The U.S. citizenship test is an important element of the U.S. citizenship process.
It’s through this test that the USCIS officer gets to check your knowledge of U.S. history and government as well as your English-speaking skills.
How Difficult is the U.S. Citizenship Test?
It should not be difficult if you prepare yourself for the citizenship test.
The test covers basic questions about U.S. history and government. You will not be asked your opinion but rather very basic and general facts. The test is given to you orally and it is not multiple choice. You are asked to give the exact answer.
The information that the test covers are information that most Americans should know. Most of it is information taught in American elementary schools.
The USCIS officer will ask you 10 questions and you are expected to answer 6 of them correctly to pass the test.
The U.S. Citizenship Test Questions and Answers
The general categories for the questions in the citizenship test are:
● Federal government questions
● State government questions
● American history
● American geography
● American life (culture, holidays, your duties as a citizen, etc.)
The things you could be asked about the federal government are things like:
● “How many senators are there?”
○ you would respond that there are 100 senators, 2 for each state
● “How long does one term of the U.S. presidency?”
○ you would respond 4 years
● “Who takes the place of the U.S. president if he can no longer serve?”
○ you would say the vice president
Things you could be asked about the government in the state where you live are perhaps:
● “What is the capital of your state?”
○ you would say the capital of your state
● “Who is the governor of the state?”
○ you would give the name of the current governor of your state
About American history, geography and American life, you could be asked questions like:
● “Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?”
○ you would say the Native Americans
● “Where is the statue of liberty”
○ you would respond to New York City
● “What is the name of the national anthem?”
○ you would say the Star Spangled Banner
● “When do we celebrate Independence Day?”
○ you would say July 4th
● “How old do you have to be, to be able to vote in the U.S.?”
○ you would answer 18 years of age
Things to Keep in Mind About the Citizenship Test
For the questions about government, you have to keep in mind that your answers must be current. As you study for the test, you have to take into consideration any elections that may have recently happened in your state or any changes in government in the U.S. as a whole.
Also, the 10 questions that the USCIS officer will ask you will not necessarily cover all of the categories mentioned above (federal government, state government, American history, geography, and life). The USCIS officer can ask you any ten questions s/he chooses from any category.