The citizenship test is given during the naturalization interview, out loud, by a USCIS officer. It has two parts: an English test and a civics test. Most of the questions people worry about are the civics ones, and there is a fixed, public list of them.
The civics test, 2025 version
If you filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025, the officer asks you up to 20 questions from the list of 128. You pass with 12 correct answers. The officer stops as soon as you reach 12 right or 9 wrong, so the test can be over after 12 questions. Every question and every accepted answer is published by USCIS, and the practice here uses them word for word.
The civics test, 2008 version
If you filed before October 20, 2025, you take the older version: up to 10 questions from a list of 100, 6 correct to pass, and the officer stops at 6 right or 5 wrong. The waiting time between filing and the interview does not change which version you get: the filing date does.
Applicants 65 and older
If you are 65 or older and have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 years or more, you study only 20 marked questions and are asked 10 of them. You pass with 6, and you may take the test in the language of your choice.
The English test
Speaking is judged by how you answer the officer’s questions about your application. For reading, the officer shows you up to three sentences and you must read one aloud correctly. For writing, the officer dictates up to three sentences and you must write one correctly. Small spelling and punctuation mistakes do not fail a sentence whose meaning is clear.
If you do not pass
You get a second chance. USCIS retests you on the part you failed, English or civics, between 60 and 90 days after the first interview.
Practice the 128 questions