The US Citizenship Test: What to Study and What to Expect

Naturalizing as a United States citizen is the final step in a long immigration journey—and for many, the most meaningful. Citizenship grants the right to vote in federal elections, travel with a US passport, sponsor family members more quickly, hold certain government jobs, and live outside the US without risking status. But before the oath ceremony comes the naturalization interview, which includes an English test and a civics test covering American history, government, and the Constitution. About 960,000 people naturalize in a typical year, and roughly 96% of applicants pass on the first try—but only those who prepare seriously.

This guide walks through the eligibility requirements, the N-400 application, the English and civics tests, the interview itself, exemptions based on age and residency, and what to expect at the oath ceremony. This is educational information only and not legal advice. Always verify current requirements on USCIS.gov and consult a licensed immigration attorney for case-specific questions.

Who is eligible to naturalize

Most applicants must meet five core requirements before filing Form N-400.

1. Age and lawful permanent residency

You must be at least 18 years old and have been a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) for at least five years. If you obtained your green card through marriage to a US citizen and are still married to that citizen, the residency requirement drops to three years. The clock starts on the "Resident Since" date printed on your green card.

2. Continuous residence

You must have maintained continuous residence in the US for the full five- or three-year period. Trips abroad of less than six months generally do not break continuous residence. Trips of six months to one year create a presumption of broken continuity that you can rebut with evidence (continued US employment, family, housing, taxes). Trips of one year or more automatically break continuous residence and reset the clock—though some exceptions exist for military, government, and certain nonprofit workers.

3. Physical presence

Distinct from continuous residence, the physical presence requirement asks how many days you have actually been inside the US. You need at least 30 months of physical presence in the five years before filing (or 18 months in the three-year marriage case). Even short trips count against you here—every day abroad is a day not physically present.

4. Good moral character

You must demonstrate good moral character during the statutory period (typically the five years before filing, or three years for marriage-based applicants). USCIS looks for criminal convictions, failure to pay taxes, failure to support dependents, alcohol-related offenses, gambling, false testimony to immigration officers, and certain other conduct. Some offenses—most notably aggravated felonies—permanently bar naturalization. Failure to register with Selective Service (for men age 18–26) and failure to pay court-ordered child support are common, fixable issues that can delay approval.

5. Knowledge of English and civics

You must demonstrate basic ability to read, write, and speak English, and pass a civics test on US history and government. The next sections cover these in detail, including age-based exemptions.

You can use our Citizenship Residency Calculator to check whether your travel history meets the continuous residence and physical presence thresholds before you file.

The N-400 application

Form N-400 Application for Naturalization is filed online through your USCIS account or by mail. The filing fee in 2024 is $640 plus an $85 biometrics fee, for a total of $725. Applicants age 75 or older are exempt from biometrics and pay only $640. Fee waivers (Form I-912) are available for applicants receiving certain means-tested benefits or earning below 150% of the federal poverty line.

The form asks for extensive information: your full immigration history, every address for the past five years, every employer for the past five years, every trip outside the US of 24 hours or longer, your children, your marital history, your tax filing status, your Selective Service registration, any arrests or convictions, and affiliations with organizations. Incomplete or inconsistent answers are the most common reason for delays—USCIS compares your N-400 answers to your prior immigration filings, your tax returns, and your criminal record.

After USCIS accepts the form, you will receive a receipt notice, then a biometrics appointment (typically 4–8 weeks later), and finally an interview notice (typically 4–10 months after filing). Total processing time averages 6–12 months nationally.

The English test

Every applicant must demonstrate an understanding of the English language, including the ability to read, write, and speak words in ordinary usage. The English test has three components.

Speaking

The USCIS officer evaluates your speaking ability during the interview by asking questions about your N-400 application and your background. There is no separate speaking test—your ability to understand and answer the officer's questions is the test. Officers are instructed to use plain English and to allow you to ask for clarification.

Reading

You must read one sentence out of three correctly. USCIS provides a vocabulary list of about 65 words; sentences are built from those words. Sample reading sentences include "The capital of the United States is Washington, D.C." and "Abraham Lincoln was the President during the Civil War."

