Short, direct answers based on official USCIS information. Verified September 2026.
The 2025 civics test has 128 questions. At the interview the officer asks you up to 20 of them and you need 12 correct to pass. The previous (2008) version has 100 questions: the officer asks up to 10 and you need 6 correct.
It depends on when you filed Form N-400, not when your interview is. If you filed on or after October 20, 2025, you take the 128-question version. If you filed before that date, the 100-question version. Your interview notice confirms it.
Twelve. The officer stops asking as soon as you reach 12 correct or 9 incorrect. That means you can pass after answering only 12 questions if they're all right.
Neither. It's oral: the officer reads the question and you answer by speaking in English. There are no options to choose from.
Only if you qualify for an age-and-residency exception: 50 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident (50/20), or 55 or older with 15 years (55/15). In those cases you skip the English test and can take civics in Spanish with an interpreter. If you don't qualify, the entire interview is in English.
If you are 65 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident, you study only the 20 questions marked with an asterisk on the official list. The officer asks up to 10 and you need 6 correct. You can also take it in your own language.
You get a second chance, usually 60 to 90 days later, and you only retake the part you failed. If you fail the second time, USCIS denies the application and you would have to file a new N-400 and pay again.
The officer shows you a sentence and you read it out loud. Up to three different sentences; reading one correctly passes. The sentences use the official USCIS reading vocabulary, which you can study in advance.
The officer dictates a sentence and you write it. Up to three sentences; writing one correctly passes. Handwriting doesn't need to be perfect, but every word has to be there and the sentence has to be understandable.
There is no separate test. The officer evaluates your English from the greeting onward and throughout the N-400 review: whether you understand questions about your application and answer coherently. That's why N-400 vocabulary matters as much as the 128 questions.
With 20 to 30 minutes a day, most people are ready in 4 to 8 weeks. If your English is basic, plan more time for the N-400 part than for civics. What slows people down most is practicing alone, with nobody asking.
Yes. Questions like who the President is, your governor, or your senators depend on who holds the office on the day of your interview. Check those answers at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates the week before your appointment.
Not word for word, but it has to be one of the accepted answers. If a question has several possible answers, giving one is enough unless the question asks for two or three.
It's the naturalization application. At the interview the officer goes through it with you question by question, in English and under oath. Understanding its words (marital status, have you ever been arrested) is part of the English test.
Yes. Say Could you repeat the question, please? or Could you say that again? Asking once or twice is normal and doesn't count against you. What hurts is guessing yes or no without understanding.
A doctor can complete Form N-648 to request an exception from the English and/or civics test for a physical or mental condition. It's a medical and legal process; consult an attorney or an accredited organization.
Usually 20 to 30 minutes. Most of it is the N-400 review; civics takes a few minutes.
USCIS publishes the 128 questions in English and in several translations, including Spanish, in its Citizenship Resource Center (uscis.gov/citizenship). Use the translation to understand, not to answer: at the interview you answer in English.
Your appointment notice, your permanent resident card, all your passports (current and expired), a photo ID, and any document USCIS requested in the notice. Arrive early.
In most cases the officer tells you the result the same day. If your application is approved, you're scheduled for the oath ceremony, where you receive your certificate of naturalization. You're not a citizen until you take the oath.
You call, hear the question in English, answer in English, and get instant feedback in Spanish. Like the officer, without the pressure. Leave your number and we'll tell you when it's ready.
Updated: 2026-09-15