The 100 citizenship test questions are the civics pool USCIS uses for the naturalization test if you filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025. During your interview, a USCIS officer will ask up to 10 questions from that list of 100, and you need 6 correct answers to pass.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Study for the Test The test is oral, and the officer stops asking as soon as you either hit 6 correct or 5 wrong.
Does the 100-Question Test Still Apply to You
Your N-400 filing date decides which version you take. Applications filed before October 20, 2025 are tested on the 2008 version with its pool of 100 questions. Applications filed on or after that date are tested on the 2025 version, which pulls from 128 questions and requires 12 correct answers out of up to 20.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2025 Civics Test
Studying the wrong list is a common and avoidable mistake. Check the date on your N-400 receipt before you download anything, and make sure any study material you use is labeled for the version that matches your filing date.
How the Test Is Given
The civics test happens during your naturalization interview, face-to-face with a USCIS officer. There is no written civics exam. The officer reads each question aloud and you answer verbally. Questions are drawn from the approved pool at the officer’s discretion, so you cannot predict which ones you will get.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Civics Questions and Answers
Some questions have more than one accepted answer. A question about a right guaranteed by the First Amendment, for example, can be answered with freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or freedom of the press. You only need to give the number of answers the question asks for. If the question says “name one,” one correct answer is enough.
The requirement itself comes from federal immigration law, which says no one can be naturalized without demonstrating knowledge of U.S. history and government.4Office 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 The regulation at 8 CFR 312.2 gives USCIS authority to design and administer the test format.5eCFR. 8 CFR 312.2 – Knowledge of History and Government of the United States
What the 100 Questions Cover
The pool is organized into three broad areas.
The first is American government. These questions ask about the structure of the federal system and the roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Expect questions on how many senators serve in Congress, what the Supreme Court does, and what rights the First Amendment protects. This section also covers citizen responsibilities like jury duty and voting.
The second is American history, from the colonial era through the present. Expect questions on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Civil War, and the civil rights movement.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 Version)
The third is what USCIS calls integrated civics, which covers geography, national symbols, and federal holidays. You should know major rivers and bordering oceans, the significance of the flag’s stripes and stars, and why holidays such as Independence Day and Veterans Day exist.
Questions Whose Answers Change
Several of the 100 questions ask about current officeholders, so their answers change with elections and appointments. A study guide printed months ago can list a name that is no longer correct. The questions with changing answers include:7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test
- President of the United States
- Vice President of the United States
- Chief Justice of the United States
- Your state’s U.S. Senators
- Your U.S. Representative
- Your state’s Governor
USCIS keeps an updates page at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the national offices. For your senators, representative, and governor, look up the current names based on where you live. Do that close to your interview date. A resignation or special election can change the correct answer between the day you start studying and the day you sit down with the officer.
How to Study
Start with the official list. The 100 questions and answers are available on the USCIS website, and USCIS also publishes audio recordings in English so you can practice hearing the questions read aloud.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 100 Civics Questions and Answers for the 2008 Test with MP3 Audio Using official materials matters, because third-party apps and flashcard sets sometimes contain errors or mix questions from different test versions.
Flashcards work well for this kind of material, since the test is a recall exercise. The audio files help if English is not your strongest language, because they get you used to the phrasing before the interview. Space your studying over several weeks rather than cramming. A hundred questions is a lot of ground, and short repeated sessions stick better than long ones. Give extra attention to the officeholder questions, since those require active verification instead of memorization.
The Reduced List for Long-Term Older Residents (65/20)
If you are 65 or older and have been a permanent resident for at least 20 years, you study a shorter list of only 20 designated questions instead of the full 100. During the interview, the officer selects from that smaller set only. USCIS publishes the 65/20 list separately on its study materials page.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Civics Questions for the 65/20 Exemption Both age and residency are measured as of the date you file your N-400.10eCFR. 8 CFR 312.1 – Literacy Requirements
Anyone who qualifies for the 65/20 civics accommodation also meets an English-language exemption, so they can take the reduced civics test in their preferred language with an interpreter they bring to the interview. Separately, applicants who are 50 or older with 20 years of permanent residency, or 55 or older with 15 years, are exempt from the English requirement but still take the standard civics test, in the language of their choice.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Exceptions and Accommodations
If You Fail the First Time
Failing the civics test on your first attempt does not end your application. USCIS schedules a second attempt between 60 and 90 days after your initial interview, and you are only retested on the portion you failed.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Results of the Naturalization Examination
Fail the second attempt and the officer denies the application. USCIS must send a written denial notice within 120 days of the initial interview. Denial does not permanently bar you from citizenship. You can file a new N-400 and start over, but you pay the filing fee again: $710 online or $760 on paper.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization
Missing your retest appointment without rescheduling counts the same as a second failure, and the officer can deny your application on that basis alone. If something comes up, contact USCIS to reschedule before the date passes.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Results of the Naturalization Examination