Writing

You must write one sentence out of three correctly. The vocabulary list contains about 75 words. Sample writing sentences include "We vote for President in November" and "The President lives in the White House." Minor spelling and grammar errors are generally tolerated as long as the meaning is clear.

The civics test

USCIS maintains a public list of 100 civics questions. At your interview, the officer asks up to 10 questions from the list, and you must answer at least six correctly to pass. The questions cover American government, history, geography, symbols, and holidays.

2008 version vs 2020 version

USCIS implemented a longer 128-question civics test in December 2020, then reverted to the 100-question 2008 version in March 2021. Any applicant filing on or after March 1, 2021 takes the 2008 version—the 128-question test is no longer used. If you filed before that date and your interview was scheduled after the reversion, you take the 2008 version.

Sample civics questions

Here are 20 representative questions from the 100-question list to give you a sense of the difficulty and scope:

1. What is the supreme law of the land? — The Constitution.
2. What is an amendment? — A change (or addition) to the Constitution.
3. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? — The Bill of Rights.
4. How many amendments does the Constitution have? — Twenty-seven (27).
5. What are the two parts of the US Congress? — The Senate and the House of Representatives.
6. How many US Senators are there? — One hundred (100).
7. We elect a US Senator for how many years? — Six (6).
8. The House of Representatives has how many voting members? — Four hundred thirty-five (435).
9. We elect a US Representative for how many years? — Two (2).
10. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military? — The President.
11. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? — Thomas Jefferson.
12. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? — July 4, 1776.
13. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? — The Louisiana Territory.
14. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s. — War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, or Spanish-American War.
15. What did Susan B. Anthony do? — Fought for women's rights and for voting rights (women's suffrage).
16. Who was President during World War I? — Woodrow Wilson.
17. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? — Franklin Roosevelt.
18. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States? — Communism.
19. Why does the flag have 50 stars? — Because there are 50 states.
20. When is Independence Day celebrated? — July 4.

Some questions, including the names of the current President, Vice President, your state's governor, your state's US Senator, and your US Representative, must be answered with the current officeholder. USCIS updates these answers each election cycle.

Exemptions and accommodations

Congress built in age and time-as-resident exemptions to the English requirement, and a special consideration rule for the civics test.

Applicants using the native-language civics test must bring their own interpreter who is fluent in English and the applicant's language. The 65/20 special consideration limits the civics questions to a shorter list of 20 questions, which the applicant studies in advance.

Form N-648 Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions must be completed by a licensed medical professional (physician, psychologist, or osteopath) and explains how a physical, developmental, or mental impairment prevents the applicant from learning English or civics. Common qualifying conditions include stroke, dementia, severe hearing or vision loss, and certain developmental disabilities. Simple old age or limited education does not qualify.

The interview itself

Most naturalization interviews last 20–40 minutes and follow a similar structure:

1. Check-in at the field office. Present your interview notice and photo ID. Cell phones must be powered off.
2. Swearing in. The officer places you under oath to tell the truth.
3. N-400 review. The officer walks through your application, verifying each section and asking follow-up questions about trips, employment, family, and any "yes" answers in the criminal or conduct sections.
4. English reading and writing tests. The officer gives you up to three reading sentences and up to three writing sentences.
5. Civics test. The officer asks up to 10 questions from the 100-question list. The test stops as soon as you answer six correctly.
6. Decision. In most cases, the officer tells you the same day whether you passed. Sometimes a decision is mailed later if more review is needed.

What to bring

Bring your interview notice, your green card, your passport (current and expired) and state-issued ID, your marriage certificate and spouse's proof of citizenship (for 3-year cases), evidence of Selective Service registration, your most recent tax returns, proof of current employment, and any documents related to arrests, court dispositions, or N-400 "yes" answers. Bring original documents plus copies for USCIS to keep.

If you fail a section

If you fail the English or civics test, you do not start over. USCIS schedules a second interview (called a "re-exam") within 60–90 days, focused only on the portion you failed. If you fail a second time, your N-400 is denied and you must refile with a new filing fee. About 4% of applicants fail both attempts, so the failure rate is low—but preparation matters.

