128 U.S. Citizenship Test Questions and Answers (2025 Version)

If you filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025, study the 128-question bank for the 2025 USCIS civics test. A USCIS officer asks up to 20 questions aloud, and you need 12 correct answers to pass. If you filed earlier, study the 2008 version with 100 questions. The 65/20 rule has its own shorter list.

Which citizenship test will you take?

Your N-400 filing date determines the version. For example, an applicant who filed on October 17, 2025 studies the 2008 list even if the interview is in 2026. Someone who filed on October 20, 2025 studies the 2025 list. If you're unsure of the filing date, check the received date on your USCIS receipt notice.

• Filed before October 20, 2025. Study the official 100-question list for the 2008 test (PDF). Expect up to 10 oral questions and aim for at least 6 correct.
• Filed on or after October 20, 2025. Study the official 128-question list for the 2025 test (PDF). Expect up to 20 oral questions and aim for at least 12 correct. The officer stops once you reach 12 correct answers or 9 incorrect answers.

See the USCIS notice on the filing-date cutoff and scoring.

The 65/20 rule and English-language exceptions

If you are at least 65 and have lived in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years when you file, you may take civics in the language of your choice. Study the 20 starred questions in the version that applies to you. The officer asks up to 10, and you need 6 correct. For the 2025 version, use the 65/20 labels below.

If you were at least 50 with 20 years of U.S. residence as a lawful permanent resident, or at least 55 with 15 years, at the time of filing, you can skip the English test. You still take the regular civics test for your filing date unless you qualify for 65/20. If you take civics in another language under these rules, bring an interpreter who meets USCIS requirements. USCIS also has a Form N-648 medical disability exception for qualifying applicants. See USCIS exceptions and accommodations for the eligibility and interpreter rules.

2025 USCIS civics test questions and answers

The prompts below follow the order of USCIS Form M-1778, with study prompts in plain English and sample answers. Where the prompt asks for two, three, or five examples, practice giving the full number. Use the USCIS question bank to practice the exact wording and see the full list of accepted answers.

• American government, questions 1–72
• American history, questions 73–118
• Symbols and holidays, questions 119–128

Answers to check before the interview. Questions 23, 29, 30, 38, 39, 57, 61, and 62 depend on where you live or who is serving. The federal names below were checked on November 12, 2026. Use the person serving on your interview date. Check the USCIS test updates before you go, especially if your interview falls after a change in Congress.

American government

Principles of government

1. How is the U.S. government organized?
   It is a federal republic based on a constitution.

2. What is the supreme law of the land? (65/20)
   The U.S. Constitution.

3. Give one function of the U.S. Constitution.
   It protects people's rights. You could also say that it sets up the government or defines its powers.

4. What idea is behind the Constitution's opening words, “We the People”?
   The people govern themselves.

5. What is the process for changing the Constitution called?
   The amendment process.

6. What does the Bill of Rights protect?
   The basic rights of people living in the United States.

7. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? (65/20)
   27.

8. Give one reason the Declaration of Independence matters.
   It announced that America was independent from Britain.

9. Which document announced the colonies' independence from Britain?
   The Declaration of Independence.

10. Give two ideas found in the Declaration and the Constitution.
    Liberty and equality.

11. Which document mentions “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”?
    The Declaration of Independence.

12. What kind of economy does the United States have? (65/20)
    A free-market economy, also called capitalism.

13. What does it mean to live under the rule of law?
    Everyone, including government leaders, must obey the law.

14. Give one example of a document that helped shape the Constitution.
    The Articles of Confederation.

15. Why divide the federal government into three branches?
    To keep any one branch from gaining too much power through checks and balances.

How the government works

16. What are the names of the three branches?
    Legislative, executive, and judicial.

17. Which branch does the U.S. president lead?
    The executive branch.

18. Which federal body makes laws?
    Congress.

19. Which two chambers make up Congress?
    The Senate and the House of Representatives.

20. Give one example of something Congress has the power to do. (65/20)
    It can declare war. Other options include making laws or setting the federal budget.

