New US citizenship test to include 128 civics questions, Trump admin says move ensures ‘assimilation’

The US government is rolling out a tougher citizenship test this year, reintroducing the 2020 version scrapped by the Biden administration. The new test, which will come into effect from mid-October 2025, according to a notice published in the Federal Register, will require applicants to study 128 civics questions — up from the earlier 100 — before facing an oral exam.

The passing score remains unchanged at 12 correct answers out of 20, but applicants will have to prepare from a broader pool. Administrators can stop the test once an applicant reaches either 12 correct responses or nine incorrect ones.

“American citizenship is the most sacred citizenship in the world and should only be reserved for aliens who will fully embrace our values and principles as a nation,” USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said.

What the test involves

The test is conducted orally and does not provide multiple-choice answers. Applicants must clear it in two attempts; failure in both results in denial of the naturalisation application. In the 2024, more than 94% of candidates passed the citizenship test.

The civics test is a statutory requirement under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Applicants must demonstrate “a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, and of the principles and form of government, of the United States.” The English-language components of the naturalisation process — reading, writing, speaking and comprehension — remain unchanged.

USCIS said the revision is in line with President Donald Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order 14161, which directed federal agencies to evaluate whether immigration programmes sufficiently promote “a unified American identity and attachment to the Constitution, laws, and founding principles of the United States.”

Officials argue that the 2020 test, which briefly replaced the 2008 version before being scrapped under the Biden administration, “made important improvements” and provided a more meaningful assessment of civic knowledge.

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“By ensuring only those aliens who meet all eligibility requirements, including the ability to read, write, and speak English and understand US government and civics are able to naturalize, the American people can be assured that those joining us as fellow citizens are fully assimilated and will contribute to America’s greatness,” Tragesser added.

In its notice, DHS said that citizenship is “the most meaningful immigration benefit the United States can bestow on an alien.”

What changes under the 2025 version

The Trump administration has argued that restoring the 2020 version makes the process more rigorous and ensures that only committed individuals are granted citizenship. The Biden administration had previously scrapped it, calling it an unnecessary hurdle.

The new test will once again expand the bank of civics questions from 100 to 128, covering broader topics in US history and government. Applicants will be asked up to 20 oral questions and must answer 12 correctly to pass. Unlike the 2020 rollout, however, officers will not be required to ask all 20 questions. Testing will stop once an applicant either reaches 12 correct responses or nine incorrect answers.

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That modification, USCIS explained, balances the need to measure civic knowledge with the time constraints of naturalisation interviews.

Among the new topics added are questions about the Federalist Papers, the 10th Amendment, President Dwight Eisenhower, Founding Fathers James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, and American scientific and cultural innovations.

Special accommodations remain in place:

Applicants 65 years or older who have lived in the US as lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years will only need to study from a reduced pool of 20 questions and answer 6 out of 10 correctly.
Certain older or long-term residents may also take the test in a language other than English.

For naturalisation, applicants must prove they have been permanent residents for three to five years, can communicate in English, and possess a basic understanding of US history and politics.

Timeline for implementation

The 2025 civics test will roll out gradually to account for applicants already preparing under the current framework:

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Applicants who file before October 20, 2025 will take the existing 2008 test.
Applicants filing on or after October 20, 2025 will be subject to the new 2025 version.
Older applicants (65+) with 20 years of residency will continue to take a simplified version, regardless of filing date.

USCIS said study materials, including the full set of 128 questions and answers, will be made available in advance. For a limited period, the agency will keep both the 2008 and 2025 materials on its website so applicants can prepare according to their filing date.

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