Civics Study Guide for the U.S. Citizenship Test

General Information

The History and Civics section of the Citizenship Test assesses your knowledge of some very basic concepts about the U.S. Government, American History, and Civics, which includes geography, symbols, and holidays in the United States. The testing officer will read the questions out loud to you and give you 20 chances to speak the answer to 12 questions correctly. There is no reading or writing involved in this section of the test. It is all done orally.

How to Prepare

This is one test for which you can easily know what to study. The tested material is specifically stated in a list of questions and you can learn more information from an online textbook. Both of these are linked below.

The Question List

The only questions you can be asked come from an official list of 128 questions, 2025 version.

Note: Quoted from the bottom of the page linked above:

“If you are 65 years old or older and have been living in the United States as a lawful permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the 20 questions that have been marked with an asterisk (*) found at the end of each question. You may also take the civics test in the language of your choice. The USCIS officer will ask you to answer 10 out of the 20 civics test questions with an asterisk. You must answer at least 6 out of 10 questions (or 60%) correctly to pass the 2025 version of the civics test.”

Even though there may be other approved answers to some of the questions, you need to memorize the answers on this list. If a question asks for one or two of something, you only need to memorize a few of them, not the whole list of correct answers. It might be helpful to memorize more than the required number in case you just cannot remember one of them on the day of the test.

Some of the answers to these questions may change with time, such as the answer to “Who is the current U.S. President?” Be sure you know the most current answers for this type of question. These answers can be easily found by checking online, if you are careful about checking the date of the online publication.

The Textbook

To gain a broader understanding of the questions you will be asked, you can also read and/or study the One Nation, One People: The USCIS Civics Test Textbook. This text is liberally illustrated and includes the list of the 128 possible civics questions at the end.

Our practice questions and flashcards will help you remember all the facts you’ll need to know! When you cannot be at a computer, one way to practice is to make a paper copy of the questions to take with you everywhere you go. If you keep one in your car, you can use time spent in waiting rooms or breaks at work to study a bit. Use a highlighter to mark questions on which you need extra practice. Just be sure you have updated your list of answers if any of them have changed.

On the Day of the Test

When you are taking this portion of the citizenship test, be sure to:

Take your time. There is no time limit and you will have plenty of time to form your answers and speak them. However, if it becomes apparent that you do not know the answers or you cannot speak English well enough to say them, the examiner will end the test. The test will end as soon as you have answered 12 questions correctly or when you have gotten 9 or more questions wrong.
If you do not understand the question, politely ask the officer to repeat it.
Think about how to phrase your answer if it is more than a word or two. Then, speak slowly and clearly, trying to pronounce words correctly.
If you cannot think of an answer or you think that you missed a question, do not panic. Remember, you will have 20 chances to answer 12 questions correctly.

Tips and Tricks

Since this test is not given in written format, you may want to find a study buddy who is fluent in English to help you practice. The friend can read the questions and answers to you, as well as explain the reasons for the correct answers.

The list of possible questions contains some questions for which there is no answer listed. These questions have different answers depending on when you take the test and where you live. So, before you study, look up the answers to the following and keep a list of them with your study materials. Be sure to update the list if there are elections between the time you find the answers and your testing appointment. You can find the answers to these questions online or in recently published books and magazines. Just be sure it is the most current information.

Find the current answers to these and study them:

Who is currently:

Also know:

What is the capital of your state?