Citizenship test practice
Free practice with all 128 questions from the official USCIS civics test (2025 version). On the real test, the officer asks up to 20 questions out loud and you need 12 right to pass.
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American Government
1. What is the form of government of the United States?
✅ Republic
Also accepted: Constitution-based federal republic; representative democracy
2. What is the supreme law of the land?
✅ The Constitution
3. Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.
✅ Forms the government
Also accepted: Defines powers of government; defines the parts of government; protects the rights of the people
4. The U.S. Constitution starts with the words "We the People." What does "We the People" mean?
✅ Self-government
Also accepted: Popular sovereignty; consent of the governed; people should govern themselves; (example of) social contract
5. How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
✅ Amendments
Also accepted: The amendment process
6. What does the Bill of Rights protect?
✅ The basic rights of Americans
Also accepted: The basic rights of people living in the United States
7. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
✅ Twenty-seven (27)
8. Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
✅ It says all people are created equal.
Also accepted: It says America is free from British control; it identifies inherent rights; it identifies individual freedoms
9. What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
✅ Declaration of Independence
10. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
✅ Equality and liberty
Also accepted: Social contract; natural rights; limited government; self-government
11. The words "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" are in what founding document?
✅ Declaration of Independence
12. What is the economic system of the United States?
✅ Capitalism
Also accepted: Free market economy
13. What is the rule of law?
✅ No one is above the law.
Also accepted: Everyone must follow the law; leaders must obey the law; government must obey the law
14. Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.
✅ Declaration of Independence
Also accepted: Articles of Confederation; Federalist Papers; Anti-Federalist Papers; Virginia Declaration of Rights; Fundamental Orders of Connecticut; Mayflower Compact; Iroquois Great Law of Peace
15. There are three branches of government. Why?
✅ So one part does not become too powerful
Also accepted: Checks and balances; separation of powers
16. Name the three branches of government.
✅ Legislative, executive, and judicial
Also accepted: Congress, president, and the courts
17. The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
✅ Executive branch
18. What part of the federal government writes laws?
✅ Congress
Also accepted: U.S. or national legislature; legislative branch
19. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
✅ The Senate and the House of Representatives
20. Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
✅ Writes laws
Also accepted: Declares war; makes the federal budget
21. How many U.S. senators are there?
✅ One hundred (100)
22. How long is a term for a U.S. senator?
✅ Six (6) years
23. 📍 Who is one of your state's U.S. senators now?
📍 Answers vary. Look up your two U.S. senators at senate.gov. Look it up →
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.
24. How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
✅ Four hundred thirty-five (435)
25. How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
✅ Two (2) years
26. Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
✅ To more closely follow public opinion
27. How many senators does each state have?
✅ Two (2)
28. Why does each state have two senators?
✅ Equal representation (for small states)
Also accepted: The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
29. 📍 Name your U.S. representative.
📍 Answers vary. Find your U.S. representative at house.gov. Look it up →
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.
30. 📍 What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
📍 Answers vary. Look up the current Speaker of the House at house.gov. USCIS also posts the current name at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates. Look it up →
31. Who does a U.S. senator represent?
✅ Citizens of their state
Also accepted: People of their state
32. Who elects U.S. senators?
✅ Citizens from their state
33. Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent?
✅ Citizens in their (congressional) district
Also accepted: Citizens in their district; people from their (congressional) district; people in their district
34. Who elects members of the House of Representatives?
✅ Citizens from their (congressional) district
35. Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?
✅ Because of the state's population
Also accepted: They have more people; some states have more people
36. The President of the United States is elected for how many years?
✅ Four (4) years
37. The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?
✅ Because of the 22nd Amendment
Also accepted: To keep the president from becoming too powerful
38. 📍 What is the name of the President of the United States now?
📍 Answers vary. Look up the current President at whitehouse.gov. USCIS also posts the current name at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates. Look it up →
39. 📍 What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
📍 Answers vary. Look up the current Vice President at whitehouse.gov. USCIS also posts the current name at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates. Look it up →
40. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
✅ The Vice President
41. Name one power of the President.
✅ Signs bills into law
Also accepted: Vetoes bills; enforces laws; Commander in Chief (of the military); chief diplomat; appoints federal judges
42. Who is Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
✅ The President
43. Who signs bills to become laws?
✅ The President
Also accepted: The President of the United States
44. Who vetoes bills?
✅ The President
45. Who appoints federal judges?
✅ The President
Also accepted: The President of the United States
46. The executive branch has many parts. Name one.
✅ President (of the United States)
Also accepted: Cabinet; federal departments and agencies
47. What does the President's Cabinet do?
✅ Advises the President
48. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
✅ Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury
Also accepted: Attorney General; Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of Commerce; 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 Transportation; Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Secretary of War (Defense); Vice-President; Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; Administrator of the Small Business Administration; Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Director of National Intelligence; United States Trade Representative
49. Why is the Electoral College important?
✅ It decides who is elected president.