21. How many members serve in the U.S. Senate?
    100.

22. How many years does a U.S. senator's term last?
    Six years.

23. Can you name one current U.S. senator from your state?
    Find one in the U.S. Senate directory. If you live in D.C. or a U.S. territory, say that D.C. or your territory has no U.S. senators.

24. How many voting seats are in the U.S. House?
    435.

25. How many years does a U.S. representative's term last?
    Two years.

26. Why are House terms shorter than Senate terms?
    Shorter terms help representatives respond more closely to public opinion.

27. How many U.S. senators represent an individual state?
    Two.

28. Why do states get the same number of Senate seats?
    The Great Compromise gave states equal representation in the Senate.

29. Who represents your district in the U.S. House?
    Use the House lookup tool. If you live in a territory with a nonvoting delegate or resident commissioner, you can name that person or say the territory has no voting representative.

30. Who currently serves as Speaker of the U.S. House? (65/20)
    Mike Johnson (as of November 12, 2026).

31. Whom does a U.S. senator represent?
    The people of the senator's state.

32. Who chooses a state's U.S. senators?
    Citizens of that state.

33. Whom does a U.S. House member represent?
    The people in the member's congressional district.

34. Who votes to elect a U.S. House member?
    Citizens in that congressional district.

35. Why do some states have more House seats?
    They have larger populations.

36. How long is one elected presidential term? (65/20)
    Four years.

37. Which rule limits a president to two elected terms?
    The 22nd Amendment.

38. Who currently serves as U.S. president? (65/20)
    Donald J. Trump (as of November 12, 2026).

39. Who currently serves as U.S. vice president? (65/20)
    JD Vance (as of November 12, 2026).

40. Who takes over if the president can no longer serve?
    The vice president.

41. Give one example of a presidential power.
    The president can veto bills. Other options include signing bills into law or appointing federal judges.

42. Who commands the U.S. armed forces as commander in chief?
    The president.

43. Who can sign a bill into law?
    The president.

44. Who has the power to veto a bill? (65/20)
    The president.

45. Who appoints federal judges?
    The president.

46. Give one example of a part of the executive branch.
    The Cabinet.

47. What is the Cabinet's role?
    It gives advice to the president.

48. Give two examples of Cabinet-level jobs.
    Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury.

49. What role does the Electoral College play in a presidential election?
    It determines who is elected president.

50. Name one part of the judicial branch.
    The Supreme Court.

51. Give one function of the judicial branch.
    It decides whether laws conflict with the Constitution.

52. Which court is the highest in the country? (65/20)
    The U.S. Supreme Court.

53. How many seats does the U.S. Supreme Court have?
    Nine.

54. How many justices usually make up a majority needed to decide a case?
    Five.

55. How long is a Supreme Court justice's appointment?
    For life.

56. Why do Supreme Court justices have lifetime appointments?
    To protect their independence from political pressure.

57. Who currently serves as chief justice?
    John G. Roberts Jr. (as of November 12, 2026).

58. Give one power reserved for the federal government.
    Making treaties.

59. Give one example of a power exercised by state governments.
    Issuing driver's licenses.

60. What does the 10th Amendment do?
    It reserves powers to the states or the people when the Constitution neither gives them to the federal government nor bars the states from exercising them.

61. Who is your state's current governor? (65/20)
    Use the USAGov state directory to find the current name. If you live in D.C., say that D.C. has no governor.

62. Which city is your state's capital?
    Name the capital of your state or U.S. territory. If you live in D.C., say that D.C. is not a state and has no state capital.

Rights and responsibilities

63. Give one example of a constitutional amendment that protects voting rights.
    The 26th Amendment protects voting rights for citizens age 18 or older. Another example is the 24th Amendment, which bans poll taxes in federal elections.

64. Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a U.S. jury?
    U.S. citizens.

65. Give three rights that people living in the United States have.
    Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly. You could also name the right to petition the government or the right to bear arms. Give three rights in total.

66. To whom or what do we pledge loyalty in the Pledge of Allegiance? (65/20)
    The United States.

67. Give two promises made in the Oath of Allegiance.
    Defend the Constitution and obey U.S. laws.

68. Give ways a person can become a U.S. citizen.
    By birth in the U.S. when the 14th Amendment applies, by naturalization, or by deriving citizenship under U.S. law.

