100+ U.S. Citizenship Test Questions and Answers
100+ U.S. Citizenship Test Questions and Answers
Summary

The United States citizenship exam, which assesses an applicant's knowledge of American history and government, is administered orally during the United States citizenship interview. Not sure if you're eligible for citizenship? Begin by determining your eligibility.

The citizenship exam has 100 questions. The officer from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will ask the applicant 10 of the 100 questions, and the applicant must correctly answer 6 of the 10 questions in order to pass the civics test.

Is the citizenship test hard?

In fact, only 36% of American citizens could pass the test, according to NBCNews, indicating how difficult it is. That is comparable to the proportion of Arizona State students who could pass an STD test. Whoa.

Up to 60% of people are said to overlook some of the fundamental, basic questions. For example, just 39% of American test-takers are aware of the number of justices on the Supreme Court. If you're thinking, "Oh, I don't know, maybe fifty,"or twelve?” Most likely, you're in good company. And you're not right. Nine o'clock.

What Does the U.S. Citizenship Test Involve?

An assigned USCIS officer will question the applicant about their application and background during the naturalization interview. Furthermore, candidates need to take and pass a naturalization exam that has two main components: an English and civics test.

The English Test

The applicant's proficiency with the English language will be evaluated in the first section of the citizenship exam. It is divided into three sections, such as:

Speaking - This part will test the individual’s ability to understand and speak English.

Reading - To demonstrate their comprehension of written English, applicants must correctly read aloud to the USCIS officer one of three sentences.

Writing - In order to pass the exam, candidates must write three English sentences, at least one of which must be accurate. This suggests that the person is capable of writing English correctly.

The Civics Test

The applicant's proficiency with the principles of American history and government will be assessed during the civics section of the exam. Depending on their unique situation, people can choose between the two main versions.

The 2008 version is the first; it is an oral exam where candidates can be asked up to ten questions from a list of one hundred civics-related questions by a USCIS officer. Then, in order to pass, the candidate must correctly answer at least six. In their initial exams, re-examinations, or N-336 hearings, applicants who filed their Form N-400 either before December 1, 2020, or after March 1, 2021, must take this version.

Twenty of the 128 civics questions will be asked orally by USCIS officers in the 2020 exam. To pass this version, the candidate must correctly answer a minimum of 12 questions. Applicants may select to take this version of the exam or the 2008 version if they file their applications for naturalization by March 1, 2021, or on or after December 1, 2020, with interviews scheduled for April 19, 2021.

100+ U.S. Citizenship Test Questions and Best Answers

1. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT QUESTIONS

Photo: washingtontimes
Photo: washingtontimes

1. What is the supreme law of the land?

  • the Constitution

2. What does the Constitution do?

  • sets up the government
  • defines the government
  • protects basic rights of Americans

3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

  • We the People

4. What is an amendment?

  • a change (to the Constitution)
  • an addition (to the Constitution)

5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

  • the Bill of Rights

6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*

  • speech
  • religion
  • assembly
  • press
  • petition the government

7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

  • twenty-seven (27)

8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?

  • announced our independence (from Great Britain)
  • declared our independence (from Great Britain)
  • said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)

9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

  • life
  • liberty
  • pursuit of happiness

10. What is freedom of religion?

  • You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.

11. What is the economic system in the United States?*

  • capitalist economy
  • market economy

12. What is the “rule of law”?

  • Everyone must follow the law.
  • Leaders must obey the law.
  • Government must obey the law.
  • No one is above the law.

13. Name one branch or part of the government.*

  • Congress
  • legislative
  • President
  • executive
  • the courts
  • judicial

14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

  • checks and balances
  • separation of powers

15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?

  • the President

16. Who makes federal laws?

  • Congress
  • Senate and House (of Representatives)
  • (U.S. or national) legislature

17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*

  • the Senate and House (of Representatives)

18. How many U.S. Senators are there?

  • one hundred (100)

19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?

  • six (6)

20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?*

  • Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]

21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

  • four hundred thirty-five (435)

22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

  • two (2)

23. Name your U.S. Representative.

  • Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.]

24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

  • all people of the state

25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

  • (because of) the state’s population
  • (because) they have more people
  • (because) some states have more people

26. We elect a President for how many years?

  • four (4)

27. In what month do we vote for President?*

  • November

28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?*

  • Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the President of the United States.

29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?

  • Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Vice President of the United States.

30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

  • the Vice President

31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

  • the Speaker of the House

32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

  • the President

33. Who signs bills to become laws?

  • the President

34. Who vetoes bills?

  • the President

35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?

  • advises the President

36. What are two Cabinet-level positions?

  • Secretary of Agriculture
  • Secretary of Commerce
  • Secretary of Defense
  • Secretary of Education
  • Secretary of Energy
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • Secretary of the Interior
  • Secretary of Labor
  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of Transportation
  • Secretary of the Treasury
  • Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • Attorney General
  • Vice President

37. What does the judicial branch do?

  • reviews laws
  • explains laws
  • resolves disputes (disagreements)
  • decides if a law goes against the Constitution

38. What is the highest court in the United States?

  • the Supreme Court

39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

  • Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the number of justices on the Supreme Court.

40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

  • Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Chief Justice of the United States.

41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?

  • to print money
  • to declare war
  • to create an army
  • to make treaties

42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?

  • provide schooling and education
  • provide protection (police)
  • provide safety (fire departments)
  • give a driver’s license
  • approve zoning and land use

43. Who is the Governor of your state now?

  • Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.]

44. What is the capital of your state?*

  • Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]

45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?*

  • Democratic and Republican

46. What is the political party of the President now?

  • Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the political party of the President.

47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?

  • Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

C: Rights and Responsibilities

48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

  • Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
  • You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
  • Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)
  • A male citizen of any race (can vote).

49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?*

  • serve on a jury
  • vote in a federal election

50. Name one right only for United States citizens.

  • vote in a federal election
  • run for federal office

51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

  • freedom of expression
  • freedom of speech
  • freedom of assembly
  • freedom to petition the government
  • freedom of religion
  • the right to bear arms

52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

  • the United States
  • the flag

53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?

  • give up loyalty to other countries
  • defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
  • obey the laws of the United States
  • serve in the U.S. military (if needed)
  • serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
  • be loyal to the United States

54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?*

  • eighteen (18) and older

55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

  • vote
  • join a political party
  • help with a campaign
  • join a civic group
  • join a community group
  • give an elected official your opinion on an issue
  • call Senators and Representatives
  • publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
  • run for office
  • write to a newspaper

56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*

  • April 15

57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?

  • at age eighteen (18)
  • between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)

2. AMERICAN HISTORY QUESTIONS

Photo: theworld
Photo: theworld

58. What is one reason colonists came to America?

  • freedom
  • political liberty
  • religious freedom
  • economic opportunity
  • practice their religion
  • escape persecution

59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

  • American Indians
  • Native Americans

60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

  • Africans
  • people from Africa

61. Why did the colonists fight the British?

  • because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
  • because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
  • because they didn’t have self-government

62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

  • (Thomas) Jefferson

63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

  • July 4, 1776

64. There were 13 original states. Name three.

  • New Hampshire
  • Massachusetts
  • Rhode Island
  • Connecticut
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Delaware
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Georgia

65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

  • The Constitution was written.
  • The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.

66. When was the Constitution written?

  • 1787

67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

  • (James) Madison
  • (Alexander) Hamilton
  • (John) Jay
  • Publius

68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

  • U.S. diplomat
  • oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
  • first Postmaster General of the United States
  • writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
  • started the first free libraries

69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

  • (George) Washington

70. Who was the first President?*

  • (George) Washington

B: 1800s

71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

  • the Louisiana Territory
  • Louisiana

72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.

  • War of 1812
  • Mexican-American War
  • Civil War
  • Spanish-American War

73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.

  • the Civil War
  • the War between the States

74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

  • slavery
  • economic reasons
  • states’ rights

75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*

  • freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
  • saved (or preserved) the Union
  • led the United States during the Civil War

76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

  • freed the slaves
  • freed slaves in the Confederacy
  • freed slaves in the Confederate states
  • freed slaves in most Southern states

77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?

  • fought for women’s rights
  • fought for civil rights

C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information

78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.*

  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Korean War
  • Vietnam War
  • (Persian) Gulf War

79. Who was President during World War I?

  • (Woodrow) Wilson

80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

  • (Franklin) Roosevelt

81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?

  • Japan, Germany, and Italy

82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?

  • World War II

83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?

  • Communism

84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

  • civil rights (movement)

85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*

  • fought for civil rights
  • worked for equality for all Americans

86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?

  • Terrorists attacked the United States.

87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

  • Cherokee
  • Navajo
  • Sioux
  • Chippewa
  • Choctaw
  • Pueblo
  • Apache
  • Iroquois
  • Creek
  • Blackfeet
  • Seminole
  • Cheyenne
  • Arawak
  • Shawnee
  • Mohegan
  • Huron
  • Oneida
  • Lakota
  • Crow
  • Teton
  • Hopi
  • Inuit

3. INTEGRATED CIVICS QUESTIONS

Photo: classroommagazines
Photo: classroommagazines

88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

  • Missouri (River)
  • Mississippi (River)

89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?

  • Pacific (Ocean)

90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?

  • Atlantic (Ocean)

91. Name one U.S. territory.

  • Puerto Rico
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • American Samoa
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Guam

92. Name one state that borders Canada.

  • Maine
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Ohio
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • North Dakota
  • Montana
  • Idaho
  • Washington
  • Alaska

93. Name one state that borders Mexico.

  • California
  • Arizona
  • New Mexico
  • Texas

94. What is the capital of the United States?*

  • Washington, D.C.

95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?*

  • New York (Harbor)
  • Liberty Island

[Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]

96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

  • because there were 13 original colonies
  • because the stripes represent the original colonies

97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?*

  • because there is one star for each state
  • because each star represents a state
  • because there are 50 states

98. What is the name of the national anthem?

  • The Star-Spangled Banner

99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?*

  • July 4

100. Name two national U.S. holidays.

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Presidents’ Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Columbus Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas

4. MORE QUESTIONS

101. The Nation’s first motto was “E Pluribus Unum.” What does that mean?

• We all become one

102. What is Independence Day?

• The country’s birthday

103. What is Memorial Day?

• A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service

104. What is Veterans Day?

• A holiday to honor people in the (U.S.) military

Conclusion

I hope the information above will enable you to ace the crucial interview and obtain your anticipated US citizenship. Please take note that there are additional answers available for some of the above citizenship test questions. That being said, the answers listed here are what the USCIS officer who conducts your test will be asking you to provide.

Hardest U.S. Citizenship Test Questions

Certain questions on the 100-question U.S. citizenship test are more difficult than others. In addition to covering symbols, holidays, and geography, the citizenship test covers American democracy, history, and government. The top ten picks for each of those topics are listed below.

From easiest to hardest:

10. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

9. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

8. What is the rule of law?

7. Who was President during World War I?

6. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

5. How many Justices are on the Supreme Court?

4. When was the Constitution written?

3. The House of Representatives has how many members?

2. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

1. Name one writer of the Federalist Papers.
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