile, since more study time tends to be the real fix.

After You Pass

Passing the interview does not make you a citizen. You become one when you take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony.¹⁸ Some USCIS offices hold same-day ceremonies. If yours does not, USCIS mails Form N-445 with the ceremony details. At the ceremony you return your green card, take the oath, and receive your Certificate of Naturalization. Check your name, date of birth, and country of birth on the certificate before you leave the room, because corrections after the fact take considerably longer. That certificate is your proof of citizenship and what you use to apply for a U.S. passport.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2025 Civics Test
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Check for Test Updates
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Naturalization Interview and Test
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 Version)
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. U.S. Geography Lesson Plan
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1423 – Requirements as to Understanding the English Language, History, Principles and Form of Government of the United States
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eCFR. 8 CFR 312.1 – Literacy Requirements
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Writing Vocabulary for the Naturalization Test
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1423 – Requirements as to Understanding the English Language, History, Principles and Form of Government of the United Statesa>
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part E Chapter 2
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Civics Questions for the 65/20 Exemption
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Form N-648 – Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization: What to Expect
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Results of the Naturalization Examination
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Ceremonies