69. Give two examples of getting involved in civic life.
    Vote and contact an elected official.

70. Name one way to serve the country.
    Work for a local, state, or federal government.

71. Give one reason federal taxes matter.
    They fund the federal government.

72. Give one reason Selective Service registration is important for men required to register at ages 18 through 25.
    The law requires it.

American history

Colonies and independence

73. Give one reason colonists came to America.
    To seek religious freedom.

74. Who lived in America before Europeans came? (65/20)
    Native Americans.

75. Which people were taken from their homes and sold into slavery?
    People from Africa.

76. Which war won American independence from Britain?
    The American Revolutionary War.

77. Give one reason the colonies declared independence.
    Britain taxed colonists who had no representation in Parliament.

78. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? (65/20)
    Thomas Jefferson.

79. On what date was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
    July 4, 1776.

80. Give one important event from the American Revolution.
    The Battle of Yorktown.

81. Name five of the original 13 states.
    New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia.

82. Which founding document was drafted in 1787?
    The U.S. Constitution.

83. Name one author of the Federalist Papers.
    Alexander Hamilton. James Madison and John Jay are also accepted.

84. How did the Federalist Papers help the Constitution gain support?
    They explained the proposed Constitution and argued for its ratification.

85. Name one thing Benjamin Franklin is known for.
    He helped write the Declaration of Independence.

86. Name one thing George Washington is known for. (65/20)
    He was the first U.S. president.

87. Name one thing Thomas Jefferson is known for.
    He was the third U.S. president.

88. Name one thing James Madison is known for.
    He helped write the Federalist Papers.

89. Name one thing Alexander Hamilton is known for.
    He was the first U.S. secretary of the Treasury.

The 1800s

90. Which territory did the United States purchase from France in 1803?
    The Louisiana Territory.

91. Give one example of a war the United States fought in the 19th century.
    The War of 1812. The Mexican-American War and the Civil War are also accepted.

92. What was the war between the North and the South called?
    The Civil War.

93. Name one major event during the Civil War.
    The Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Fort Sumter or the Emancipation Proclamation would also work.

94. Name one thing Abraham Lincoln is known for. (65/20)
    He led the country during the Civil War.

95. What did Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation do?
    It declared enslaved people in areas in rebellion free.

96. Which American war led to the end of slavery?
    The Civil War.

97. Which amendment sets out citizenship for people born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction?
    The 14th Amendment.

98. When did the Constitution bar race-based restrictions on men’s voting rights?
    In 1870, when the 15th Amendment was ratified.

99. Name one 19th-century leader in the movement for women's rights.
    Susan B. Anthony. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth are also accepted.

Modern U.S. history

100. Name one war the United States fought in the 20th century.
     World War II.

101. Give one reason the U.S. entered World War I.
     Germany attacked civilian ships from the United States.

102. When did a constitutional amendment bar denying voting rights on the basis of sex?
     In 1920, when the 19th Amendment was ratified.

103. What kind of economic event was the Great Depression?
     A long, severe economic downturn.

104. In what year did the Great Depression begin?
     1929, the year of the stock market crash.

105. Who was president during much of the Great Depression and World War II?
     Franklin D. Roosevelt.

106. What event led the United States to enter World War II?
     Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

107. Give one thing Dwight Eisenhower is known for.
     He served as a general during World War II.

108. Who was America's main opponent in the Cold War?
     The Soviet Union, also called the USSR.

109. Give one major U.S. concern during the Cold War.
     The risk of nuclear war.

110. Why did the United States join the Korean War?
     To prevent communism from spreading.

111. Why did the United States join the Vietnam War?
     To prevent communism from spreading.

112. What did the civil rights movement work to end?
     Racial discrimination.

113. Name one thing Martin Luther King Jr. is known for. (65/20)
     He fought for civil rights.

114. What was a U.S. objective in the Persian Gulf War?
     To drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

115. What happened in the United States on September 11, 2001? (65/20)
     Terrorists carried out attacks in the United States.

