NOTE: USCIS Refers to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a Division of the Department

NOTE: USCIS refers to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division of the Department of Homeland Security

During your naturalization interview, a USCIS Officer will ask you questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver. The English test has three components: reading, writing, and speaking. The civics test covers important U.S. history and government topics. See below to learn more about the test and the free study tools available to help you prepare.

Study Materials for the English Test

Study Materials for the Civics Test Speaking Test Your ability to speak English will be determined by a USCIS Officer during your eligibility interview on Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. Reading Test You must read one out of three sentences correctly to demonstrate an ability to read in English. The Reading Test Vocabulary List will help you study for the English reading portion of the naturalization test. The content focuses on civics and history topics. Writing Test You must write one out of three sentences correctly to demonstrate an ability to write in English. The Writing Test Vocabulary List will help you study for the English writing portion of the naturalization test. The content focuses on civics and history topics. Civics Test There are 100 civics questions on the naturalization test. During your naturalization interview, you will be asked up to 10 questions from the list of 100 questions. You must answer correctly at least six (6) of the 10 questions to pass the civics test.

You have two opportunities to take the English and civics tests per application. If you fail any portion of the test during your first interview, you will be retested on the portion of the test that you failed within 90 days.

Civics (History and Government) Items for the Redesigned Naturalization Test

Beginning October 1, 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin implementation of a redesigned naturalization test. All applicants who file for naturalization on or after October 1, 2008 will be required to take the redesigned test.

Civics (history and government) items from the redesigned naturalization test are found below. Some of the items have more than one possible answer listed. Although we hope that applicants will learn all the content, applicants will only be required to give one answer from the list unless the question asks for more than one. An example of a question that requires more than one of the listed answers is item 36. It asks, “What are two Cabinet-level positions?” In this example, applicants would be required to tell the adjudicator any two of the listed possible responses.

Applicants for naturalization taking the redesigned test should note that USCIS is aware that the 100 items sometimes have answers that are not listed here.

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT A: Principles of American Democracy 1. What is the supreme law of the land?

2. What does the Constitution do?

3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

4. What is an amendment?

5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*

7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?

11. What is the economic system in the United States?*

AMERICAN HISTORY

A: Colonial Period and Independence 58. What is one reason colonists came to America?

62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? 64. There were 13 original states. Name three.

67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information 79. Who was President during World War I?

80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*

87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

INTEGRATED CIVICS

A: Geography 91. Name one U.S. territory.

95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?*

B: Symbols 96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?