Naturalization Reading Test
Read one sentence out of three correctly; practise with the official word list.
Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
How to use the reading list
- Read the word groups: people, civics, places, holidays, question words, verbs and the two groups of other words.
- Press the speaker button next to a word to hear it read aloud with your browser’s voice.
- Say the word out loud, then look at the spelling again. Words with a slash, such as state/states, list both forms.
- Go group by group. Spend extra time on the civics and content words, because those are the ones you must read.
- Come back to the groups you stumbled on.
The list shows each word as USCIS publishes it. USCIS does not publish test sentences, so this page does not show any; it gives you the words the sentences are built from.
Short daily sessions work best for word lists. Go through one or two groups, then revisit them the next day. The rules of the test, and what counts as correct, are explained further down this page with their USCIS source. Say each answer aloud once. Check the source link when a number matters to your case. Come back to anything you were unsure about the next day. Nothing you do here is sent to a server. Keep a note of any question you have to look up twice. Short sessions repeated over several days work better than one long one.
What do I need to read on the naturalization test?
You need to read aloud one of up to three sentences built from the USCIS reading vocabulary, which has 64 words. You must read all the content words correctly. You may leave out short words, and small pronunciation or intonation errors are allowed if they do not interfere with the meaning; long pauses can fail a sentence.
USCIS publishes the vocabulary list but not the sentences themselves, so the officer’s sentences are unknown. That is why practising with the vocabulary list works better than memorising a set of sentences.
| Part of the reading | What the officer expects |
|---|---|
| Content words | Must be read correctly |
| Short words | May be left out |
| Pronunciation and intonation | Small errors are allowed |
How many sentences do I read in the citizenship test?
You read no more than three sentences. You need to read one of them correctly to show you can read English, and once you do, the officer stops the reading test.
For example, if the officer’s first sentence is read correctly, you do not read the other two. If the first one is not right, the officer moves on to the next.
What is on the official reading word list?
The list has 64 words in eight groups: PEOPLE 2, CIVICS 14, PLACES 3, HOLIDAYS 7, QUESTION WORDS 6, VERBS 12, OTHER (FUNCTION) 9 and OTHER (CONTENT) 11. The question words are How, What, When, Where, Who and Why, and the verbs include can, come, name, pay, vote and want. Most reading sentences are therefore likely to be short questions or statements about civics, but USCIS does not publish the sentences, so this is only a guide to what to practise.
Does the reading test change between the 2008 and 2025 civics tests?
No. USCIS publishes one reading list for both versions, and the Federal Register notice for the 2025 test states that it does not change the English language parts. If you qualify for the 50/20 or 55/15 exemption (anyone who meets 65/20 normally meets 50/20 too), or have an approved N-648 medical exception, you may be exempt from the English test; use the exemption checker to see whether that applies.
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
Word lists are taken from the USCIS vocabulary files (text file rev. 07/14, PDF rev. 08/08) retrieved 2026-10-26 and every word was checked against the PDF; the pass rules are quoted from the Policy Manual.
Sources
Check yourself: common questions
What is the reading part of the citizenship test?
The reading part checks that you can read English aloud during your naturalization interview. A USCIS officer decides whether your English is good enough, and you show it by reading one sentence from the official reading vocabulary.
What happens if I read a sentence wrong?
If the sentence is not read correctly, the next sentence is offered, because you need only one correct reading out of up to three. Only if none of the sentences is read correctly does the reading part count as not passed. Use the practice tool to repeat rounds until your reading is steady.
What is a passing score on the naturalization test?
There is no single overall score. On the civics test you need 6 of 10 correct (2008 test) or 12 of 20 (2025 test). You pass the reading part by reading one of up to three sentences correctly, and the writing part by writing one of up to three correctly. Once you do, the officer stops the reading test, so there is no need to read the others.
What are the 100 questions on the citizenship test?
The 100 questions come from the 2008 civics list, which USCIS publishes as its 100-question version. The reading practice on this page covers English reading only, so you will need the USCIS civics list for those questions.
What are the 128 new questions for the U.S. citizenship test?
The 128 questions are in the 2025 civics list, USCIS M-1778 (09/25), which is the newer version of the civics test. The 2025 notice did not change the English parts, so the same reading vocabulary applies to both versions.
Related tools
- USCIS reading vocabulary: Check the 64 words before you practise, so you know which words can appear in a sentence.
- Naturalization writing test: Practise the writing part next, since it is the other English check in the interview.
- Citizenship test audio: Listen to the questions and answers when you want to hear the civics content.
- Naturalization test practice: Use this for general practice across the whole test once your reading is steady.
- 65/20, 50/20 and 55/15 exemption checker: Check whether an age and residence rule may change which parts of the test you take.
- Naturalization interview questions: Review the questions an officer may ask during the interview, beyond the reading sentence.