Civics Test Practice
Drill the official USCIS civics questions in either version, then review the ones you missed.
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How to use the civics test practice
- 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.
- 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.
How many questions are on the civics test?
The 2008 civics test has 100 questions, and the 2025 civics test has 128. In the oral interview, the officer asks up to 10 questions from the 2008 list and up to 20 from the 2025 list. Which list you face depends on when you filed Form N-400.
| Category (questions in list) | 2008 list | 2025 list |
|---|---|---|
| American Government | 57 | 72 |
| – Principles | 12 | 15 |
| – System of Government | 35 | 47 |
| – Rights and Responsibilities | 10 | 10 |
| American History | 30 | 46 |
| – Colonial Period and Independence | 13 | 17 |
| – 1800s | 7 | 10 |
| – Recent American History and other important historical information | 10 | 19 |
| Integrated Civics (2008) / Symbols and Holidays (2025) | 13 | 10 |
| Total | 100 | 128 |
The 2008 Integrated Civics section splits into Geography (8), Symbols (3) and Holidays (2). The 2025 Symbols and Holidays section has 6 symbol questions and 4 holiday questions.
What is the difference between the 2008 and 2025 civics test?
The 2025 test has 128 questions instead of 100, and the officer asks up to 20 instead of 10. You need 12 correct answers to pass, compared with 6 on the 2008 test. The 2025 test applies to Form N-400 filed on or after 20 October 2025. Only 38 of its 128 questions match a 2008 question word for word.
| Feature | 2008 test | 2025 test |
|---|---|---|
| Form N-400 filed | Before 20 October 2025 | On or after 20 October 2025 |
| Questions on the list | 100 | 128 |
| Questions asked | Up to 10 | Up to 20 |
| Correct answers to pass | 6 | 12 |
| Officer stops at | 6 correct or 5 incorrect | 12 correct or 9 incorrect |
| Pass threshold | 60 percent | 60 percent |
Because so few questions match, studying the old list will not fully prepare you for the new one.
What do the questions look like?
A few verbatim entries from the 2025 list, spread through its categories. The quiz shows the full list of acceptable answers for each question after you reveal it.
| No. | Question | Listed answers (first three) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the form of government of the United States? | Republic / Constitution-based federal republic / Representative democracy |
| 22 | How long is a term for a U.S. senator? | Six (6) years |
| 48 | What are two Cabinet-level positions? | Attorney General / Secretary of Agriculture / Secretary of Commerce |
| 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 |
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
How hard is it to pass the civics test?
You need 6 of 10 (2008) or 12 of 20 (2025) right, and if you fail you get one retest 60 to 90 days later. 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.
Which civics test will I take?
The date your Form N-400 was filed decides it, not the date of your interview. Filed before 20 October 2025 means the 2008 test, and filed on or after that date means the 2025 test.
Do I have to memorize the exact wording of each answer?
No. Where the list shows several answers, you need only as many as the question asks, so “Name two” needs two. USCIS accepts alternative phrasing of a correct answer. Answers about your senators, representative, governor or current office-holders change, so check the USCIS Test Updates page for the latest.
Does the tool keep track of the questions I get wrong?
Yes. It keeps your missed questions on your device, without an account, and offers a review round of them.
Is this the official USCIS test?
No. Our site is not affiliated with or endorsed by USCIS. The questions and answers come from the USCIS lists: the 2025 list (M-1778, 09/25) and the 2008 list (revised 08/21).
What else does the naturalization interview cover beyond civics?
At the interview an officer asks about your application and background, reviews your N-400 answers with you and may ask questions to clarify or confirm them. Unless you qualify for an exception, you also take the English test (reading, writing, and speaking judged during the interview) and the civics test (USCIS, The Naturalization Interview and Test, reviewed 10/31/2025).
Related tools
- US citizenship practice test: use it for an exam-format run that follows the official stop rule.
- 2025 civics test practice: use it to drill the 128-question list if your N-400 was filed on or after 20 October 2025.
- 2008 civics test practice: use it to drill the 100-question list if your N-400 was filed before that date.
- Which civics test do I take?: use it to confirm which version applies to your filing date.
- Citizenship test flashcards: use them for quick review of single questions away from the screen.
- Hardest civics test questions: use it to find the questions are flagged as hard.
- 65/20 civics questions: use it if you qualify for the 65/20 exception and want the reduced question set.