How the 2025 civics test works
Below are all 128 questions of the 2025 naturalization civics test with the answers USCIS accepts, copied from form M-1778 (09/25) and grouped in the official sections. If your Form N-400 was filed on or after 20 October 2025 this is your test. Per the USCIS 2025 civics test page (last reviewed 17 September 2025), it is an oral test of 20 questions from the list of 128, you must answer 12 correctly to pass, and "officers will stop asking questions when an alien answers 12 questions correctly, or 9 questions incorrectly". The officer asks, you answer aloud, and nothing is written. If you filed before 20 October 2025 you take the 2008 test instead (up to 10 of 100, 6 to pass); our 2008 or 2025 page explains how to tell which one applies to you.
- 128 questions in three parts: American Government (1 to 72), American History (73 to 118), Symbols and Holidays (119 to 128).
- Up to 20 asked, 12 correct to pass, the test ends at 12 right or 9 wrong (2025 civics test page; Policy Manual Vol 12 Part E Ch 2).
- Twenty starred questions for applicants who are 65 with 20 years as a permanent resident: 10 asked, 6 to pass, in the language of your choice (M-1778).
- Some answers change with elections and appointments; the names below are dated and the USCIS update page is the authority on the day.
- Fail, and you are retested on the civics portion only, 60 to 90 days later (interview and test page).
How to read the tables. The number is the official question number; a * marks a 65/20 question. The middle column is the question exactly as USCIS prints it. The right column lists every acceptable answer; you only need the number of answers the question asks for. Words in brackets are optional, so "(U.S.) Constitution" means "Constitution" alone is accepted. Where the answer is a person in office now, we have added the name from the USCIS Check for Test Updates page with the date we read it. M-1778 also says that USCIS "is aware that there may be additional correct answers" but that you are "encouraged to respond to the questions using the answers provided below". Learn the printed answer.
Answers that change: the officials, dated
Seven of the 128 questions have answers that depend on who holds office now, and three of them (23, 29 and 61) also depend on where you live. M-1778 is explicit: "You must answer the question with the name of the official serving at the time of your naturalization interview." USCIS keeps the current names on its Check for Test Updates page, which lists these question numbers for the 2025 test: 23, 29, 30, 38, 39, 57 and 61. The table shows what that page said when we read it. Treat it as a snapshot, not a promise; open the USCIS page in the week of your interview.
| # | Question | Answer on the USCIS update page (last reviewed 18 September 2025; read 21 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Who is one of your state's U.S. senators now? | Answers will vary by state. D.C. and territory residents answer that they have no U.S. senators. The Senate lists current members at senate.gov. |
| 29 | Name your U.S. representative. | Answers will vary by district; house.gov has a lookup by ZIP code. Territory residents may name their Delegate or Resident Commissioner, or say the territory has no voting representative. |
| 30* | What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? | Mike Johnson. Also accepted: Johnson; James Michael Johnson. |
| 38* | What is the name of the President of the United States now? | Donald J. Trump. Also accepted: Donald Trump; Trump. |
| 39* | What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? | JD Vance. Also accepted: Vance. |
| 57 | Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? | John Roberts. Also accepted: John G. Roberts, Jr.; Roberts. |
| 61* | Who is the governor of your state now? | Answers will vary by state. D.C. residents answer that D.C. does not have a governor. |
Question 62 (the capital of your state) does not change, but it is personal to you in the same way. Write your own four local answers on a card: your two senators, your representative, your governor, your state capital. Say them aloud until they come without thinking. No national list can contain them, so they are easy to leave out of your practice.
The 20 starred questions (65/20)
Per M-1778, if you are 65 or older and have lived in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for 20 or more years, you may study just the 20 questions marked with an asterisk, the officer asks 10 of them, you need 6 correct, and you may take the test in the language of your choice. The full rule, the eligibility test and glosses in Spanish, Hindi, Gujarati, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Arabic are on our 65/20 page. For everyone else these 20 are a good first day of study, because they recur in the full set and cover the names that change.
