The US citizenship test is an oral exam administered during your naturalization interview. A USCIS officer asks you up to 10 civics questions, and you need to answer at least 6 correctly. The questions come from the official list of 100 published by USCIS.
The best way to prepare is to practice with sample questions. Below you'll find 30 practice questions organized by category, followed by study tips from people who've passed recently.
Test Format Reminder
Oral exam (not written). Up to 10 questions from the 100-question list. Must answer 6 correctly. Also includes English reading test (read one sentence) and writing test (write one sentence). Everything happens during your USCIS interview.
Practice Questions: American Government
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
Answer: The Constitution
2. What are the first three words of the Constitution?
Answer: "We the People"
3. What are the two parts of the US Congress?
Answer: The Senate and the House of Representatives
4. How many US Senators are there?
Answer: 100 (two from each state)
5. We elect a US Senator for how many years?
Answer: Six years
6. How many voting members does the House of Representatives have?
Answer: 435
7. We elect a US Representative for how many years?
Answer: Two years
8. What does the judicial branch do?
Answer: Reviews laws, explains laws, resolves disputes, decides if a law goes against the Constitution
9. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
Answer: Nine
10. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
Answer: Checks and balances; separation of powers
Practice Questions: American History
11. What is one reason colonists came to America?
Answer: Freedom, political liberty, religious freedom, economic opportunity, to escape persecution
12. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson
13. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
Answer: July 4, 1776
14. Who was the first President?
Answer: George Washington
15. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
Answer: The Louisiana Territory (Louisiana Purchase)
16. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
Answer: War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War
17. What was one important thing Abraham Lincoln did?
Answer: Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation), saved/preserved the Union, led the United States during the Civil War
18. What did the 19th Amendment do?
Answer: Gave women the right to vote (1920)
19. Who was President during World War I?
Answer: Woodrow Wilson
20. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)
Practice Questions: Geography, Symbols & Holidays
21. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
Answer: The Pacific Ocean
22. What ocean is on the East Coast?
Answer: The Atlantic Ocean
23. Name one US territory.
Answer: Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam
24. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
Answer: Because there were 13 original colonies
25. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
Answer: Because there are 50 states
26. What is the name of the national anthem?
Answer: "The Star-Spangled Banner"
27. When do we celebrate Independence Day?
Answer: July 4
28. What is the capital of the United States?
Answer: Washington, D.C.
29. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
Answer: New York Harbor; Liberty Island (also acceptable: New Jersey, near New York City, on the Hudson River)
30. Name two national holidays.
Answer: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas
How to Score Yourself
Count how many you answered correctly out of 30. Then scale to the real test:
- 25-30 correct: You're well prepared. You'd likely pass easily.
- 20-24 correct: Good, but review the questions you missed.
- 15-19 correct: You need more study time, especially in weak areas.
- Below 15: Go back to the full 100 questions list and study systematically.
Study Tips
Say Your Answers Out Loud
This is an oral test. Reading the answers silently is not enough. Practice saying them out loud. Have a friend or family member quiz you by reading questions and listening to your answers.
Focus on "Current" Answers
Several questions ask about current officials (President, VP, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice, your state governor, your Senators, your Representative). These change with elections. Make sure your answers are current as of your test date.
Use the USCIS Materials
USCIS provides free study materials on uscis.gov, including the 100 questions list, reading and writing vocabulary lists, and study flashcards. These are the authoritative source—everything on the test comes from these materials.
Take Our Interactive Practice Test
For a more realistic practice experience, try our free US civics practice test with randomized questions and instant scoring.
What Happens If You Fail?
You get a second chance. USCIS will reschedule your interview within 60-90 days. At the second attempt, you only retake the portion you failed (civics, English reading, or English writing). If you fail both attempts, your N-400 application is denied, and you'd need to refile.
The good news: the vast majority of applicants who study the official materials pass on their first attempt. The questions are not tricky—they're factual and straightforward. The challenge is simply memorizing 100 question-answer pairs, and most people can do that with 2-4 weeks of consistent study.