Also accepted: It provides a compromise between the popular election of the president and congressional selection
50. What is one part of the judicial branch?
✅ Supreme Court
Also accepted: Federal Courts
51. What does the judicial branch do?
✅ Reviews laws
Also accepted: Explains laws; resolves disputes (disagreements) about the law; decides if a law goes against the (U.S.) Constitution
52. What is the highest court in the United States?
✅ The Supreme Court
53. How many seats are on the Supreme Court?
✅ Nine (9)
54. How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?
✅ Five (5)
55. How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
✅ For life
Also accepted: Lifetime appointment; until retirement
56. Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?
✅ To be independent (of politics)
Also accepted: To limit outside (political) influence
57. 📍 Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
📍 Answers vary. Look up the current Chief Justice at supremecourt.gov. USCIS also posts the current name at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates. Look it up →
58. Name one power that is only for the federal government.
✅ Print paper money
Also accepted: Mint coins; declare war; create an army; make treaties; set foreign policy
59. Name one power that is only for the states.
✅ Give a driver's license
Also accepted: Provide schooling and education; provide protection (police); provide safety (fire departments); approve zoning and land use
60. What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
✅ Powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people.
61. 📍 Who is the governor of your state now?
📍 Answers vary. Look up your state's governor at usa.gov/states-and-territories. Look it up →
District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a governor.
62. 📍 What is the capital of your state?
📍 Answers vary. Name your state's capital city. Your state's page at usa.gov/states-and-territories links to its official state government website. Look it up →
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.
63. There are four amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
✅ Citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote.
Also accepted: 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
64. Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?
✅ U.S. citizens
Also accepted: Citizens; citizens of the United States
65. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States?
✅ Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly
Also accepted: Freedom of expression; freedom to petition the government; the right to bear arms
66. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
✅ The United States
Also accepted: The flag
67. Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.
✅ Defend the Constitution and obey the laws of the United States
Also accepted: Give up loyalty to other countries; serve in the military (if needed); serve (help, do important work for) the nation (if needed); be loyal to the United States
68. How can people become United States citizens?
✅ Naturalize
Also accepted: Be born in the United States, under the conditions set by the 14th Amendment; derive citizenship (under conditions set by Congress)
69. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?
✅ Vote and run for office
Also accepted: 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); contact elected officials; support or oppose an issue or policy; write to a newspaper
70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?
✅ Vote
Also accepted: Pay taxes; obey the law; serve in the military; run for office; work for local, state, or federal government
71. Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
✅ Required by law
Also accepted: All people pay to fund the federal government; required by the Constitution (16th Amendment); civic duty
72. It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.
✅ Required by law
Also accepted: Civic duty; makes the draft fair, if needed
American History
73. The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
✅ Religious freedom
Also accepted: Freedom; political liberty; economic opportunity; escape persecution
74. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
✅ American Indians
Also accepted: Native Americans
75. What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
✅ Africans
Also accepted: People from Africa
76. What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
✅ The American Revolution
Also accepted: The (American) Revolutionary War; War for (American) Independence
77. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
✅ Taxation without representation
Also accepted: High taxes; British soldiers stayed in Americans' houses (boarding, quartering); they did not have self-government; Boston Massacre; Boston Tea Party (Tea Act); Stamp Act; Sugar Act; Townshend Acts; Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
78. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
✅ Thomas Jefferson
79. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
✅ July 4, 1776
80. The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.
✅ (Battle of) Bunker Hill
Also accepted: Declaration of Independence; Washington Crossing the Delaware (Battle of Trenton); (Battle of) Saratoga; Valley Forge (Encampment); (Battle of) Yorktown (British surrender at Yorktown)
81. There were 13 original states. Name five.
✅ New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Georgia
Also accepted: The 13 are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
82. What founding document was written in 1787?
✅ The U.S. Constitution
83. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
✅ James Madison
Also accepted: Alexander Hamilton; John Jay; Publius
84. Why were the Federalist Papers important?
✅ They helped people understand the (U.S.) Constitution.
Also accepted: They supported passing the (U.S.) Constitution.
85. Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
✅ First Postmaster General of the United States
Also accepted: Founded the first free public libraries; helped write the Declaration of Independence; inventor; U.S. diplomat
86. George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
✅ First president of the United States
Also accepted: "Father of Our Country"; general of the Continental Army; president of the Constitutional Convention
87. Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.
✅ Writer of the Declaration of Independence
Also accepted: Third president of the United States; doubled the size of the United States (Louisiana Purchase); First Secretary of State; founded the University of Virginia; writer of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom
88. James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.
✅ "Father of the Constitution"
Also accepted: Fourth president of the United States; president during the War of 1812; one of the writers of the Federalist Papers
89. Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one.
✅ First Secretary of the Treasury
Also accepted: One of the writers of the Federalist Papers; helped establish the First Bank of the United States; aide to General George Washington; member of the Continental Congress
90. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
✅ Louisiana Territory
Also accepted: Louisiana
91. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
✅ Civil War
Also accepted: War of 1812; Mexican-American War; Spanish-American War
92. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
✅ The Civil War
93. The Civil War had many important events. Name one.
✅ (Battle of) Gettysburg
Also accepted: (Battle of) Fort Sumter; Emancipation Proclamation; (Battle of) Vicksburg; Sherman's March; (Surrender at) Appomattox; (Battle of) Antietam/Sharpsburg; Lincoln was assassinated.
94. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.
✅ Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
Also accepted: Saved (or preserved) the Union; led the United States during the Civil War; 16th president of the United States; delivered the Gettysburg Address
95. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
✅ Freed the slaves
Also accepted: Freed slaves in the Confederacy; freed slaves in the Confederate states; freed slaves in most Southern states
96. What U.S. war ended slavery?
✅ The Civil War
97. What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?
✅ 14th Amendment
98. When did all men get the right to vote?
✅ After the Civil War
Also accepted: During Reconstruction; (with the) 15th Amendment; 1870
99. Name one leader of the women's rights movement in the 1800s.
✅ Susan B. Anthony
Also accepted: Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Sojourner Truth; Harriet Tubman; Lucretia Mott; Lucy Stone
100. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
✅ World War II
Also accepted: World War I; Korean War; Vietnam War; (Persian) Gulf War
101. Why did the United States enter World War I?
✅ Because Germany attacked U.S. (civilian) ships
Also accepted: To support the Allied Powers (England, France, Italy, and Russia); to oppose the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria)
102. When did all women get the right to vote?
✅ 1920
Also accepted: After World War I; with the 19th Amendment
103. What was the Great Depression?
✅ Longest economic recession in modern history
104. When did the Great Depression start?
✅ The stock market crash of 1929
Also accepted: The Great Crash (1929)
105. Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II?
✅ Franklin Roosevelt
106. Why did the United States enter World War II?
✅ The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor
Also accepted: (Bombing of) Pearl Harbor; to support the Allied Powers (England, France, and Russia); to oppose the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan)
107. Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one.
✅ General during World War II
Also accepted: President at the end of (during) the Korean War; 34th president of the United States; signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (created the Interstate System)
108. Who was the United States' main rival during the Cold War?
✅ Soviet Union
Also accepted: USSR; Russia
109. During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?
✅ Communism
Also accepted: Nuclear war
110. Why did the United States enter the Korean War?
✅ To stop the spread of communism
111. Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?
✅ To stop the spread of communism
112. What did the civil rights movement do?
✅ Fought to end racial discrimination
113. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.
✅ Fought for civil rights
Also accepted: Worked for equality for all Americans; worked to ensure that people would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"
114. Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?
✅ To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait
115. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
✅ Terrorists attacked the United States
Also accepted: Terrorists took over two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City; terrorists took over a plane and crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; terrorists took over a plane originally aimed at Washington, D.C., and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania
116. Name one U.S. military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
✅ War in Afghanistan
Also accepted: (Global) War on Terror; War in Iraq
117. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
✅ Cherokee
Also accepted: Apache; Blackfeet; Cayuga; Cheyenne; Chippewa; Choctaw; Creek; Crow; Hopi; Huron; Inupiat; Lakota; Mohawk; Mohegan; Navajo; Oneida; Onondaga; Pueblo; Seminole; Seneca; Shawnee; Sioux; Teton; Tuscarora. For a complete list of tribes, please visit bia.gov.
118. Name one example of an American innovation.
✅ Airplane
Also accepted: Light bulb; automobile (cars, internal combustion engine); skyscrapers; assembly line; landing on the moon; integrated circuit (IC)
Symbols and Holidays
119. What is the capital of the United States?
✅ Washington, D.C.
120. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
✅ New York Harbor
Also accepted: Liberty Island; also acceptable: New Jersey, near New York City, on the Hudson River
121. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
✅ Because there were 13 original colonies
Also accepted: The stripes represent the original colonies
122. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
✅ One star for each state
Also accepted: Each star represents a state; there are 50 states
123. What is the name of the national anthem?
✅ The Star-Spangled Banner
124. The Nation's first motto was "E Pluribus Unum." What does that mean?
✅ Out of many, one
Also accepted: We all become one
125. What is Independence Day?
✅ A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence (from Britain)
Also accepted: The country's birthday
126. Name three national U.S. holidays.
✅ Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day
Also accepted: New Year's Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Presidents Day (Washington's Birthday); Memorial Day; Juneteenth; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Christmas Day
127. What is Memorial Day?
✅ A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service
128. What is Veterans Day?
✅ A holiday to honor people who have served in the U.S. military
Also accepted: A holiday to honor people in the (U.S.) military
Before your interview
These questions come from the official USCIS 2025 Naturalization Civics Test list (128 Civics Questions and Answers, form M-1778), which applies to people who file Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025. This page has all 128 official questions, and every answer was checked against that official list. 8 of them (your U.S. senators, your U.S. representative, the Speaker of the House, the President, the Vice President, the Chief Justice, your governor, and your state capital) depend on where you live or who holds office now, so they are for study only and are not in the scored practice quiz. Look those answers up before your interview: you must give the name of the official serving at the time of your interview. If you filed your N-400 before October 20, 2025, you take the older 2008 version of the test. Always study with the official USCIS materials too. Need legal help with your application? Use only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.