The US naturalization civics test is an oral exam given by a USCIS officer during your naturalization interview, covering American government, history, and national symbols. You answer questions aloud from a published question bank, and you need 60% correct to pass. Which version you take depends on when you filed Form N-400.
Which Version You Take
USCIS runs two versions of the test in parallel. If you filed your N-400 before October 20, 2025, you take the 2008 version. If you filed on or after that date, you take the 2025 version.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Study for the Test
The 2008 test draws from 100 questions. The officer asks up to 10, and you need 6 correct to pass.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Civics Questions and Answers (2008 version) The 2025 test draws from 128 questions. The officer asks 20, and you need 12 correct.3Federal Register. Notice of Implementation of 2025 Naturalization Civics Test The passing threshold is 60% either way, but the newer test roughly doubles the material and doubles the questions asked.
How the Test Is Given
There is no written civics portion. The officer reads each question aloud, and you answer verbally as part of your interview.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Naturalization Interview and Test
The officer stops early once your result is decided. On the 2008 test, that means once you hit 6 correct or 5 wrong. On the 2025 test, the officer stops at 12 correct or 9 wrong.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Study for the Test If you are answering confidently, the test can end well before the officer reaches every question. Once you pass, the interview moves on to the rest of your N-400.
What the Questions Cover
Both versions sort questions into three broad areas: American Government, American History, and a third category covering symbols, holidays, and geography.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version)
American Government is the largest section. It covers the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, separation of powers, how laws are made, and the roles of the three branches. Expect questions about the number of senators and representatives, what the Supreme Court does, and who signs bills into law.
American History runs from the colonial period through modern times, with questions on the Declaration of Independence, the Civil War, major 20th-century conflicts, and the civil rights movement.
The third category covers national symbols like the flag and the Statue of Liberty, federal holidays like Independence Day and Thanksgiving, and basic U.S. geography, including major rivers and the ocean bordering the East Coast.
Questions Whose Answers Change
Several questions ask who currently holds a specific office. You must give the name of the person serving at the time of your interview, not what a study guide printed months earlier might show.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version)
The offices to know include the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice of the United States, your state’s governor, one of your state’s U.S. Senators, and your U.S. Representative. USCIS keeps a test updates page with current answers.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Check for Test Updates Checking it the week before your interview is one of the easiest ways to avoid missing an otherwise simple question.
The English Requirement Runs Alongside
The civics test is only part of the assessment. Federal regulations also require you to read, write, speak, and understand English at an everyday conversational level.7eCFR. 8 CFR 312.1 – Literacy Requirements The officer judges your spoken English from how you answer questions about your application and background. You will also read a sentence aloud and write one in English.
The standard is not perfection. USCIS policy allows noticeable errors in pronunciation, spelling, and grammar as long as you can communicate using simple vocabulary, and officers are instructed to repeat or rephrase questions to test comprehension fairly.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part E Chapter 2 – English and Civics Testing
Age-Based Exceptions
Your age and time as a lawful permanent resident at the date you file your N-400 can change what you have to do.
50/20 and 55/15
You are exempt from the English reading, writing, and speaking requirements if you meet either threshold when you file:
- Age 50 or older with at least 20 years as a permanent resident.
- Age 55 or older with at least 15 years as a permanent resident.
Under either exception you still take the civics test, but you may take it in your native language using an interpreter.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Exceptions and Accommodations
65/20 Special Consideration
If you are 65 or older and have been a permanent resident for at least 20 years, federal law directs USCIS to give you special consideration on civics.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1423 You study only the 20 questions marked with an asterisk in the official materials rather than the full bank. The officer asks 10 of those 20, and you need 6 correct. You may also take the test in the language of your choice.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version) This shortened format applies whether you are on the 2008 or 2025 test.
Medical Disability Exception
If a physical disability, developmental disability, or mental impairment prevents you from learning or demonstrating English or civics knowledge, you may be exempt from one or both requirements. You file Form N-648, certified by a licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or clinical psychologist, documenting that your condition has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part E Chapter 3 The medical professional must explain specifically how the condition prevents you from meeting the testing requirements, and the N-648 must be certified no more than 180 days before you file your N-400.
If You Fail
Failing on the first attempt does not end your application. USCIS reschedules a second interview 60 to 90 days later, and you retake only the portion you failed.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part B Chapter 4 If you passed English but failed civics, you retake only civics. That gap gives you a focused window to work on the specific weakness the officer identified.
If you fail the second time, USCIS denies your N-400. The officer must send a written denial notice explaining why and how to challenge it. A denial does not permanently bar you from citizenship; you can file a new N-400 and start over, though you pay the filing fee again.
Requesting a Hearing
You can request a hearing before another USCIS officer by filing Form N-336 within 30 days of receiving the denial notice, or 33 days if the decision was mailed.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings USCIS generally rejects late filings and does not refund the fee, so the deadline matters. At the hearing you get another chance to show you meet the civics and English requirements, and you may bring an attorney or accredited representative at no cost to the government.