If you fail for reasons unrelated to the tests—such as a long trip abroad that broke continuous residence—you can re-apply when you again meet the requirements.

The oath ceremony

The final step is the Oath of Allegiance. You may take the oath the same day as your interview at some field offices, but most applicants are scheduled for a judicial ceremony at a federal courthouse or a USCIS administrative ceremony at a field office a few weeks later.

At the ceremony, you return your green card, sign the Oath of Allegiance, receive a Certificate of Naturalization, and register to vote. The ceremony itself takes about an hour, with check-in starting earlier. Bring your interview notice and your green card—do not travel abroad between the interview and the ceremony, or you may miss your scheduled date.

Once you have the Certificate of Naturalization, apply for a US passport within 30 days, register to vote, update your Social Security record, and update your employer's I-9. Some naturalized citizens also choose to file Form N-600 for their minor children who automatically derive citizenship.

Study resources

The best free study materials are all on USCIS.gov:

• The 100 civics questions and answers in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
• The reading and writing vocabulary lists.
• The "Preparing for the Oath" video series with subtitles in multiple languages.
• The Civics Practice Test, an online interactive quiz.

Many public libraries and community colleges offer free or low-cost citizenship classes. Nonprofits accredited by the Department of Justice provide free legal help with N-400 preparation for eligible applicants—find one through the USCIS website's Recognized Organizations list.

Common mistakes to avoid

First, do not file before you meet the physical presence requirement. Adding up your days abroad is easy to get wrong. Track every trip of 24 hours or longer, count the days out of the US, and confirm you have at least 30 months physically present in the five years before filing (or 18 months in the three-year case).

Second, do not under-disclose on the N-400. Disclose every arrest, even those that were dismissed, expunged, or resulted in a not-guilty verdict. USCIS sees your full FBI fingerprint record; nondisclosure looks like lying under oath and can be grounds for denial even when the underlying offense would not have been.

Third, do not let your taxes lapse. USCIS asks whether you have ever failed to file a required federal, state, or local tax return. If you owe back taxes, get on a payment plan before filing N-400 and bring evidence of it to your interview.

Fourth, do not travel abroad for an extended period after filing. Long trips can break continuous residence and trigger a denial at the interview. If you must travel, keep trips under six months.

Fifth, do not memorize outdated civics answers. Update your study materials each January after a new Congress convenes and after every presidential inauguration. Study materials with stale officeholders lead to wrong answers.

FAQ

How long does the naturalization process take?

Nationally, the median time from N-400 filing to oath ceremony is 6–12 months in 2024, but it varies by field office. Busy offices in Los Angeles, Newark, and Miami can take 12–18 months; smaller offices may complete cases in 4–6 months. USCIS posts current office processing times on its website.

What if I cannot afford the $725 filing fee?

You can request a fee waiver (Form I-912) if you receive a means-tested benefit such as Medicaid, SNAP, or SSI, or if your household income is below 150% of the federal poverty line. You can request a reduced fee of $405 if your household income is between 150% and 200% of the poverty line.

Can I naturalize if I have a green card through investment or employment?

Yes. The path to citizenship is the same regardless of how you obtained your green card, as long as you meet the five-year residency, continuous residence, physical presence, and good moral character requirements. EB-5 conditional residents must remove conditions (I-829) before naturalizing, but the citizenship clock starts from the date permanent residency was granted.

Do I lose my original citizenship when I naturalize as a US citizen?

The US does not require you to renounce your prior citizenship. Whether you retain it depends on the law of your country of origin. Some countries (such as India and China) automatically revoke citizenship upon naturalization elsewhere; many others (such as the UK, Canada, Mexico, and most of Latin America) permit dual citizenship.

Can I bring family members to the ceremony?

Yes, most ceremonies allow guests. Judicial ceremonies at courthouses usually have room for several guests per applicant; administrative ceremonies at USCIS field offices may limit guests due to space. Guests must bring photo ID and pass through security.

This article is educational only and does not constitute legal advice. US immigration rules and test content change periodically. Always verify current requirements on USCIS.gov and consult a licensed immigration attorney for case-specific questions. To check whether your travel history meets the residency and physical presence requirements, try our Citizenship Residency Calculator.