The path to citizenship in the United States is long and ever-changing, with each presidential administration ushering in sweeping reforms designed to fit their narrative. Nonetheless, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, continues to play its part. Among other steps in the process, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administers a two-pronged naturalization test, which consists of an English portion and a civics portion. Because the USCIS Citizenship test is critical to obtaining citizenship in the vast majority of cases, foreign nationals who wish to become United States citizens must be well prepared.
What You Need to Know About the USCIS Citizenship Test
The naturalization test, as administered by USCIS, tests both English proficiency and civics knowledge. Applicants for U.S. citizenship must first demonstrate their ability to read, write, and speak in the English language, and they must answer questions about American governance and history. Fortunately, there are boundless resources to help foreign nationals prepare for the USCIS citizenship test, including from USCIS itself and third parties.
The English Test
The English portion of the naturalization test requires applicants for U.S. citizenship to demonstrate their ability to read, write, and speak in English. Each subsection of this test is straightforward: the applicants must read, write, or speak in English. For the reading test, the applicant must read aloud sentences written in English. For the writing test, the applicant must write down sentences read to them in English. For the speaking test, the applicant must converse with an interviewer while completing the required forms. The USCIS provides vocabulary lists to help foreign nationals prepare for each of these portions of the naturalization test.
The Civics Test
The civics portion of the naturalization test requires applicants for U.S. citizenship to demonstrate their knowledge of U.S. government and history. Administered orally, the civics portion of the USCIS citizenship test consists of either 10 or 20 questions (depending on the version used at the time), which are selected at random from a larger pool of possible questions. The applicant must answer at least 60% of the questions correctly. Although this may be daunting, USCIS has publicized the full list of possible questions– as well as the correct answers– in order to help applicants prepare. You may find the full list of questions and answers to each version of the civics test here and here.
Applicants for U.S. citizenship who are studying for the civics portion of the naturalization test should be aware that the answers to many of the possible questions change over time. For example, they may be asked “who is the current president,” in which case they must provide an accurate answer as of the date of their test.
Related: How Can An Immigration Lawyer Help Me?
Who Is Exempt From Taking The USCIS Citizenship Test?
Depending on the individual’s circumstances, there are many exemptions that may exempt an applicant for U.S. citizenship from having to complete the English, civics, or both portion(s) of the naturalization test.
First, applicants may be eligible for exemptions for either or both portions of the naturalization test if they have certain medical disabilities. This exemption requires additional forms and the signature of a properly licensed healthcare professional.
Second, applicants may be exempt from taking the English portion of the naturalization test depending on their age and residency. Individuals over the age of 50 who have been permanent residents in the United States for at least 20 years do not need to take the English portion of the naturalization test. Similarly, individuals over the age of 55 who have been permanent residents in the United States for at least 15 years may also be exempt. Notably, these individuals must still pass the civics portion of the naturalization test, but they may be permitted to take the civics portion in their native language.
Third, certain individuals may be eligible for special consideration on the civics portion of the naturalization test. Individuals who are at least 65 years of age and who have been living in the United States as permanent residents for at least 20 years may receive this special consideration. Special consideration means two things: (1) they may take the civics portion of the naturalization test in any language of their choosing and (2) the questions they are asked will come from a smaller pool of just 20 possible questions. Applicants can identify this smaller pool of possible questions by the asterisks (*) in the lists of questions provided above.
Related: How To Obtain A Green Card
Contact Pride Legal
If you or a loved one are applying for citizenship to the United States, we invite you to contact us at Pride Legal for legal counseling or any further questions. To protect your rights, hire someone who understands them.