US Announces Number of Questions Available in American Citizenship Tests For Foreigners

US Announces Number of Questions Available in American Citizenship Tests For Foreigners

  • The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services revealed the structure of its naturalization civics test, with two different versions depending on when applicants filed
  • Foreigners who filed their naturalization application before October 2025 face a different number of questions compared to those who applied after that date
  • Applicants must also pass an English language test covering reading, writing, and speaking before they can be granted US citizenship

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has outlined exactly what foreigners must do to become American citizens, detailing the number of questions they will face during the naturalization civics test and how many they need to answer correctly to pass.

According to USCIS, the path to citizenship involves two separate assessments: an English language test and a civics test covering US history and government.

See number of questions in American citizenship tests for foreigners
US mentions how many questions foreigners will be asked during citizenship tests. Photo: Getty
Source: Getty Images

US citizenship: What English test requires

For the English portion, applicants must demonstrate a basic ability to speak, read, and write in English. A USCIS officer will assess spoken English during the eligibility interview.

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For the reading component, an applicant must read one out of three sentences aloud correctly, and for writing, must write one out of three sentences correctly to meet the requirement.

Two versions of US citizenship Civics test

The civics test exists in two versions, and which one an applicant takes depends entirely on when they submitted their Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.

Those who filed before 20 October 2025 will take the 2008 civics test. Under this version, a USCIS officer asks up to 10 questions drawn from a pool of 100 possible questions. To pass, an applicant must answer at least 6 correctly. If they get 5 wrong, they fail. Officers stop the session as soon as either threshold is reached.

Applicants who filed on or after 20 October 2025 will sit the updated 2025 civics test, which is notably more demanding. This version presents 20 questions from a larger bank of 128 possible questions, and applicants must answer at least 12 correctly to pass. Getting 9 questions wrong results in a failure, and officers will stop the test the moment either the pass or fail mark is hit.

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Both versions of the civics test are conducted orally, meaning applicants answer questions by speaking directly with a USCIS officer rather than completing a written paper.

The agency provides free study materials on its official website to help applicants prepare for both the English and civics components of the naturalization process.

Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.

Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.

Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.

The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Victoria Nwahiri avatar

Victoria Nwahiri (Human Interest Editor) Victoria Nwahiri is an award-winning Reuters-certified journalist with 5+ years of experience in digital, social media, and print journalism. She has extensively covered lifestyle, entertainment, and human interest stories that have impacted and attracted top policymakers. She is currently a Human Interest Editor at Legit.ng and can be reached via victoria.nwahiri@corp.legit.ng

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