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | What is the supreme law of the land? |
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| 7 | How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? |
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| 12 | What is the economic system of the United States? |
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| 20 | Name one power of the U.S. Congress. |
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| 30 | What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? |
Per the USCIS Check for Test Updates page (last reviewed 18 September 2025, read by us on 21 October 2026): Mike Johnson (also accepted: Johnson, James Michael Johnson). |
| 36 | The President of the United States is elected for how many years? |
|
| 38 | What is the name of the President of the United States now? |
Per the USCIS Check for Test Updates page (last reviewed 18 September 2025, read by us on 21 October 2026): Donald J. Trump (also accepted: Donald Trump, Trump). |
| 39 | What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? |
Per the USCIS Check for Test Updates page (last reviewed 18 September 2025, read by us on 21 October 2026): JD Vance (also accepted: Vance). |
| 44 | Who vetoes bills? |
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| 52 | What is the highest court in the United States? |
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| 61 | Who is the governor of your state now? |
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| 66 | What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? |
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| 74 | Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? |
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| 78 | Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? |
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| 86 | George Washington is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 94 | Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 113 | Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 115 | What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States? |
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| 121 | Why does the flag have 13 stripes? |
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| 126 | Name three national U.S. holidays. |
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American Government: questions 1 to 72
Three sub-sections: the principles behind the Constitution (1 to 15), how the three branches and the states work (16 to 62), and the rights and duties of citizens (63 to 72). This is the largest part of the bank and the part most applicants find hardest, because many questions ask why rather than what. Read the "why" answers as short phrases you can say, for example "so one part does not become too powerful", and not as essays.
Principles of American Government (questions 1 to 15)
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the form of government of the United States? |
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| 2* | What is the supreme law of the land? |
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| 3 | Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does. |
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| 4 | The U.S. Constitution starts with the words "We the People." What does "We the People" mean? |
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| 5 | How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution? |
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| 6 | What does the Bill of Rights protect? |
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| 7* | How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? |
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| 8 | Why is the Declaration of Independence important? |
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| 9 | What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain? |
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| 10 | Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. |
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| 11 | The words "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" are in what founding document? |
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| 12* | What is the economic system of the United States? |
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| 13 | What is the rule of law? |
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| 14 | Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one. |
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| 15 | There are three branches of government. Why? |
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System of Government (questions 16 to 62)
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Name the three branches of government. |
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| 17 | The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government? |
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| 18 | What part of the federal government writes laws? |
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| 19 | What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? |
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| 20* | Name one power of the U.S. Congress. |
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| 21 | How many U.S. senators are there? |
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| 22 | How long is a term for a U.S. senator? |
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| 23 | Who is one of your state's U.S. senators now? |
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| 24 | How many voting members are in the House of Representatives? |
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| 25 | How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives? |
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| 26 | Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators? |
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| 27 | How many senators does each state have? |
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| 28 | Why does each state have two senators? |
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| 29 | Name your U.S. representative. |
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| 30* | What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? |
Per the USCIS Check for Test Updates page (last reviewed 18 September 2025, read by us on 21 October 2026): Mike Johnson (also accepted: Johnson, James Michael Johnson). |
| 31 | Who does a U.S. senator represent? |
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| 32 | Who elects U.S. senators? |
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| 33 | Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent? |
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| 34 | Who elects members of the House of Representatives? |
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| 35 | Some states have more representatives than other states. Why? |
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| 36* | The President of the United States is elected for how many years? |
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| 37 | The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why? |
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| 38* | What is the name of the President of the United States now? |
Per the USCIS Check for Test Updates page (last reviewed 18 September 2025, read by us on 21 October 2026): Donald J. Trump (also accepted: Donald Trump, Trump). |
| 39* | What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? |
Per the USCIS Check for Test Updates page (last reviewed 18 September 2025, read by us on 21 October 2026): JD Vance (also accepted: Vance). |
| 40 | If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president? |
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| 41 | Name one power of the president. |
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| 42 | Who is Commander in Chief of the U.S. military? |
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| 43 | Who signs bills to become laws? |
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| 44* | Who vetoes bills? |
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| 45 | Who appoints federal judges? |
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| 46 | The executive branch has many parts. Name one. |
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| 47 | What does the President's Cabinet do? |
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| 48 | What are two Cabinet-level positions? |
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| 49 | Why is the Electoral College important? |
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| 50 | What is one part of the judicial branch? |
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| 51 | What does the judicial branch do? |
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| 52* | What is the highest court in the United States? |
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| 53 | How many seats are on the Supreme Court? |
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| 54 | How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case? |
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| 55 | How long do Supreme Court justices serve? |
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| 56 | Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why? |
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| 57 | Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? |
Per the USCIS Check for Test Updates page (last reviewed 18 September 2025, read by us on 21 October 2026): John Roberts (also accepted: John G. Roberts, Jr., Roberts). |
| 58 | Name one power that is only for the federal government. |
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| 59 | Name one power that is only for the states. |
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| 60 | What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment? |
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| 61* | Who is the governor of your state now? |
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| 62 | What is the capital of your state? |
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Rights and Responsibilities (questions 63 to 72)
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | There are four amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them. |
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| 64 | Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States? |
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| 65 | What are three rights of everyone living in the United States? |
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| 66* | What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? |
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| 67 | Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance. |
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| 68 | How can people become United States citizens? |
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| 69 | What are two examples of civic participation in the United States? |
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| 70 | What is one way Americans can serve their country? |
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| 71 | Why is it important to pay federal taxes? |
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| 72 | It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why. |
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American History: questions 73 to 118
From the colonies to the present day in 46 questions: the colonial period and independence (73 to 89), the 1800s (90 to 99) and recent history (100 to 118). The "famous for many things, name one" questions (85 to 89, 94, 107, 113) each have several acceptable answers; pick the one you can pronounce most clearly and learn only that one.