116. Name one conflict the U.S. fought after the September 11 attacks.
     The war in Afghanistan.

117. Give the name of one American Indian tribe in the United States.
     Cherokee.

118. Name an example of American innovation.
     The airplane.

Symbols and holidays

National symbols

119. Which city is the U.S. capital?
     Washington, D.C.

120. On which island is the Statue of Liberty located?
     Liberty Island in New York Harbor.

121. What do the 13 stripes on the U.S. flag stand for? (65/20)
     The 13 original colonies.

122. What do the 50 stars on the U.S. flag stand for?
     The 50 states, with one star per state.

123. What is the U.S. national anthem called?
     The Star-Spangled Banner.

124. What does the Latin motto “E Pluribus Unum” mean?
     Out of many, one.

National holidays

125. What does Independence Day celebrate?
     American independence from Britain.

126. Give three examples of U.S. national holidays. (65/20)
     Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Veterans Day. You can also use Memorial Day or Labor Day as one of your three.

127. Whom does Memorial Day honor?
     People who died while serving in the U.S. military.

128. Whom does Veterans Day honor?
     People who have served in the U.S. military.

Try a 20-question citizenship practice test

Ask someone to read these aloud, or read each one and say your answer before checking the key. Give yourself one point for each complete answer. A score of 12 out of 20 meets the standard civics passing threshold. Mark the topics you missed and revisit those questions tomorrow.

1. What do the 13 stripes on the U.S. flag stand for?
2. Which branch does the U.S. president lead?
3. On what date was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
4. How many justices usually make up a majority needed to decide a case?
5. Which people were taken from their homes and sold into slavery?
6. Why do states get the same number of Senate seats?
7. Whom does Memorial Day honor?
8. Give two examples of Cabinet-level jobs.
9. What event led the United States to enter World War II?
10. How long is one elected presidential term?
11. Give three rights that people living in the United States have.
12. Which amendment sets out citizenship for people born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction?
13. Give one function of the U.S. Constitution.
14. Which territory did the United States purchase from France in 1803?
15. How long is a Supreme Court justice's appointment?
16. In what year did the Great Depression begin?
17. What was a U.S. objective in the Persian Gulf War?
18. Give two examples of getting involved in civic life.
19. What role does the Electoral College play in a presidential election?
20. What do the 50 stars on the U.S. flag stand for?

How to study for the civics test

1. Start with 10 questions aloud. Read the prompt, look away, and answer in a short phrase. Put any question you miss on a list to retry the next day.
2. Practice answers that are easy to mix up. A House term is two years, a presidential term is four, and a Senate term is six. The flag's 13 stripes stand for the original colonies and its 50 stars stand for the states. Memorial Day honors those who died in service. Veterans Day honors those who served.
3. Make a card for your own address. Write down one U.S. senator, your House member, your governor, and your state capital if applicable. Recheck these and the federal officeholders close to interview day.
4. Shuffle your questions. Once you can answer them in order, ask a friend to mix government, history, and holidays. Listen for how many examples the question asks you to give.

For the voting-rights questions, it helps to distinguish the test answer from the historical timeline. The 15th Amendment barred race-based voting exclusions, and the 19th barred sex-based exclusions. Barriers to voting persisted after both amendments. See the National Archives explanations of the 15th Amendment and 19th Amendment.

What happens on citizenship interview day?

The civics test is oral. The officer asks questions aloud and you respond aloud. Unless you qualify for an exception, USCIS also assesses your spoken English during the interview and asks you to read and write in English. For the reading and writing portions, you must correctly read one of up to three sentences and write one of up to three sentences. See the USCIS Policy Manual on English and civics testing.

What if you fail part of the citizenship test?

USCIS generally gives you another opportunity 60 to 90 days after the initial examination. You retake the portion you failed. If you pass English but miss the civics cutoff, you only retake civics. USCIS denies the application if you still fail a required portion after the second attempt. See the USCIS policy on re-examination.

For the steps before and after the exam, see our guide to naturalization and guide to what happens after you file Form N-400.