US Citizenship English Test — Reading & Writing Requirements Explained

The English test is one of two tests administered during your US citizenship interview (the other being the civics test). Many applicants focus all their preparation on the 100 civics questions and forget that they also need to demonstrate basic English reading, writing, and speaking ability.

The Reading Test

The USCIS officer shows you a sentence and asks you to read it aloud. You get up to three attempts with different sentences. You must read at least one correctly to pass.

What "Correctly" Means

You don't need perfect pronunciation. The officer is checking whether you can read and understand the words, not whether you speak without an accent. As long as the officer can understand what you're reading, you'll pass.

Practice Sentences

Reading test sentences are built from a specific vocabulary list. Here are examples of the types of sentences you might see:

• "When is Independence Day?"
• "Who was the first President?"
• "What is the largest state?"
• "Where does the President live?"
• "Citizens have the right to vote."
• "Congress makes federal laws."
• "Washington is the capital of the United States."
• "Abraham Lincoln was President during the Civil War."

Reading Vocabulary List

USCIS publishes the exact vocabulary used in reading test sentences. Key words include:

Civics words: American, citizens, Civil War, Congress, country, Father of Our Country, flag, free, freedom, government, President, right, Senators, state, states, White House

People: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington

Places: America, United States, U.S.

Question words: How, What, When, Where, Who, Why

Verbs: can, come, do, does, elects, have, is, lives, meet, pay, vote, want

Other: a, for, here, in, of, on, the, to, we

The Writing Test

The officer dictates a sentence, and you write it on paper. You get up to three attempts with different sentences. You must write at least one correctly.

What "Correctly" Means

Your handwriting must be legible, and the sentence must be understandable. Minor spelling errors are acceptable as long as the meaning is clear. For example, writing "Prezident" instead of "President" might be acceptable, but writing something unrecognizable would not.

Practice Sentences

• "The President lives in the White House."
• "Congress meets in Washington, D.C."
• "Citizens can vote for President."
• "The United States has 50 states."
• "People pay taxes."
• "Lincoln was the President during the Civil War."
• "Alaska is the largest state."
• "Washington is on the dollar bill."

Writing Vocabulary List

Key words you should be able to write:

Civics words: American, Bill of Rights, capital, citizen, Civil War, Congress, country, flag, free, freedom, President, right, Senators, state, taxes, United States, White House

People: Adams, Lincoln, Washington

Months: February, May, June, July, September, October, November

Places: Alaska, California, Canada, Delaware, Mexico, New York City, United States, Washington, Washington, D.C.

Verbs: can, come, elect, have, is, lives, meet, pay, vote, want, was

Numbers: one, dollar bill, first, largest, most, second

The Speaking Test

There's no separate speaking test. The USCIS officer assesses your speaking ability throughout the interview as you answer questions about your N-400 application and respond to civics questions.

Tips for the speaking portion:

• Answer in complete sentences when possible, but short answers are acceptable
• Speak at a normal pace—don't rush
• It's okay to ask the officer to repeat a question
• An accent is fine as long as you're understandable
• If you don't understand a word, ask the officer to explain it

Who Is Exempt from the English Test?

• 50/20 exemption: Age 50+ with 20+ years as a permanent resident
• 55/15 exemption: Age 55+ with 15+ years as a permanent resident
• Disability exemption: Physical, developmental, or mental disability certified by a doctor (Form N-648)

If exempt, you can take the civics test in your native language with an interpreter.

How to Prepare

For Reading

1. Print the USCIS reading vocabulary list
2. Practice reading each word individually
3. Then practice reading simple sentences containing those words
4. Read out loud every day for at least 10 minutes

For Writing

1. Print the USCIS writing vocabulary list
2. Practice writing each word by hand multiple times
3. Have someone dictate simple sentences using those words
4. Practice writing for at least 10 minutes daily

For Speaking

1. Practice answering the civics questions out loud in English
2. Have conversations in English as much as possible before your interview
3. Practice common interview phrases: "Yes, that is correct," "No, I have not," "Could you repeat that?"

The English test is designed to assess basic, functional English ability. You don't need to be fluent. With consistent practice using the USCIS vocabulary lists, most applicants are well prepared within 2-4 weeks.