If you filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025, you take the 2008 civics test built around 100 citizenship test questions, and you pass by correctly answering at least 6 of the 10 questions a USCIS officer asks you out loud. Applicants who filed on or after that date take the newer 2025 test, which draws from a pool of 128 questions and requires 12 correct answers out of 20.1USCIS. Study for the Test Check the date on your N-400 receipt before you start studying so you prepare for the right version.
Which Version of the Test Applies to You
The filing date on your N-400 controls which test you take. File before October 20, 2025, and the 100-question list is your study material. File on or after that date, and you study the 128-question list instead.1USCIS. Study for the Test Both versions cover the same three subject areas: American Government (the Constitution, the branches, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens), American History (colonial times through modern events), and Integrated Civics (geography, symbols, and federal holidays).2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2025 Civics Test 128 Questions and Answers
The rest of this guide focuses on the 100-question test, since that is what people searching for it are preparing to take.
How the 100-Question Test Is Scored
The test is oral. A USCIS officer reads questions aloud during your naturalization interview, and you answer verbally in English. The officer draws 10 questions from the published pool of 100 and stops as soon as you reach 6 correct answers. Miss 5, and you fail that portion.
There is no multiple choice, no written civics section, and no trick phrasing. The officer is listening for one of the approved answers on the official USCIS answer key. If your answer matches the substance of what USCIS has published, it counts, even if you phrase it in your own words.
The officer is also required to take your education, background, and age into account when evaluating how you respond.3eCFR. 8 CFR Part 312 – Educational Requirements for Naturalization
How to Study the 100 Questions
USCIS publishes the entire question bank and the approved answers, so there is nothing hidden. Work from the official list rather than a third-party summary, since the approved answers are the ones the officer is checking against.
A workable approach is to move through the list in blocks by topic instead of front to back. Government questions cluster together, history questions cluster together, and grouping them helps the facts stick. Say your answers out loud as you study. The test is oral, and reading silently trains a different skill than speaking under pressure to a stranger in a government office.
Questions Where the Answer Changes
A handful of questions ask you to name current officeholders. These include the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, your state’s governor, your U.S. representative, and your state’s two U.S. senators.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2025 Civics Test 128 Questions and Answers Your answer has to be correct on the day of your interview, not the day you started studying.
USCIS maintains a page for test updates when officeholders change.4USCIS. Check for Test Updates Verify these names in the days before your interview. It is one of the easiest ways to prevent a wrong answer that has nothing to do with how well you know American history.
The English Test You Take at the Same Interview
The civics questions are only part of the exam. In the same interview, you also have to show basic English ability in three ways.
Speaking is evaluated across the whole interview as you answer the officer’s questions about your application. For reading, the officer shows you up to three sentences from a published civics vocabulary list and you need to read one correctly. For writing, the officer dictates up to three sentences and you need to write one clearly enough to be understood. Minor pronunciation or spelling errors are fine as long as the meaning comes through. Skipping key words, long pauses, abbreviating, or writing a different sentence than the one dictated will count against you.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 2 – English and Civics Testing
USCIS publishes the vocabulary lists used for reading and writing. Working through those lists is part of studying for the interview, not a separate task.
Who Qualifies for an Easier Test or a Waiver
Federal law creates exemptions for older long-term residents and for applicants with qualifying disabilities.
65/20: A Shorter Civics Test
If you are at least 65 years old and have been a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years when you file your N-400, you qualify for the “65/20” special consideration. Instead of studying all 100 questions, you study a shorter list of 20 questions marked with an asterisk on the official sheet. The officer asks 10 of those 20, and you need 6 correct to pass.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Civics Questions and Answers for the 65/20 Special Consideration
50/20 and 55/15: Take the Civics Test in Your Language
Two other age-and-residency combinations exempt you from the English requirements entirely:
- 50/20: at least 50 years old with 20 years as a permanent resident.
- 55/15: at least 55 years old with 15 years as a permanent resident.
These exemptions come from the Immigration and Nationality Act.7Office 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 You still take the civics test, but you can take it in your native language. You must bring your own interpreter, and that person has to be fluent in both English and your language.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Exceptions and Accommodations
Disability Waivers
Applicants with a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment can request an exception to both the English and civics requirements using Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions. A licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or clinical psychologist has to complete the form and certify that the condition prevents you from learning the material. The disability must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions
You can file N-648 with your N-400 or turn it in later, but submitting it early gives USCIS more time to review it before your interview.
What Happens If You Miss Too Many Questions
If you fail the civics portion, the English portion, or both, USCIS gives you a second chance. A follow-up appointment is scheduled between 60 and 90 days after your first interview, and you only retake the portion you failed.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Results of the Naturalization Examination Use that window. Sixty to ninety days is enough time to work through the full 100 questions again and drill the areas that tripped you up.
Fail the second attempt and the officer must deny your N-400.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 2 – English and Civics Testing A denial is not permanent. You can request a hearing before an immigration officer under federal law, which gives you another chance to pass the failed portion.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1447 – Hearings on Denials of Applications for Naturalization You can also file a new N-400, pay the filing fee again, and start over with more preparation.