The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has outlined the two tests that immigrants must pass as part of the naturalisation process when applying to become American citizens. According to USCIS, every applicant who does not qualify for an exemption is required to pass both an English test and a civics test during their naturalisation interview, in addition to answering questions about their personal background and application.
US Citizenship: What the English Test Involves
The English test is broken into three parts: speaking, reading, and writing. A USCIS officer evaluates speaking ability during the eligibility interview itself. For reading, applicants must correctly read aloud one out of three given sentences. For writing, they must correctly write down one out of three sentences dictated to them. Both the reading and writing portions draw on vocabulary related to civics and American history.
US Citizenship: What Civics Test Entails
The civics portion tests an applicant's knowledge of American history, the structure of the US government, and general civic knowledge. USCIS currently administers two different versions of this test depending on when an applicant submitted their Form N-400. Applicants who filed before 20 October 2025 take the 2008 civics test, which involves answering up to 10 questions drawn from a pool of 100. A minimum of six correct answers is required to pass. Those who filed on or after 20 October 2025 take the updated 2025 civics test, introduced to align with Executive Order 14161. This version is more demanding, consisting of 20 questions drawn from a list of 128. Applicants must answer at least 12 correctly to pass and will fail if they get nine or more wrong. Both versions are administered verbally by a USCIS officer during the interview.
What Happens If You Fail
Failing either test at the first interview does not automatically end an applicant's chances. USCIS allows a second attempt on whichever portion was failed, scheduled between 60 and 90 days after the original interview date. All responses during both attempts must be given in English. Certain applicants may qualify for exceptions or modifications to the English and civics requirements, which USCIS details separately on its Exceptions and Accommodations page.
