The 2008 civics test: 100 questions, 10 asked, 6 to pass.

The civics test is spoken. At your naturalization interview a USCIS officer asks questions from the official list one at a time and you answer out loud, in English. No multiple choice, nothing written.

On the 2008 version the officer draws from a list of 100 questions and asks up to 10. You pass by answering 6 correctly, and the officer stops as soon as the result is settled: at 6 correct you have passed, and at 5 incorrect the 6 is out of reach.

The questions span American government, American history, and integrated civics: geography, symbols, and holidays.

Some answers change with elections or depend on your state: your senators and representative, your governor, and the current officeholders in Washington. Check those close to your interview date.

Which version you take is decided by your Form N-400 filing date. The interview date has no bearing on it. USCIS keeps everyone who filed before October 20, 2025 on the 2008 test. If you filed on or after that date, you take the newer 2025 test (128 questions, 20 asked, 12 to pass) instead. The receipt date on your Form I-797C receipt notice is the date that counts.

Age-based accommodations may also apply, each measured at the time you file. Under the 50/20 rule (50 or older with 20 years as a resident) and the 55/15 rule (55 or older with 15 years), you can take the civics test in your own language with an interpreter and skip the English reading and writing test. The 65/20 special consideration goes further and shortens the civics list itself, which is covered next.

If you are 65 or older when you file and have been a lawful permanent resident for 20 or more years, you only need to study 20 designated questions from this list, and the officer asks 10 of those 20 and you still pass at 6. It applies to the 2008 version only.

Read more about the 65/20 special consideration →

A hundred questions reads as a lot, but many are short facts you half-know already, and the officer only asks 10. Study by category instead of straight down the list, so related answers reinforce each other, and keep your sessions short and frequent. What matters is recall a week later, not how much you cram in one sitting.

Our app is built for exactly this. Flashcards cover all 100 questions by category with mastery tracking, the practice tests are unlimited and self-check just like the real interview, and read-aloud audio is on every question, all free. If you qualify for 65/20, a free mode narrows the whole app to your 20 designated questions and tracks your progress against that shorter list.

Pro adds a full mock interview with a spoken officer who runs the whole N-400, and a study plan that counts down to your interview date with a readiness score. It is a one-time $14.99, and never a subscription.