Colonial Period and Independence (questions 73 to 89)
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one. |
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| 74* | Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? |
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| 75 | What group of people was taken and sold as slaves? |
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| 76 | What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain? |
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| 77 | Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain. |
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| 78* | Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? |
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| 79 | When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? |
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| 80 | The American Revolution had many important events. Name one. |
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| 81 | There were 13 original states. Name five. |
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| 82 | What founding document was written in 1787? |
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| 83 | The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. |
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| 84 | Why were the Federalist Papers important? |
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| 85 | Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 86* | George Washington is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 87 | Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 88 | James Madison is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 89 | Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one. |
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1800s (questions 90 to 99)
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? |
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| 91 | Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s. |
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| 92 | Name the U.S. war between the North and the South. |
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| 93 | The Civil War had many important events. Name one. |
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| 94* | Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 95 | What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? |
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| 96 | What U.S. war ended slavery? |
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| 97 | What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens? |
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| 98 | When did all men get the right to vote? |
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| 99 | Name one leader of the women's rights movement in the 1800s. |
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Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information (questions 100 to 118)
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s. |
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| 101 | Why did the United States enter World War I? |
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| 102 | When did all women get the right to vote? |
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| 103 | What was the Great Depression? |
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| 104 | When did the Great Depression start? |
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| 105 | Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II? |
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| 106 | Why did the United States enter World War II? |
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| 107 | Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 108 | Who was the United States' main rival during the Cold War? |
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| 109 | During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States? |
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| 110 | Why did the United States enter the Korean War? |
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| 111 | Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War? |
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| 112 | What did the civil rights movement do? |
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| 113* | Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one. |
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| 114 | Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War? |
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| 115* | What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States? |
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| 116 | Name one U.S. military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks. |
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| 117 | Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. |
For a complete list of tribes, please visit bia.gov. |
| 118 | Name one example of an American innovation. |
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Symbols and Holidays: questions 119 to 128
The shortest section and the easiest to score on: the capital, the Statue of Liberty, the flag, the anthem, the motto and four holiday questions. Question 126 asks you to name three national holidays, so prepare three you can say without hesitation.
Symbols (questions 119 to 124)
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 119 | What is the capital of the United States? |
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| 120 | Where is the Statue of Liberty? |
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| 121* | Why does the flag have 13 stripes? |
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| 122 | Why does the flag have 50 stars? |
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| 123 | What is the name of the national anthem? |
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| 124 | The Nation's first motto was "E Pluribus Unum." What does that mean? |
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Holidays (questions 125 to 128)
| # | Question | Acceptable answers (USCIS) |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | What is Independence Day? |
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| 126* | Name three national U.S. holidays. |
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| 127 | What is Memorial Day? |
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| 128 | What is Veterans Day? |
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How to drill the answers aloud
This is an oral test. Reading the list silently prepares your eyes, not your mouth, and the officer hears only your mouth. Everything below is a TalkDrill method, not a USCIS instruction, built around the one fact that matters: you need 12 correct answers said clearly enough for the officer to recognise them.
The ten-a-day loop
- Pick ten questions in order, starting at 1. Cover the answer column with your hand or a card.
- Read the question aloud, then answer aloud in a full phrase: "The supreme law of the land is the Constitution." Saying the subject again helps older learners hold the question in mind.
- Check, then repeat the printed answer exactly, twice, even when you were right. You are training the words, not the knowledge.
- Mark the misses on paper. Tomorrow begins with yesterday's misses, then ten new questions.
- At the end of each section have a family member ask you 20 questions at random from that section and count to 12 right or 9 wrong, exactly as the officer would. Thirteen sessions of ten cover the whole bank once; plan to go round more than once before your interview.
A worked drill, written by TalkDrill
Example: question 15 said three ways
The question is "There are three branches of government. Why?" A learner who has only read the list says: "Um, power, the branches, not too much power." The officer may or may not accept that. A learner who has drilled aloud says: "So one part does not become too powerful." Six words, the printed answer. A learner who wants a safety net learns two: "Checks and balances. So one part does not become too powerful." If the first phrase comes out muddled, the second rescues it. Do this for every "why" question in the bank.
