American History Civics Questions
Colonial period, the 1800s and recent history: the history half of the civics test.
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How to use the American history quiz
- Choose the list above the quiz: 2025 (128 questions) or 2008 (100 questions). Use the list that matches the date your N-400 was filed.
- Press Start. A round is 10 random questions from the history, symbols and holidays questions.
- Read the question and say your answer out loud before you look, as you would to the officer.
- Press Reveal. The full USCIS answer list appears with the question number. If the question asks for two or three answers, give that many; an alternative phrasing of a correct answer counts.
- Mark your answer as right or wrong, then press Next.
- At the end you see your score and the questions you missed. Start the review round to repeat only those.
Your score history and missed questions are stored only in this browser. Questions that depend on where you live or on an office-holder carry a note pointing to the USCIS Test Updates page.
A good routine is two or three short rounds a day rather than one long one: do a round, read the answers you missed, and run the review round the next day. When you can clear a round without a miss, switch to a harder category or to the exam-format mock. Saying the answer out loud matters, because the real test is oral and the officer cannot see what you are thinking. This routine is ours; USCIS publishes the questions and answers only.
What are the American history questions on the citizenship test?
The American history part has 46 questions on the 2025 list and 30 on the 2008 list. Both lists split these into three periods: colonial period and independence, the 1800s, and recent American history. The symbols and holidays questions are a separate group.
| Section | 2025 list | 2008 list |
|---|---|---|
| A. Colonial Period and Independence | 17 | 13 |
| B. The 1800s | 10 | 7 |
| C. Recent American History | 19 | 10 |
| American History total | 46 | 30 |
| Symbols and Holidays (2025) / Integrated Civics (2008) | 10 | 13 |
How many answers do I need for a citizenship history question?
Give only as many answers as the question asks for. A question that says “Name one” needs one answer, and one that says “Name two” needs two. Each question lists its accepted answers, and an alternative phrasing of a correct answer also counts.
- Read how many answers the question asks for.
- Find the matching answer in the USCIS list.
- Use the listed wording, or another correct way to say it.
| Question (2025 list) | Accepted answers |
|---|---|
| Q76: What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain? | American Revolution / The (American) Revolutionary War / War for (American) Independence |
| Q90: What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? | Louisiana Territory / Louisiana |
| Q121: Why does the flag have 13 stripes? | (Because there were) 13 original colonies / (Because the stripes) represent the original colonies |
Questions about the current office-holder such as the President need extra care; USCIS lists those answers on its Test Updates page. Questions that need a year need extra drilling.
Sample history, symbols and holiday questions
Verbatim entries from the USCIS lists. First the 2025 list (history, then symbols and holidays), then the 2008 list (history, then Integrated Civics).
2025 list
| No. | Question | Listed answers (first three) |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one. | Freedom / Political liberty / Religious freedom |
| 88 | James Madison is famous for many things. Name one. | “Father of the Constitution” / Fourth president of the United States / President during the War of 1812 |
| 103 | What was the Great Depression? | Longest economic recession in modern history |
| 119 | What is the capital of the United States? | Washington, D.C. |
| 122 | Why does the flag have 50 stars? | (Because there is) one star for each state / (Because) each star represents a state / (Because there are) 50 states |
| 125 | What is Independence Day? | A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence (from Britain) / The country’s birthday |
2008 list
| No. | Question | Listed answers (first three) |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | What is one reason colonists came to America? | freedom / political liberty / religious freedom |
| 68 | What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? | U.S. diplomat / oldest member of the Constitutional Convention / first Postmaster General of the United States |
| 78 | Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s. | World War I / World War II / Korean War |
| 88 | Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States. | Missouri (River) / Mississippi (River) |
| 92 | Name one state that borders Canada. | Maine / New Hampshire / Vermont |
| 96 | Why does the flag have 13 stripes? | because there were 13 original colonies / because the stripes represent the original colonies |
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
Questions and answers are taken from the USCIS PDFs retrieved 2026-10-26 and shown unchanged; counts by category are computed from them; the pass and stop rules are quoted from USCIS Study for the Test and the Policy Manual.
Sources
Check yourself: common questions
What are the 20 questions for citizenship history?
There is no fixed set of 20 history questions. The 2025 officer can ask up to 20 questions from the whole list of 128, and history is 46 of them. A round of this quiz draws random questions from the history, symbols and holidays groups, so you cover different ones each time.
What is the hardest question on the civics test?
USCIS publishes no miss rates, so no single question is provably the hardest. The pass mark is 60 percent in both versions (6 of 10 or 12 of 20) and the officer stops once the result is decided. By our own rules, 26 of the 128 questions on the 2025 list and 22 of the 100 on the 2008 list are flagged as harder; see hardest civics test questions.
Can you give me 10 questions about American history?
Yes. Start a round: it draws 10 random questions from the history, symbols and holidays questions. For example, Q76 on the 2025 list asks what war the Americans fought to win independence from Britain, and the listed answers are American Revolution, The (American) Revolutionary War and War for (American) Independence.
What are the 100 questions for American citizenship?
The 2008 civics test list has 100 questions, and the 2025 list has 128. This page covers the American history and Symbols and Holidays parts of both, while the full practice sets are on their own pages.
Who was the first president?
The 2008 list asks it directly: Q70 “Who was the first President?” with the answer (George) Washington. The 2025 list instead asks in Q86: “George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.” with the listed answers “Father of Our Country”, First president of the United States, General of the Continental Army and President of the Constitutional Convention.
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
The flag has 13 stripes because there were 13 original colonies, and the stripes represent them. The 2025 list accepts “(Because there were) 13 original colonies” and “(Because the stripes) represent the original colonies” as correct answers to Q121.
Related tools
- American government civics questions: use this when you want the government and civics questions that complement the history set.
- Civics test practice: use this to practice questions from every part of the test in one place.
- 2025 civics test practice: use this to drill the full 128-question 2025 list.
- 2008 civics test practice: use this to drill the full 100-question 2008 list.
- Hardest civics test questions: use this when you keep missing the same questions and want targeted help.
- Citizenship test flashcards: use this to memorize answers on the go.