Capital of Your State Citizenship Test Question
Look up your own state through the official source and see exactly what USCIS accepts.
Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
How to use the state lookup
- Pick your state or territory in the lookup. For D.C. and the territories it shows what USCIS says to answer; for a state it shows that the answer depends on who holds the office.
- Open the official link shown for each question: USAGov for the governor and capital, senate.gov for senators, house.gov for your representative.
- Read the answer on the official page and say it out loud a few times.
- If you live in D.C. or a U.S. territory, read the USCIS note below for what to say.
- Check again shortly before your interview, because officials can change.
The page keeps no names. It sends you to the official source so that the answer you give is the one that is correct on the day of your interview.
The lookup works in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Because these rules are about legal status, treat the result as information that points you to the official page, and confirm anything important with USCIS or with a lawyer or accredited representative. 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.
Who is the governor of your state now?
Your answer is the governor who holds office when you sit for your naturalization interview. The name can change between the time you apply and the day of your interview, so the USCIS rule is to use the official serving at that moment. Look it up shortly before the interview.
- Note the date of your interview.
- Open the lookup and pick your state or territory, then use the USAGov link.
- Open the USAGov page and read the name of the current governor.
- Recheck the name shortly before the interview, in case a new governor has taken office.
Both the 2025 list (Q61) and the 2008 list (Q43) ask this question, and both mark the answer as “Answers will vary,” because the answer depends on where you live.
What do DC and territory residents answer?
D.C. residents answer that D.C. does not have a governor. For the capital question, they answer that D.C. is not a state, so it has no capital to name. Residents of U.S. territories give the capital of their own territory. The lookup covers states and territories, so use the USAGov page for your place.
| Where you live | Governor question | Capital question |
|---|---|---|
| A U.S. state | Name the current governor from the USAGov page | Name the state capital from the USAGov page |
| District of Columbia | Say D.C. does not have a governor | Say D.C. is not a state, so it has no capital to name |
| U.S. territory | Our guidance: name the territory’s current governor from the USAGov states and territories page (USCIS gives a special note only for D.C.) | Name the capital of the territory |
Are these questions on the 65/20 lists?
Some are. In the 2025 list the governor question (Q61) is one of the 20 marked 65/20 questions; the capital question (Q62) is not. In the 2008 list the capital question (Q44) is on the 65/20 list and the governor question (Q43) is not, and the senator question (Q20) is. If you study the 65/20 list for your version, check which of these you must know.
Why does the answer say “Answers will vary”?
The USCIS lists give no single correct answer because the correct answer depends on where the applicant lives. The officer judges the answer against the applicant’s own state or territory. That is also why this page keeps no list of governors or capitals: the page sends you to the official source and leaves the answer to you.
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
Rules and wording are taken from USCIS pages and the Policy Manual, retrieved 2026-10-26; official links were fetched and kept only if they returned HTTP 200 on 2026-10-26.
Sources
Check yourself: common questions
What is the capital of your state?
Your answer is the capital of the state where you live, and USCIS does not publish a list of state capitals for you to memorize. Use the lookup to find the capital on the official USAGov page. If you live in D.C., answer that D.C. is not a state, so it has no capital to name.
What happens if you fail the citizenship test?
You get two attempts at the English and civics tests. If you fail a portion at the first interview, you are retested on only that portion between 60 and 90 days after the first interview. Failing the same portion a second time means the officer must deny the application (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12 Part E).
What are the 20 questions on the citizenship test?
Applicants who were 65 or older and permanent residents for at least 20 years when they filed study only 20 marked questions, and the officer asks 10 of them. Everyone else studies the full list for their version, and the officer asks up to 10 (2008) or 20 (2025). See the 65/20 civics questions page.
How many questions are there in the US citizenship test?
The 2025 civics list has 128 questions, and the 2008 list has 100. On the civics test, the officer asks a set number of these questions, and you must answer enough of them correctly to pass.
Will the USCIS officer let you know if you passed the test?
Yes, in the sense that the officer must give you a notice of results at the end of the interview, whatever the outcome (USCIS Policy Manual). See N-652 naturalization interview results.
What percentage do you need to get in order to pass the citizenship test?
The pass mark is 60 percent in both versions: 6 correct on the 2008 test (up to 10 asked) or 12 correct on the 2025 test (up to 20 asked). The English section is separate: unless you are exempt, you need to read one of three sentences correctly, write one of three sentences correctly and speak English during the interview.
Related tools
- Senators and representative citizenship test: Use it to study the questions about your senators and your representative.
- Current office holders citizenship test: Use it for the President, Vice President, Speaker and Chief Justice questions.
- Civics test practice: Use it to practice the civics questions in a mixed set.
- 128 civics questions: Use it to read the full 2025 question list.
- 100 civics questions: Use it to read the full 2008 question list.
- 65/20 civics questions: Use it if you qualify for the shorter 65/20 test.