Say the numbers as words
Question 7 (twenty-seven), 21 (one hundred), 24 (four hundred thirty-five), 53 (nine), 54 (five), 79 (July 4, 1776), 102 (1920) and 104 (1929) are number answers. Practise the English words for them, not the digits. "Four hundred thirty-five" is harder to say than it is to know; record yourself on your phone and listen for every syllable.
Answers that are hard to pronounce, by first language
| If your first language is | Watch these answers | Why, and the fix |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | "Constitution", "amendments", "The Star-Spangled Banner", "Jefferson", "Vice President" | Spanish has no initial s-cluster and softens v and b. Say "Star" and "Spangled" with no "e" in front, say "kon-sti-TOO-shun", put the stress on "MEND" in amendments, and let the v in "Vice" touch your teeth. Drill the sentence, not the word. |
| Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi | "Writes laws", "vetoes bills", "Twenty-seven", "Washington" | v and w merge, so "vetoes" can sound like "wetoes". Round the lips only for w. Keep "twenty-seven" at two beats each: TWEN-ty SE-ven. |
| Tagalog | "Freedom", "federal budget", "Four (4) years", "Fought for civil rights" | f often becomes p. Put your top teeth on your bottom lip for every f in "freedom of speech" and "federal budget". |
| Vietnamese | "Supreme Court", "Declares war", "Capitalism", "Gettysburg Address" | Final consonants drop. Finish "Court" with a t and "Address" with an s; the officer hears the end of the word first. |
| Mandarin, Cantonese | "The flag", "Rule of law", "Liberty", "Thanksgiving" | l and r, and th. For "Thanksgiving" put the tongue between the teeth and breathe out before the vowel. Slow the phrase down; speed hides the sounds. |
| Arabic | "Pledge", "Popular sovereignty", "Pearl Harbor", "Pentagon" | p becomes b. Hold a piece of paper in front of your mouth; it should move on every p in "Pledge" and "Pearl Harbor". |
Use TalkDrill for the saying part
Paste any ten answers into the read-aloud tool and read them; it scores each word and shows which sounds the officer might miss. Then run a mock interview and ask the AI officer to quiz you on the civics questions after the N-400 questions, so you practise switching from "Have you ever..." to "What is the supreme law of the land?" the way the real interview does. Our N-400 interview questions page covers the speaking part of the test, and the eight-week roadmap sets out which sections to drill in which week.
Official files, and what not to trust
Everything above is from USCIS. These are the files and pages we used, with the date we read them, so you can check for yourself.
| Official source | What it gives you | Read by us |
|---|---|---|
| 128 Civics Questions and Answers (M-1778, PDF) | The question bank this page reproduces. The Study for the Test page lists it at 219.55 KB. | 21 October 2026 (downloaded) |
| One Nation, One People: the USCIS 2025 Civics Test Study Guide (PDF) | The illustrated study guide, 38.92 MB per the Study for the Test page. We did not download it this week, so we cannot describe its contents; the link is as USCIS lists it. | Link only |
| Check for Test Updates | Which test version applies by filing date and the current names for the officials in questions 30, 38, 39 and 57. | 21 October 2026 |
| 2025 Civics Test page | 20 of 128, 12 to pass, fail at 9 wrong, the stop rule, the filing-date rule. | 21 October 2026 |
| The Naturalization Interview and Test | The English test parts, both civics versions, two attempts, retest 60 to 90 days later. | 21 October 2026 |
| Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part E, Chapter 2 | The rule text officers follow: "at least 12 of 20", the stop rule, the 65/20 rule, the reading and writing standards, the second examination. | 21 October 2026 |
| Study for the Test | Both versions' materials in one place, including the 2008 bank and its translations (Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese). | 21 October 2026 |
What not to trust
- Any list of 100 questions sold as "the new test". That is the 2008 bank. It is still the right list for N-400s filed before 20 October 2025, and the wrong one for everyone else.
- Apps and videos that name an official without a date. Compare the name with the USCIS update page before you memorise it.
- Translated lists of the 128 questions. We did not find an official USCIS translation of the 2025 bank when we checked on 21 October 2026; the translations on the Study for the Test page (Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese) are of the 2008 list, and the USCIS Spanish-language 2025 test page links the English M-1778. A translation helps you understand a question, but the officer hears your English unless an exception applies (see our exemptions page).
- Pages that promise which 20 questions you will be asked. Per the Policy Manual, for both versions "a USCIS system randomly selects the test questions", so nobody outside USCIS knows your questions in advance.
Dates for the test itself do not exist in the way exam dates do; your test date is your interview date on the notice USCIS sends. The one date that decides your version is your N-400 filing date, before or from 20 October 2025. Our exam dates calendar covers the exams that do have sittings. Back to the US citizenship English test hub.