Citizenship Test Questions: What You Need to Know

Obtaining U.S. naturalization is a complicated process with multiple steps involved. One of the final steps in the process is the U.S. citizenship exam. If you’re looking to understand more about the U.S. citizenship test, then you’re in the right place.

Read on to learn more about the U.S. citizenship exam, the test questions, and the best way to prepare for the exam. Citizenship applicants must pass a civics test and an English test as part of the citizenship exam. In this article, we will be discussing the civics test in depth.

Citizenship Test Questions: Overview

The U.S. citizenship exam is used to test the applicant’s knowledge of The United States of America, particularly the country’s history, politics, and society. Overall, the test consists of 100 questions. Typically, a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer will ask the candidate 10 questions out of the 100. The applicant is expected to answer at least six correctly to pass.

All questions are in the English language, and the candidate is expected to answer at least six correctly in English. It is important to note that the test is administered orally by a USCIS officer.

It should be noted that if an applicant is more than 65 years of age and has held a green card for 20+ years, they are required to study questions that are marked separately with an asterisk on the question manual.

With the Biden administration overhauling the current U.S. citizenship and immigration process, it is important to note that the USCIS will be scrapping the Trump administration’s revised naturalization civics test. In this regard, the USCIS is moving back to the 2008 version of the citizenship test.

As explained before, the exam covers questions on the American government and American history. Next up is an overview of some of the questions and subjects covered in the U.S. citizenship test.

Questions About American Government

Questions about the American government are designed to cover and test the knowledge of the applicant on American democracy, the Constitution, laws, and law enforcement agencies. It is designed to see if the applicant is knowledgeable about American values and if they are a good fit for society.

Principles of American Democracy

• What is the supreme law of the land?
• What does the Constitution do?
• The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. Name these words?
• What is an amendment?
• What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
• What is one right from the 1st amendment?
• State the number of amendments in the Constitution.
• What is freedom of religion?
• What is meant by the Declaration of Independence? What are the two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
• Explain the economic system of the U.S.?
• What is the rule of law?

Systems of Government

• Name one branch or part of the government. *
• Who handles the executive branch?
• Who makes federal laws?
• What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? *
• How many U.S. senators are there?
• A U.S. senator is elected for how many years?
• Who is one of your state’s U.S. senators now? *
• The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
• We elect a U.S. representative for how many years?
• Name your U.S. representative.
• We vote for president in what month? *
• What is the name of the president of the United States now? *
• Who does a U.S. senator represent?
• If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
• If both the president and the vice president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
• Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
• We elect a President for how many years?
• Who signs bills to become laws?
• Who vetoes bills?
• What does the president’s cabinet do?
• What are two cabinet-level positions?
• What does the judicial branch do?
• What is the highest court in the United States?
• How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

Rights and Responsibilities

• There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
• What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?*
• Name one right only for United States citizens.
• What are the two rights of everyone living in the United States?
• What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
• When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*
• When must all men register for the Selective Service?

Questions About American History

Questions about American history cover a wide range of topics and events that have defined America as a country.

Colonial Period and Independence

• Why did colonists come to America?
• Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
• What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
• Why did the colonists fight the British?
• There were 13 original states. Name three.
• When was the Constitution written?
• Who is the father of our country?
• Who was the 1st president?

The 1800s

• Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
• Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
• Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
• What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did? *
• What is the role of the Emancipation Proclamation?
• What did Susan B. Anthony do?

Related to American History

• Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.*
• Under whose presidency did we face the Great Depression and World War II?
• Who did the United States fight in World War II?

Questions About American Civics

This covers miscellaneous trivia about the United States of America.

Geography

• Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
• What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
• What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
• Name one U.S. territory.
• Name one state that borders Canada.
• Name one state that borders Mexico.
• What is the capital of the United States?*
• Where is the Statue of Liberty?

Symbols

• Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
• Why does the flag have 50 stars?
• What is the name of the national anthem?

Read More

• Can I Stay More Than 6 Months Outside the U.S. with a Green Card?
• Green Card Process Steps: EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Visa
• SSN Update After Green Card
• How Long Does it Take for USCIS to Make a Decision After an Interview?
• Can You Be Deported if You are Married to an American Citizen?
• Which Countries Can You Visit With a Green Card?

Conclusion

If you are someone who is planning to take The U.S. citizenship test, it is highly advisable that you consult an immigration lawyer, civil society organizations working in immigration, and individual experts who are well versed with the test. Additionally, several resources online can help you prepare for your U.S. citizenship interview and exam.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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